Alberta · 53.27°N

Birds of Calmar

What has actually been seen around Calmar: 142 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 142 within 6 mi
Observation records: 1,892 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Red-tailed Hawk
Busiest month: December
Elevation: 2,379 ft
Daylight, June / December: 17 h / 7.5 h

What the records say about Calmar

142 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Calmar (Alberta) since 2010, across 1,892 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Red-tailed Hawk, Black-billed Magpie and Common Raven.

Calmar is backyard-bird country: 71% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Black-billed Magpie, Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadee and House Sparrow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

18 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red-tailed Hawk, Snowy Owl and American Kestrel.

Records peak in December and are lowest in August — about 13.7 times as many in the busiest month. Part of that is birds (migrants and breeding arrivals), part is people: more birders are out in good weather, so treat the curve as activity, not a census.

Devon, 8 mi to the north-east, has more species on record (225 against 142). Birds logged far more often around Calmar than there include Red-tailed Hawk, Rock Pigeon, European Starling and Eurasian Collared-Dove.

At about 2,379 ft above sea level, Calmar sits higher than most places in Alberta. Spring arrives a little later with height, and feeders matter more in cold snaps — keep a supply of high-fat food going through late winter and early spring.

Daylight runs from 16 h 59 min at midsummer to 7 h 31 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:37 AM in mid-April and 5:06 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Calmar

#	Bird	Records
1	Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis	202
2	Black-billed MagpiePica hudsonia	136
3	Common RavenCorvus corax	103
4	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	101
5	House SparrowPasser domesticus	91
6	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	81
7	Rock PigeonColumba livia	79
8	European StarlingSturnus vulgaris	64
9	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	51
10	Eurasian Collared-DoveStreptopelia decaocto	43
11	Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulus	42
12	American RobinTurdus migratorius	37
13	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	34
14	Common RedpollAcanthis flammea	33
15	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	33
16	Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens	32
17	White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensis	28
18	Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosus	25
19	Snowy OwlBubo scandiacus	24
20	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	21

Records by month

What to put out in Calmar

Foods for the most recorded backyard birds here, from our species notes.

Black-billed Magpie
Suet · Peanuts · Cracked corn
Common Raven
Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts
House Sparrow
Millet · Cracked corn
Blue Jay
Peanuts in the shell · Black-oil sunflower · Suet
Rock Pigeon
None recommended — flocks crowd out other feeder birds

Seasonal bird notes for Alberta

What's arriving, what to feed and when to clean feeders, written for Canadian backyards. One email a month at most.

Nearby places

Frequently asked

What birds visit backyards in Calmar?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Calmar are Black-billed Magpie, Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadee, House Sparrow and Blue Jay, based on 1,892 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Calmar?

142 species have at least one record within 6 mi of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).

When is the best month for birds in Calmar?

Observation records peak in December and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 5:06 AM.

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.