Alberta · 49.20°N

Birds of Cardston

What has actually been seen around Cardston: 187 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 187 within 6 mi
Observation records: 9,115 since 2010
Most recorded bird: House Sparrow
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 3,727 ft
Daylight, June / December: 16.2 h / 8.2 h

What the records say about Cardston

187 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Cardston (Alberta) since 2010, across 9,115 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are House Sparrow, Black-billed Magpie and Eurasian Collared-Dove.

Cardston is backyard-bird country: 82% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. House Sparrow, Black-billed Magpie, Eurasian Collared-Dove and European Starling make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

21 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Swainson's Hawk, Merlin and Red-tailed Hawk.

Records peak in May and are lowest in November — about 8.1 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.

Magrath, 25 mi to the north-east, has more species on record (196 against 187). Birds logged far more often around Cardston than there include Blue Jay, Pine Siskin, Common Redpoll and Black-headed Grosbeak.

At about 3,727 ft above sea level, Cardston 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 14 min at midsummer to 8 h 12 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:43 AM in mid-April and 5:27 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Cardston

#	Bird	Records
1	House SparrowPasser domesticus	634
2	Black-billed MagpiePica hudsonia	554
3	Eurasian Collared-DoveStreptopelia decaocto	552
4	European StarlingSturnus vulgaris	533
5	House FinchHaemorhous mexicanus	425
6	American RobinTurdus migratorius	421
7	Northern FlickerColaptes auratus	329
8	Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis	306
9	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	272
10	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	252
11	Common GrackleQuiscalus quiscula	250
12	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	243
13	Pine SiskinSpinus pinus	188
14	American GoldfinchSpinus tristis	162
15	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	153
16	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	146
17	Common RedpollAcanthis flammea	136
18	Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus	117
19	House WrenTroglodytes aedon	117
20	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	110

Records by month

What to put out in Cardston

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

House Sparrow
Millet · Cracked corn
Black-billed Magpie
Suet · Peanuts · Cracked corn
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Millet · Cracked corn · Sunflower
European Starling
Suet · Cracked corn
House Finch
Black-oil sunflower · Hulled sunflower · Nyjer
American Robin
Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets

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 Cardston?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Cardston are House Sparrow, Black-billed Magpie, Eurasian Collared-Dove, European Starling and House Finch, based on 9,115 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Cardston?

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

When is the best month for birds in Cardston?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 5:27 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.