Birds of Carstairs

175 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Carstairs (Alberta) since 2010, across 7,924 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are House Sparrow, Black-billed Magpie and Black-capped Chickadee.

Carstairs is backyard-bird country: 70% 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, Black-capped Chickadee and American Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

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

Records peak in May and are lowest in December — about 10.2 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.

Didsbury, 7 mi to the north, has more species on record (181 against 175). Birds logged far more often around Carstairs than there include House Finch, Red-breasted Nuthatch and Dark-eyed Junco.

At about 3,475 ft above sea level, Carstairs 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 39 min at midsummer to 7 h 49 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:42 AM in mid-April and 5:18 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

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

• House Sparrow

  Millet · Cracked corn

• Black-billed Magpie

  Suet · Peanuts · Cracked corn

• Black-capped Chickadee

  Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts

• American Crow

  Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps

• American Robin

  Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets

• Common Raven

  Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps

• Didsbury7 mi north · 181 species
• Crossfield10 mi south · 173 species
• Olds15 mi north · 192 species
• Bowden25 mi north · 122 species
• Irricana27 mi south-east · 223 species
• Sundre28 mi north-west · 132 species