Alberta · 54.47°N

Birds of Cold Lake

What has actually been seen around Cold Lake: 252 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 252 within 6 mi
Observation records: 57,065 since 2010
Most recorded bird: American Crow
Busiest month: June
Elevation: 1,798 ft
Daylight, June / December: 17.3 h / 7.3 h

What the records say about Cold Lake

252 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Cold Lake (Alberta) since 2010, across 57,065 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are American Crow, Red-necked Grebe and White-throated Sparrow.

Cold Lake is backyard-bird country: 62% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. American Crow, White-throated Sparrow, Common Raven and Red-eyed Vireo make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

21 birds of prey are on record nearby, including .

Records peak in June and are lowest in January — about 620.1 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.

Grand Centre, 4 mi to the south, has a similar number of species on record (255 against 252).

At about 1,798 ft above sea level, Cold Lake 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 17 h 15 min at midsummer to 7 h 17 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:20 AM in mid-April and 4:44 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Cold Lake

#	Bird	Records
1	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	1,459
2	Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegena	1,233
3	White-throated SparrowZonotrichia albicollis	1,133
4	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	1,104
5	Common RavenCorvus corax	1,090
6	Franklin's GullLeucophaeus pipixcan	1,059
7	Red-eyed VireoVireo olivaceus	1,026
8	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	1,010
9	Chipping SparrowSpizella passerina	1,006
10	Yellow-rumped WarblerSetophaga coronata	1,005
11	Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula	998
12	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	982
13	Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis	936
14	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	902
15	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	899
16	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	889
17	Common LoonGavia immer	845
18	OvenbirdSeiurus aurocapilla	822
19	Black-billed MagpiePica hudsonia	813
20	BuffleheadBucephala albeola	806

Records by month

What to put out in Cold Lake

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

American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
White-throated Sparrow
Millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn
Common Raven
Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Red-eyed Vireo
None — mature deciduous trees are the draw
Red-winged Blackbird
Cracked corn · Millet · Sunflower
Chipping Sparrow
Millet · Hulled sunflower chips

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 Cold Lake?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Cold Lake are American Crow, White-throated Sparrow, Common Raven, Red-eyed Vireo and Red-winged Blackbird, based on 57,065 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Cold Lake?

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

When is the best month for birds in Cold Lake?

Observation records peak in June and are lowest in January. Sunrise in late June is around 4:44 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.