Alberta · 53.22°N

Birds of Drayton Valley

What has actually been seen around Drayton Valley: 145 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 145 within 6 mi
Observation records: 2,593 since 2010
Most recorded bird: American Robin
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 2,776 ft
Daylight, June / December: 17 h / 7.5 h

What the records say about Drayton Valley

145 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Drayton Valley (Alberta) since 2010, across 2,593 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are American Robin, Black-capped Chickadee and American Crow.

Drayton Valley is backyard-bird country: 80% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. American Robin, Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow and Common Raven make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

16 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Peregrine Falcon, Red-tailed Hawk and Bald Eagle.

Records peak in May and are lowest in March — about 50.1 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.

Stony Plain, 46 mi to the north-east, has more species on record (230 against 145). Birds logged far more often around Drayton Valley than there include Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Western Tanager, Evening Grosbeak and Ruffed Grouse.

At about 2,776 ft above sea level, Drayton Valley 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 6:42 AM in mid-April and 5:11 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Drayton Valley

#	Bird	Records
1	American RobinTurdus migratorius	156
2	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	144
3	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	132
4	Common RavenCorvus corax	125
5	White-throated SparrowZonotrichia albicollis	99
6	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	90
7	Black-billed MagpiePica hudsonia	88
8	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	76
9	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	65
10	Yellow-rumped WarblerSetophaga coronata	59
11	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	58
12	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	53
13	Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis	52
14	White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensis	48
15	Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens	45
16	Chipping SparrowSpizella passerina	43
17	Boreal ChickadeePoecile hudsonicus	36
18	House SparrowPasser domesticus	36
19	Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosus	34
20	Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus varius	33

Records by month

What to put out in Drayton Valley

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

American Robin
Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets
Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts
American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Common Raven
Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
White-throated Sparrow
Millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn
Black-billed Magpie
Suet · Peanuts · Cracked corn

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 Drayton Valley?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Drayton Valley are American Robin, Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow, Common Raven and White-throated Sparrow, based on 2,593 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Drayton Valley?

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

When is the best month for birds in Drayton Valley?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in March. Sunrise in late June is around 5:11 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.