Alberta · 49.72°N

Birds of Fort Macleod

What has actually been seen around Fort Macleod: 189 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 189 within 6 mi
Observation records: 4,334 since 2010
Most recorded bird: European Starling
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 3,124 ft
Daylight, June / December: 16.3 h / 8.1 h

What the records say about Fort Macleod

189 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Fort Macleod (Alberta) since 2010, across 4,334 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Starling, Black-billed Magpie and American Robin.

Fort Macleod 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. European Starling, Black-billed Magpie, American Robin and American Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

20 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Swainson's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk and Hen Harrier.

Records peak in May and are lowest in December — about 16.9 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.

Coalhurst, 22 mi to the east, has more species on record (264 against 189). Birds logged far more often around Fort Macleod than there include Western Meadowlark, Hen Harrier, Brewer's Blackbird and Wilson's Snipe.

At about 3,124 ft above sea level, Fort Macleod 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 19 min at midsummer to 8 h 7 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:43 AM in mid-April and 5:25 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Fort Macleod

#	Bird	Records
1	European StarlingSturnus vulgaris	168
2	Black-billed MagpiePica hudsonia	166
3	American RobinTurdus migratorius	152
4	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	124
5	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	112
6	Northern FlickerColaptes auratus	111
7	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	101
8	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	99
9	Swainson's HawkButeo swainsoni	96
10	House SparrowPasser domesticus	89
11	Rock PigeonColumba livia	87
12	Yellow WarblerSetophaga petechia	86
13	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	86
14	Mourning DoveZenaida macroura	80
15	House WrenTroglodytes aedon	79
16	Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus	78
17	Gray CatbirdDumetella carolinensis	76
18	Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis	73
19	Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorum	72
20	Eurasian Collared-DoveStreptopelia decaocto	71

Records by month

What to put out in Fort Macleod

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

European Starling
Suet · Cracked corn
Black-billed Magpie
Suet · Peanuts · Cracked corn
American Robin
Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets
American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Northern Flicker
Suet · Peanut hearts
Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts

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 Fort Macleod?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Fort Macleod are European Starling, Black-billed Magpie, American Robin, American Crow and Northern Flicker, based on 4,334 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Fort Macleod?

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

When is the best month for birds in Fort Macleod?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 5:25 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.