Birds of Peace River
What has actually been seen around Peace River: 186 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 186 within 6 mi
- Observation records
- 6,933 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Black-billed Magpie
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 1,083 ft
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.7 h / 6.9 h
What the records say about Peace River
186 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Peace River (Alberta) since 2010, across 6,933 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-billed Magpie, Black-capped Chickadee and Blue Jay.
Peace River is backyard-bird country: 89% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Black-billed Magpie, Black-capped Chickadee, Blue Jay and House Sparrow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
17 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red-tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle and American Kestrel. A hawk that hunts feeder birds is among them, so set feeders about 10 feet from shrubs: close enough for cover, far enough that a cat can't ambush from it.
Records peak in May and are lowest in March — about 6.4 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.
Grimshaw, 12 mi to the west, has more species on record (216 against 186). Birds logged far more often around Peace River than there include Evening Grosbeak, Purple Finch, Eurasian Collared-Dove and American Tree Sparrow.
Daylight runs from 17 h 41 min at midsummer to 6 h 54 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:45 AM in mid-April and 4:59 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Peace River
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black-billed MagpiePica hudsonia | 443 |
| 2 | Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus | 420 |
| 3 | Blue JayCyanocitta cristata | 416 |
| 4 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 373 |
| 5 | Common RavenCorvus corax | 329 |
| 6 | American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos | 323 |
| 7 | American RobinTurdus migratorius | 319 |
| 8 | Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosus | 215 |
| 9 | Evening GrosbeakHesperiphona vespertina | 159 |
| 10 | Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens | 153 |
| 11 | Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis | 148 |
| 12 | Common RedpollAcanthis flammea | 146 |
| 13 | Yellow WarblerSetophaga petechia | 131 |
| 14 | Purple FinchHaemorhous purpureus | 131 |
| 15 | Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorum | 125 |
| 16 | White-throated SparrowZonotrichia albicollis | 115 |
| 17 | Chipping SparrowSpizella passerina | 110 |
| 18 | Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus varius | 107 |
| 19 | Northern FlickerColaptes auratus | 99 |
| 20 | Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulus | 99 |
Records by month
What to put out in Peace River
Foods for the most recorded backyard birds here, from our species notes.
- Black-billed Magpie
Suet · Peanuts · Cracked corn
- Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts
- Blue Jay
Peanuts in the shell · Black-oil sunflower · Suet
- House Sparrow
Millet · Cracked corn
- Common Raven
Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
- American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
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 Peace River?
The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Peace River are Black-billed Magpie, Black-capped Chickadee, Blue Jay, House Sparrow and Common Raven, based on 6,933 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Peace River?
186 species have at least one record within 6 mi of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Peace River?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in March. Sunrise in late June is around 4:59 AM.
Sources
- GBIF occurrence search (birds, class Aves, 2010 onward)
- GeoNames gazetteer (place, population, elevation)
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.