Alberta · 52.68°N

Birds of Ponoka

What has actually been seen around Ponoka: 138 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 138 within 6 mi
Observation records: 1,502 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Red-tailed Hawk
Busiest month: July
Elevation: 2,644 ft
Daylight, June / December: 16.9 h / 7.6 h

What the records say about Ponoka

138 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Ponoka (Alberta) since 2010, across 1,502 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Red-tailed Hawk, American Crow and Canada Goose.

Ponoka 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, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-winged Blackbird and Black-billed Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red-tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle and Swainson's Hawk.

Records peak in July and are lowest in November — about 20.9 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.

Lacombe, 16 mi to the south-west, has more species on record (199 against 138). Birds logged far more often around Ponoka than there include Red-tailed Hawk, Rock Pigeon, Bald Eagle and Swainson's Hawk.

At about 2,644 ft above sea level, Ponoka 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 52 min at midsummer to 7 h 37 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:38 AM in mid-April and 5:09 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Ponoka

#	Bird	Records
1	Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis	69
2	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	65
3	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	62
4	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	56
5	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	53
6	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	52
7	Black-billed MagpiePica hudsonia	49
8	Common RavenCorvus corax	48
9	European StarlingSturnus vulgaris	39
10	Rock PigeonColumba livia	38
11	American RobinTurdus migratorius	36
12	House SparrowPasser domesticus	32
13	Clay-colored SparrowSpizella pallida	29
14	Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus	27
15	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	27
16	American CootFulica americana	25
17	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	25
18	Blue-winged TealSpatula discors	25
19	Tree SwallowTachycineta bicolor	23
20	Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorum	22

Records by month

What to put out in Ponoka

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

American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts
Red-winged Blackbird
Cracked corn · Millet · Sunflower
Black-billed Magpie
Suet · Peanuts · Cracked corn
Common Raven
Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
European Starling
Suet · 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 Ponoka?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Ponoka are American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-winged Blackbird, Black-billed Magpie and Common Raven, based on 1,502 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Ponoka?

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

When is the best month for birds in Ponoka?

Observation records peak in July and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 5:09 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.