Perch Supply
Alberta · 54.12°N

Birds of Smoky Lake

What has actually been seen around Smoky Lake: 211 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record
211 within 6 mi
Observation records
17,152 since 2010
Most recorded bird
Black-billed Magpie
Busiest month
May
Elevation
2,028 ft
Daylight, June / December
17.2 h / 7.4 h

What the records say about Smoky Lake

211 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Smoky Lake (Alberta) since 2010, across 17,152 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-billed Magpie, Black-capped Chickadee and Common Raven.

Smoky Lake is backyard-bird country: 64% 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, Common Raven and House Sparrow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

20 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel and Hen Harrier.

Records peak in May and are lowest in November — about 5.9 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.

Lamont, 28 mi to the south-west, has more species on record (217 against 211). Birds logged far more often around Smoky Lake than there include House Sparrow, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Rock Pigeon and Common Redpoll.

At about 2,028 ft above sea level, Smoky 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 10 min at midsummer to 7 h 21 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:30 AM in mid-April and 4:55 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Smoky Lake

#BirdRecords
1Black-billed MagpiePica hudsonia679
2Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus631
3Common RavenCorvus corax579
4House SparrowPasser domesticus531
5Blue JayCyanocitta cristata522
6Eurasian Collared-DoveStreptopelia decaocto504
7Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens491
8Canada GooseBranta canadensis472
9Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosus402
10American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos391
11Rock PigeonColumba livia379
12MallardAnas platyrhynchos365
13White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensis364
14American RobinTurdus migratorius319
15European StarlingSturnus vulgaris317
16Common RedpollAcanthis flammea248
17Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata230
18Song SparrowMelospiza melodia226
19Blue-winged TealSpatula discors204
20House FinchHaemorhous mexicanus203

Records by month

What to put out in Smoky Lake

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

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 Smoky Lake?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Smoky Lake are Black-billed Magpie, Black-capped Chickadee, Common Raven, House Sparrow and Blue Jay, based on 17,152 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Smoky Lake?

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

When is the best month for birds in Smoky Lake?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:55 AM.

Sources

  1. GBIF occurrence search (birds, class Aves, 2010 onward)
  2. 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.