Alberta · 51.80°N

Birds of Sundre

What has actually been seen around Sundre: 132 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 132 within 6 mi
Observation records: 2,085 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Common Raven
Busiest month: January
Elevation: 3,573 ft
Daylight, June / December: 16.7 h / 7.8 h

What the records say about Sundre

132 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Sundre (Alberta) since 2010, across 2,085 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadee and Blue Jay.

Sundre is backyard-bird country: 83% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadee, Blue Jay and Black-billed Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

17 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Bald Eagle, Rough-legged Buzzard and Red-tailed Hawk.

Records peak in January and are lowest in November — about 98.7 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.

Olds, 23 mi to the east, has more species on record (192 against 132). Birds logged far more often around Sundre than there include Black-capped Chickadee, Blue Jay, Boreal Chickadee and Downy Woodpecker.

At about 3,573 ft above sea level, Sundre 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 42 min at midsummer to 7 h 47 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:44 AM in mid-April and 5:18 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Sundre

#	Bird	Records
1	Common RavenCorvus corax	142
2	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	139
3	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	113
4	Black-billed MagpiePica hudsonia	111
5	American RobinTurdus migratorius	78
6	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	70
7	Boreal ChickadeePoecile hudsonicus	70
8	Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens	63
9	Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis	60
10	White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensis	50
11	Pine SiskinSpinus pinus	41
12	Northern FlickerColaptes auratus	39
13	Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosus	35
14	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	35
15	Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus	33
16	Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorum	30
17	Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatus	30
18	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	30
19	Rough-legged BuzzardButeo lagopus	28
20	Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis	27

Records by month

What to put out in Sundre

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

Common Raven
Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts
Blue Jay
Peanuts in the shell · Black-oil sunflower · Suet
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

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 Sundre?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Sundre are Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadee, Blue Jay, Black-billed Magpie and American Robin, based on 2,085 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Sundre?

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

When is the best month for birds in Sundre?

Observation records peak in January and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 5:18 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.