Alberta · 51.70°N

Birds of Three Hills

What has actually been seen around Three Hills: 122 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 122 within 6 mi
Observation records: 2,957 since 2010
Most recorded bird: House Sparrow
Busiest month: January
Elevation: 2,943 ft
Daylight, June / December: 16.7 h / 7.8 h

What the records say about Three Hills

122 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Three Hills (Alberta) since 2010, across 2,957 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are House Sparrow, Black-billed Magpie and Common Raven.

Three Hills is backyard-bird country: 86% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. House Sparrow, Black-billed Magpie, Common Raven and Blue Jay make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Merlin, Snowy Owl and Hen Harrier.

Records peak in January and are lowest in July — about 3.9 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.

Drumheller, 29 mi to the south-east, has more species on record (222 against 122). Birds logged far more often around Three Hills than there include Rock Pigeon, Merlin, Snowy Owl and Gray Partridge.

At about 2,943 ft above sea level, Three Hills 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 41 min at midsummer to 7 h 48 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:38 AM in mid-April and 5:14 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Three Hills

#	Bird	Records
1	House SparrowPasser domesticus	331
2	Black-billed MagpiePica hudsonia	220
3	Common RavenCorvus corax	166
4	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	153
5	Northern FlickerColaptes auratus	151
6	American RobinTurdus migratorius	137
7	Eurasian Collared-DoveStreptopelia decaocto	135
8	House FinchHaemorhous mexicanus	116
9	Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis	115
10	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	90
11	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	83
12	European StarlingSturnus vulgaris	75
13	Rock PigeonColumba livia	65
14	MerlinFalco columbarius	62
15	Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulus	53
16	Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorum	46
17	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	46
18	Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens	46
19	Snowy OwlBubo scandiacus	45
20	White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensis	37

Records by month

What to put out in Three Hills

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

House Sparrow
Millet · Cracked corn
Black-billed Magpie
Suet · Peanuts · Cracked corn
Common Raven
Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Blue Jay
Peanuts in the shell · Black-oil sunflower · Suet
Northern Flicker
Suet · Peanut hearts
American Robin
Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets

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 Three Hills?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Three Hills are House Sparrow, Black-billed Magpie, Common Raven, Blue Jay and Northern Flicker, based on 2,957 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Three Hills?

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

When is the best month for birds in Three Hills?

Observation records peak in January and are lowest in July. Sunrise in late June is around 5:14 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.