Alberta · 50.67°N

Birds of Turner Valley

What has actually been seen around Turner Valley: 218 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 218 within 6 mi
Observation records: 35,689 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Black-billed Magpie
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 3,990 ft
Daylight, June / December: 16.5 h / 8 h

What the records say about Turner Valley

218 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Turner Valley (Alberta) since 2010, across 35,689 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-billed Magpie, Black-capped Chickadee and House Sparrow.

Turner Valley is backyard-bird country: 79% 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, House Sparrow and Common Raven make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

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

Records peak in May and are lowest in February — about 6.8 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.

Black Diamond, 3 mi to the north-east, has a similar number of species on record (216 against 218).

At about 3,990 ft above sea level, Turner Valley 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 29 min at midsummer to 7 h 58 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:44 AM in mid-April and 5:23 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Turner Valley

#	Bird	Records
1	Black-billed MagpiePica hudsonia	2,064
2	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	1,767
3	House SparrowPasser domesticus	1,642
4	Common RavenCorvus corax	1,587
5	American RobinTurdus migratorius	1,465
6	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	1,233
7	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	1,054
8	European StarlingSturnus vulgaris	890
9	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	887
10	Northern FlickerColaptes auratus	879
11	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	786
12	Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis	729
13	Eurasian Collared-DoveStreptopelia decaocto	676
14	Tree SwallowTachycineta bicolor	606
15	Clay-colored SparrowSpizella pallida	560
16	Rough-legged BuzzardButeo lagopus	534
17	Mountain BluebirdSialia currucoides	505
18	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	501
19	Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens	494
20	House WrenTroglodytes aedon	472

Records by month

What to put out in Turner Valley

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
House Sparrow
Millet · Cracked corn
Common Raven
Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
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 Turner Valley?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Turner Valley are Black-billed Magpie, Black-capped Chickadee, House Sparrow, Common Raven and American Robin, based on 35,689 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Turner Valley?

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

When is the best month for birds in Turner Valley?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 5:23 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.