Alberta · 55.97°N

Birds of Wabasca-Desmarais

What has actually been seen around Wabasca-Desmarais: 152 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 152 within 6 mi
Observation records: 1,456 since 2010
Most recorded bird: White-throated Sparrow
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 1,778 ft
Daylight, June / December: 17.6 h / 7 h

What the records say about Wabasca-Desmarais

152 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Wabasca-Desmarais (Alberta) since 2010, across 1,456 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are White-throated Sparrow, Black-capped Chickadee and Common Raven.

Wabasca-Desmarais is backyard-bird country: 77% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. White-throated Sparrow, Black-capped Chickadee, Common Raven and Black-billed Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Bald Eagle.

Records peak in May and are lowest in March — about 563.0 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.

Slave Lake, 59 mi to the south-west, has more species on record (211 against 152). Birds logged far more often around Wabasca-Desmarais than there include Ovenbird, Swainson's Thrush and Tennessee Warbler.

At about 1,778 ft above sea level, Wabasca-Desmarais 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 37 min at midsummer to 6 h 58 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:32 AM in mid-April and 4:48 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Wabasca-Desmarais

#	Bird	Records
1	White-throated SparrowZonotrichia albicollis	55
2	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	53
3	Common RavenCorvus corax	41
4	Black-billed MagpiePica hudsonia	40
5	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	38
6	OvenbirdSeiurus aurocapilla	38
7	Swainson's ThrushCatharus ustulatus	38
8	Yellow-rumped WarblerSetophaga coronata	36
9	Red-eyed VireoVireo olivaceus	33
10	Tennessee WarblerLeiothlypis peregrina	33
11	Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens	33
12	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	28
13	Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosus	27
14	Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis	26
15	American RobinTurdus migratorius	26
16	Chipping SparrowSpizella passerina	23
17	American White PelicanPelecanus erythrorhynchos	22
18	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	22
19	Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis	21
20	Yellow WarblerSetophaga petechia	20

Records by month

What to put out in Wabasca-Desmarais

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

White-throated Sparrow
Millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn
Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts
Common Raven
Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Black-billed Magpie
Suet · Peanuts · Cracked corn
American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Ovenbird
None — deep leaf litter is the habitat

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 Wabasca-Desmarais?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Wabasca-Desmarais are White-throated Sparrow, Black-capped Chickadee, Common Raven, Black-billed Magpie and American Crow, based on 1,456 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Wabasca-Desmarais?

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

When is the best month for birds in Wabasca-Desmarais?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in March. Sunrise in late June is around 4:48 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.