Alberta · 54.15°N

Birds of Westlock

What has actually been seen around Westlock: 131 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 131 within 6 mi
Observation records: 849 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Black-billed Magpie
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 2,136 ft
Daylight, June / December: 17.2 h / 7.3 h

What the records say about Westlock

131 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Westlock (Alberta) since 2010, across 849 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-billed Magpie, Common Raven and Black-capped Chickadee.

Westlock is backyard-bird country: 60% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Black-billed Magpie, Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadee and American Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

16 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk and Rough-legged Buzzard. A hawk that hunts feeder birds is among them, so set feeders about 10 feet from shrubs: close enough for cover, far enough that a cat can't ambush from it.

Records peak in May and are lowest in November — about 16.8 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.

Barrhead, 22 mi to the west, has a similar number of species on record (134 against 131). Birds logged far more often around Westlock than there include Bald Eagle.

At about 2,136 ft above sea level, Westlock 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 11 min at midsummer to 7 h 21 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:36 AM in mid-April and 5:01 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Westlock

#	Bird	Records
1	Black-billed MagpiePica hudsonia	50
2	Common RavenCorvus corax	41
3	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	40
4	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	39
5	Rock PigeonColumba livia	35
6	House SparrowPasser domesticus	27
7	Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus	25
8	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	21
9	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	19
10	BuffleheadBucephala albeola	18
11	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	17
12	Eurasian TealAnas crecca	16
13	American RobinTurdus migratorius	16
14	European StarlingSturnus vulgaris	16
15	Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis	14
16	Rough-legged BuzzardButeo lagopus	13
17	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	13
18	Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis	13
19	Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula	12
20	Common RedpollAcanthis flammea	12

Records by month

What to put out in Westlock

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

Black-billed Magpie
Suet · Peanuts · Cracked corn
Common Raven
Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts
American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Rock Pigeon
None recommended — flocks crowd out other feeder birds
House Sparrow
Millet · Cracked corn

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 Westlock?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Westlock are Black-billed Magpie, Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow and Rock Pigeon, based on 849 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Westlock?

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

When is the best month for birds in Westlock?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 5:01 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.