Alberta · 54.15°N

Birds of Whitecourt

What has actually been seen around Whitecourt: 165 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 165 within 6 mi
Observation records: 8,006 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Black-capped Chickadee
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 2,261 ft
Daylight, June / December: 17.2 h / 7.3 h

What the records say about Whitecourt

165 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Whitecourt (Alberta) since 2010, across 8,006 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch and Downy Woodpecker.

Whitecourt is backyard-bird country: 92% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpecker and Blue Jay make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Bald Eagle, Osprey and Sharp-shinned Hawk. 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 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.

Mayerthorpe, 26 mi to the south-east, has fewer species on record (87 against 165). Birds logged far more often around Whitecourt than there include Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpecker and Blue Jay.

At about 2,261 ft above sea level, Whitecourt 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 6:43 AM in mid-April and 5:08 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Whitecourt

#	Bird	Records
1	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	827
2	White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensis	567
3	Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens	547
4	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	460
5	Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosus	421
6	Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis	388
7	White-throated SparrowZonotrichia albicollis	319
8	Pine SiskinSpinus pinus	250
9	American RobinTurdus migratorius	245
10	Common RavenCorvus corax	224
11	Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis	220
12	Common RedpollAcanthis flammea	213
13	Boreal ChickadeePoecile hudsonicus	210
14	Purple FinchHaemorhous purpureus	206
15	Evening GrosbeakHesperiphona vespertina	194
16	Black-billed MagpiePica hudsonia	185
17	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	146
18	Pine GrosbeakPinicola enucleator	119
19	Chipping SparrowSpizella passerina	92
20	Yellow-rumped WarblerSetophaga coronata	91

Records by month

What to put out in Whitecourt

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

Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts
White-breasted Nuthatch
Black-oil sunflower · Shelled peanuts · Suet
Downy Woodpecker
Suet · Shelled peanuts · Black-oil sunflower
Blue Jay
Peanuts in the shell · Black-oil sunflower · Suet
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Peanut hearts
White-throated Sparrow
Millet · Hulled sunflower · 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 Whitecourt?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Whitecourt are Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay and Hairy Woodpecker, based on 8,006 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Whitecourt?

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

When is the best month for birds in Whitecourt?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 5:08 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.