British Columbia · 49.32°N

Birds of Castlegar

What has actually been seen around Castlegar: 275 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 275 within 6 mi
Observation records: 184,005 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Song Sparrow
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 1,447 ft
Daylight, June / December: 16.3 h / 8.2 h

What the records say about Castlegar

275 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Castlegar (British Columbia) since 2010, across 184,005 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Song Sparrow, Black-capped Chickadee and American Crow.

Castlegar is backyard-bird country: 63% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Song Sparrow, Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow and Northern Flicker make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

25 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Bald Eagle, Osprey and Turkey Vulture.

Records peak in May and are lowest in February — about 3.1 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.

Ootischenia, 3 mi to the south, has a similar number of species on record (274 against 275).

Daylight runs from 16 h 16 min at midsummer to 8 h 11 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:00 AM in mid-April and 4:44 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Castlegar

#	Bird	Records
1	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	7,240
2	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	7,101
3	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	6,825
4	Northern FlickerColaptes auratus	6,788
5	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	5,469
6	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	5,143
7	Common RavenCorvus corax	4,879
8	American RobinTurdus migratorius	4,425
9	House FinchHaemorhous mexicanus	4,250
10	Common MerganserMergus merganser	4,145
11	Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus	3,901
12	BuffleheadBucephala albeola	3,547
13	Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula	3,193
14	Spotted TowheePipilo maculatus	3,178
15	Barrow's GoldeneyeBucephala islandica	3,151
16	Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis	2,906
17	Violet-green SwallowTachycineta thalassina	2,769
18	Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis	2,525
19	Steller's JayCyanocitta stelleri	2,420
20	Yellow-rumped WarblerSetophaga coronata	2,360

Records by month

What to put out in Castlegar

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

Song Sparrow
Millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn
Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts
American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Northern Flicker
Suet · Peanut hearts
Common Raven
Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
American Robin
Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets

Seasonal bird notes for British Columbia

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 Castlegar?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Castlegar are Song Sparrow, Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow, Northern Flicker and Common Raven, based on 184,005 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Castlegar?

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

When is the best month for birds in Castlegar?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:44 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.