Birds of Smithers

218 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Smithers (British Columbia) since 2010, across 27,059 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-capped Chickadee, American Robin and American Crow.

Smithers is backyard-bird country: 86% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Black-capped Chickadee, American Robin, American Crow and Common Raven make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

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

Records peak in May and are lowest in November — about 8.5 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.

Telkwa, 8 mi to the south-east, has fewer species on record (209 against 218). Birds logged far more often around Smithers than there include House Sparrow.

Daylight runs from 17 h 20 min at midsummer to 7 h 13 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:28 AM in mid-April and 4:50 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

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

• Black-capped Chickadee

  Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts

• American Robin

  Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets

• American Crow

  Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps

• Common Raven

  Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps

• Dark-eyed Junco

  White proso millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn

• Yellow-rumped Warbler

  Suet · Hulled sunflower

• Telkwa8 mi south-east · 209 species
• Houston33 mi south-east · 190 species
• Burns Lake68 mi south-east · 140 species
• Kitimat78 mi south-west · 236 species
• Fraser Lake106 mi south-east · 177 species
• Fort St. James119 mi east · 185 species