British Columbia · 49.73°N

Birds of Sparwood

What has actually been seen around Sparwood: 169 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 169 within 6 mi
Observation records: 4,435 since 2010
Most recorded bird: American Crow
Busiest month: June
Elevation: 3,740 ft
Daylight, June / December: 16.3 h / 8.1 h

What the records say about Sparwood

169 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Sparwood (British Columbia) since 2010, across 4,435 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are American Crow, Common Raven and American Robin.

Sparwood is backyard-bird country: 84% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. American Crow, Common Raven, American Robin and Black-capped Chickadee 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 Osprey.

Records peak in June and are lowest in December — about 36.2 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.

Fernie, 18 mi to the south-west, has more species on record (215 against 169). Birds logged far more often around Sparwood than there include Black-billed Magpie, Hairy Woodpecker, American Kestrel and Mountain Bluebird.

At about 3,740 ft above sea level, Sparwood sits higher than most places in British Columbia. 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 16 h 20 min at midsummer to 8 h 7 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:48 AM in mid-April and 5:31 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Sparwood

#	Bird	Records
1	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	228
2	Common RavenCorvus corax	209
3	American RobinTurdus migratorius	188
4	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	175
5	Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis	171
6	Pine SiskinSpinus pinus	122
7	Mountain ChickadeePoecile gambeli	115
8	Northern FlickerColaptes auratus	114
9	Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis	101
10	White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrys	88
11	Ruby-crowned KingletRegulus calendula	83
12	Black-billed MagpiePica hudsonia	81
13	Brown-headed CowbirdMolothrus ater	75
14	European StarlingSturnus vulgaris	75
15	Steller's JayCyanocitta stelleri	74
16	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	73
17	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	73
18	Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus	72
19	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	68
20	Rufous HummingbirdSelasphorus rufus	67

Records by month

What to put out in Sparwood

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

American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Common Raven
Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
American Robin
Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets
Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts
Dark-eyed Junco
White proso millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn
Pine Siskin
Nyjer · Hulled sunflower

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 Sparwood?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Sparwood are American Crow, Common Raven, American Robin, Black-capped Chickadee and Dark-eyed Junco, based on 4,435 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Sparwood?

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

When is the best month for birds in Sparwood?

Observation records peak in June and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 5:31 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.