Are There Cardinals In Alberta?
Alberta, this beautiful Canadian province, is home to countless bird species. Some Alberta birds are rare; some are migratory, while others are year-round residents. But can you find cardinals in Alberta? Are there cardinals in Alberta?
Yes, you can find cardinals in some specific areas of Alberta. Ornithologists consider these stunning songbirds accidental species in Alberta; according to them, these birds are quite frequent in this province.
But the question is, where can you exactly find cardinals in Alberta? We will answer this question along with other relevant ones in this article. So, let’s read on.
Read more about habitat of cardinals:
Where Are Cardinals Found In Alberta?
Alberta features a couple of places where you can spot cardinals. Among these areas, Sherwood Park is the hotspot, and here you can witness at least one cardinal if you don’t see one throughout Canada.
Alongside that, numerous birders have reported seeing cardinals in Redwater, Strathcona County, Gibbons, and Fort Saskatchewan. Also, they have witnessed cardinals in some other semi-open areas covered with foliage.
What Other Red Birds Can You Find In Alberta?
You can notice various red birds in Alberta other than the majestic cardinals. To name a few, you can spot red crossbills in extensive coniferous forests. You can also see American robins in the dense forests of Alberta.
Apart from these adorable birdies, you can notice the common redpoll, pine grosbeak, purple finch, red-naped sapsucker, and lots more red birds in Alberta.
What Are The Most Common Birds In Alberta?
Like many other provinces of Canada, Alberta also offers birdwatchers various places to explore Alberta’s beauty and its most common birds.
This province enables birders to discover the American robin, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, American goldfinch, house sparrow, American crow, red-winged blackbird, European starling, brown-headed cowbird, and many more bird species.
What Is The Rarest Bird In Alberta?
The greater sage-grouse is the rarest bird to spot in Alberta. You can hardly see this stunning bird in Alberta if you are fortunate enough, and these birds occur in the SE province.
Although these species were large in number, their population experienced approximately 98% decline in 25 years. These birdies were eradicated from Alberta in 2012 and left with a remnant population of about 40 to 60 adult greater sage-grouses.
What Is The Official Bird Of Alberta?
The official bird of Alberta is the great horned owl. This mighty bird was elected as Alberta’s official bird on May 3, 1977, by a provincewide children’s vote.
The great horned owl is a year-round bird that you can notice in forests, river valleys, open woods, and all other natural regions of Alberta.
Does Edmonton Have Cardinals?
Indeed, Edmonton houses these charismatic passerine birdies. According to avian experts and numerous bird watchers, they have spotted cardinals mostly in and around Edmonton.
Although birders have witnessed cardinals in various locations across Edmonton, they don’t know how these birds colonize the province. There are many hypothetical records concerning the occurrence of cardinals in Edmonton.
Are There Cardinals In Calgary?
Yes, cardinals are present in Calgary as they are in Edmonton and other areas of Alberta. From tree shrubs, forests, and marshlands to open spaces covered with greenery, you can find this bird in all the places mentioned earlier.
Though the northern cardinal isn’t as copious in Calgary as in other Alberta places, you can see them luckily after putting a little effort into the findings. And indeed, whenever you spot one, it will be a memorable birding moment.
How & When To Spot A Cardinal In Alberta:
Before describing when to find cardinals in Alberta, first, let’s disclose how you can easily figure out their habitats and observe this colorful bird.
First, you can visit the hotspot to uncover cardinals in Alberta, which we have already described in this content. Secondly, you can venture into parks, forests, river valleys, and places featuring vegetation.
These are the spots that can help you witness cardinals throughout the day. Now, let’s talk about when to visit these areas. According to avid bird watchers, cardinals, especially males, remain active throughout the day. Hence, you can see these birds at any time of the day.
However, if you fail to find any cardinals in these hotspot places, you can invite those birds to your yards by installing bird feeders and baths and feeding them their favorite black oil sunflower seeds.
We recommend monitoring your yard in the early morning and evening to get a glance at the cardinals, as these birds tend to feed on seeds early in the morning and late in the evening. So, these are all about how and when to spot cardinals In Alberta.
Wrapping Up:
The prepossessing northern cardinals aren’t populous in Alberta, but you can expect to encounter these majestic birdies by visiting the cardinal habitats in the province. Besides, you can also lure these birds to your backyards.
However, now you know whether the cardinals reside in Alberta or not. Hence, next time someone asks the question, you can give them the correct answer or refer them to this website via Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest. That’s all for this article; we will catch you with the next one.
Image Source: Canva.com/Photos
Article Reference:
- https://ibis.geog.ubc.ca/biodiversity/efauna/documents/
- http://wbuedmonton.blogspot.com/
- https://birdscalgary.com/