Birds to See in Alberta in December
63 bird species on our list for Alberta are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Common Raven, House Sparrow, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker and Blue Jay. New this month: Common Grackle.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecAt their peak
From Alberta’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 63 birds in December
63 birds
Common RavenCorvus coraxWinter visitorCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 7.30% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 5.65% in Dec
Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescensWinter visitorCommon14–18 cmRecorded all year · 5.58% in Dec
Northern FlickerColaptes auratusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 4.43% in Dec
Blue JayCyanocitta cristataWinter visitorCommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 4.24% in Dec
White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensisWinter visitorCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 3.51% in Dec
House FinchHaemorhous mexicanusResidentCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 3.37% in Dec
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year · 3.12% in Dec
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.83% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaWinter visitorCommon29–37 cmRecorded all year · 2.47% in Dec
Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosusWinter visitorCommon18–26 cmRecorded all year · 2.23% in Dec
Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalusWinter visitorCommon70–102 cmRecorded all year · 1.89% in Dec
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaResidentCommon40–51 cmRecorded all year · 1.84% in Dec
Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulusWinter visitorCommon19–23 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 1.73% in Dec
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaWinter visitorCommon12–14 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 1.51% in Dec
Common MerganserMergus merganserResidentCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year · 1.17% in Dec
Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatusWinter visitorCommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.95% in Dec
American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchosSummer visitorCommon41–53 cmRecorded all year · 0.89% in Dec
MerlinFalco columbariusResidentCommon24–33 cmRecorded all year · 0.55% in Dec
American RobinTurdus migratoriusSummer visitorCommon20–28 cmRecorded all year · 0.53% in Dec
Grey PartridgePerdix perdixWinter visitorCommon28–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.53% in Dec
Great Horned OwlBubo virginianusWinter visitorCommon46–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.53% in Dec
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.53% in Dec
Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalisWinter visitorCommon15–18 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.50% in Dec
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisSummer visitorCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.49% in Dec
Rough-legged HawkButeo lagopusWinter visitorCommon46–59 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.42% in Dec
Trumpeter SwanCygnus buccinatorWinter visitorCommon139–157 cmRecorded all year · 0.41% in Dec
Snowy OwlBubo scandiacusWinter visitorCommon52–71 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.39% in Dec
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentUncommon50–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.32% in Dec
Ruffed GrouseBonasa umbellusResidentUncommon41–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in Dec
Pine SiskinSpinus pinusResidentCommon11–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.26% in Dec
Evening GrosbeakHesperiphona vespertinaResidentUncommon16–22 cmRecorded all year · 0.25% in Dec
Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatusWinter visitorUncommon24–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.22% in Dec
Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatusWinter visitorCommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Dec
Horned LarkEremophila alpestrisResidentUncommon16–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Dec
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraResidentUncommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Dec
American Three-toed WoodpeckerPicoides dorsalisResidentUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Dec
Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsiiWinter visitorUncommon53–76 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.12% in Dec
Tundra SwanCygnus columbianusWinter visitorCommon120–150 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.12% in Dec
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisPassage migrantUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.12% in Dec
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisSummer visitorCommon35–43 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Dec
American Tree SparrowSpizelloides arboreaWinter visitorCommon14–17 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.10% in Dec
Golden EagleAquila chrysaetosWinter visitorUncommon66–102 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Dec
Eurasian TealAnas creccaSummer visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.09% in Dec
Wood DuckAix sponsaResidentUncommon47–54 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Dec
GadwallMareca streperaSummer visitorCommon46–56 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.08% in Dec
Black-backed WoodpeckerPicoides arcticusWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Dec
Northern Saw-whet OwlAegolius acadicusWinter visitorUncommon17–21 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.07% in Dec
Northern PintailAnas acutaSummer visitorCommon59–76 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.07% in Dec
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.05% in Dec
Common GrackleQuiscalus quisculaSummer visitorCommon28–34 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.05% in Dec
Northern Pygmy-owlGlaucidium gnomaWinter visitorUncommon15–17 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.05% in Dec
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensPassage migrantCommon69–84 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.04% in Dec
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeusWinter visitorUncommon34–43 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Dec
Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podicepsSummer visitorCommon31–38 cmRegularly May–Dec · 0.03% in Dec
Varied ThrushIxoreus naeviusSummer visitorUncommon20–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Dec
Horned GrebePodiceps auritusSummer visitorUncommon31–38 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.03% in Dec
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.02% in Dec
Barred OwlStrix variaResidentRare43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Dec
Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavoWinter visitorRare100–125 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Dec
Boreal OwlAegolius funereusPassage migrantRare21–28 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.02% in Dec
Eastern Screech-owlMegascops asioPassage migrantRare16–25 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.01% in Dec
Long-eared OwlAsio otusSummer visitorRare35–40 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.00% in Dec
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made