Fairplay Wild Bird Centre

07/18/2026

Mountain bluebird numbers in Canada have declined by 60 per cent since 1970. To help the iconic songbird recover, conservation initiatives are taking off in Alberta.

07/14/2026

Nothing but the best

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07/10/2026

Magpies are one of Alberta's most misunderstood birds 🖤🤍

Because magpies are so visible in Calgary, people sometimes assume they are out of place. In reality, Black-billed Magpies are native to Alberta and have long been part of Prairie ecosystems.

Magpies often get a bad reputation for being noisy and bold, but these intelligent birds play an important role in our ecosystem. As scavengers, they help clean up carrion and other organic matter, reducing environmental waste. They also eat insects and other invertebrates. 🦟

Magpies are also among the most intelligent birds in North America. They can recognise individual human faces, solve complex problems, and have even demonstrated self-recognition in mirror tests.

Another common myth is that magpies are responsible for declines in songbird populations because they eat eggs and nestlings. While magpies are opportunistic predators, this is a natural behaviour that has always been part of Alberta's ecosystems. Habitat loss, window collisions, outdoor cats, and other human-related threats have a much greater impact on many bird populations. 🪺

The next time you see a magpie hopping through your neighbourhood, take a closer look. Behind those black-and-white feathers is one of Alberta's smartest and most misunderstood wild neighbours.

Have your opinions about magpies changed? Tell us in the comments! ⬇️

07/09/2026

Fairplay Wildbird Centre has a Birding Staycation sale on right now!

Mountain MultiBird 20lb. $19.79
Songbird Mix 20lb $24.99
Nutty Temptations 20lb $49.99

Take advantage of these price until July 31st!

06/30/2026

We will be closed on July 1 to celebrate Canada Day.

06/16/2026

Sale price in effect until July 31!

$49.99

This is a garden friendly that will will attract a variety of interesting birds. No shells to clean up. No sprouts under the feeder.

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06/03/2026

Ooooh this should be a great evening !

Meet the Authors: The New Birds of Alberta Field Guide – McCrums office Furnishings, Tue Jun 16, 2026 - Join David R. Scott and Gavin McKinnon — authors of the long-awaited updated edition of the Birds of Alberta field guide — for a casual evening of conversation and community. The Camera Stor...

05/17/2026

We will be closed Monday of the long weekend to give the Fairplay team a day to spend with family or friends. Open as per usual Tuesday morning.

04/02/2026

Interesting to see whom darkness attracts and nurtures.

Your yard has a shift change most people never see.

When the last light goes off, everything resets. Moths stop circling the porch bulb and find the pale flowers they were looking for. Bats move in from the tree line and start working the airspace. Fireflies — if there are any left in your neighborhood — begin the flash patterns that let them find each other.

The dark isn't empty. It's an operating system.

🌙 What outdoor lighting actually disrupts:

- Luna moths navigate by moonlight and starlight. A porch light traps them in a spiral they can't break — hours of energy burned going nowhere. Switching to a motion sensor gives them back the night

- Firefly flash patterns get lost in ambient light. They can't find mates in a lit yard the same way you can't see stars from a parking lot. Turning off landscape LEDs from May through July is the single biggest thing most yards can do for local firefly numbers

- Bats avoid illuminated zones. The mosquitoes don't. A security flood running all night pushes out the predator and keeps the pest. A motion-activated light does the security job without running continuously

🌿 Three changes that cost nothing:

- Switch porch and security lights to motion sensors — on when needed, dark when not
- Turn off landscape LEDs from dusk to dawn during firefly season
- Leave one section of your yard unlit — a dark corridor from the tree line to the garden

The dark was here before the garden. The moths, bats, and fireflies still run on it. Giving back even a few hours changes what shows up overnight. 🌱

04/01/2026

Our Happy Easter Sale now until the 6th! ( we’re closed Good Friday). Save up to 20% on your purchase of non-sale items. Includes bird seed, suet, bird feeders, birdhouses and everything else that is regular price! Minimum $10. Purchase required to qualify.