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Avian Pox

Apr9

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

I feed birds in my SE Calgary yard and spend a lot of time watching them. Recently I saw something new – a bird with some really obvious large growths on it.

Black-billed Magpie Avian Pox
Black-billed Magpie with avian pox. Calgary, March 9, 2026. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

I wasn’t sure what this was at first but a quick internet search identified the problem as avian pox. This is a virus that comes in two forms, one of which causes these dry wart-like growths on the parts of the bird without feathers (feet, legs, base of the bill, and around the eyes). The other form affects the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. It’s a problem, and something to watch out for at your own feeders.

Black-billed Magpie Avian Pox
Black-billed Magpie with avian pox feeding on the ground below my nut feeders, Calgary, March 9, 2026 Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

Avian pox is highly contagious and is transmitted by mosquitos, but birds can also become infected by by direct contact with infected birds. Birds can also get the virus indirectly through contaminated feeders or birdbaths, or even dust from the ground below these. Fortunately, the virus cannot infect humans or pets like cats and dogs (but is very dangerous to captive or farmed birds).

So what to do? This particular bird has obviously been infected for quite a while, and it can still feed, so it appears to be otherwise healthy. Such birds can survive the virus and the growths may drop off in time. The first thing to do to prevent spread of the disease is to immediately remove the bird feeders and birdbaths, which may be contaminated, and to clean them thoroughly in a 10% bleach solution. I had one heated birdbath and four metal tubes with tree nuts which I removed and disinfected (I also disposed of the remaining nuts in the feeders). I did not have a sunflower feeder up at the time. In the winter I spread sunflower seeds on ground which I have cleared of snow. The many Dark-eyed Juncos and our pair of Eurasian Collared-Doves prefer to feed this way. House Finches and House Sparrows, Eastern Gray Squirrels, and Magpies also feed on the ground. The tube nut feeders are used mostly by at least eight Northern Flickers who come daily, but are also frequented by a pair of Downy Woodpeckers, a few Red-breasted Nuthatches, and occasionally by Black-capped Chickadees. If no easy food is available on the ground, House Sparrows and Magpies willl do their best at the tube feeders, but get very little.

Black-billed Magpie
Black-billed Magpie at nut feeder, Calgary, August 2010. The magpies’ bill size doesn’t allow them to get much from these feeders. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

I put the feeders and birdbath away and stopped putting out sunflower seed too. Disinfecting the birdbath and feeders keeps them safe for about two weeks, but I wanted to make sure the bird wasn’t still around. Since I hadn’t seen it before, I thought it might be a one-time visit. After ten days I put the tube feeders and birdbath back out, but still did not feed the ground birds since that attracts magpies (and the ground could still be contaminated). A few days later, I saw the infected bird briefly, on the ground once again, so I removed the birdbath and disinfected it again. I continued to use the nut feeders, since I hadn’t seen this magpie, or any magpie, feed on there this winter. I saw the infected bird a third time in late March but not since.

Black-billed Magpie Avian Pox
Black-billed Magpie Avian Pox
Black-billed Magpie Avian Pox

March 9, 2026, Calgary. This Black-billed Magpie, infected with avian pox, constantly shook it head due to the large lesion there, and tried to wipe it off on the fence. Photos by Bob Lefebvre.

I hope I don’t see the infected bird in my yard again but of course it may be visiting other feeders in the area and possibly spreading the infection. I had been advised by the Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society that I should try to capture the bird and take it to them, to remove it from the population while it heals. I could do this – I have a small animal trap that I’ve used for feral cats, and I have occasionally caught magpies while doing that. But the infected magpie rarely shows up, and meanwhile I would likely capture the regular local magpies, cats, and other birds if I put a baited trap out. For now I’ll wait to see if it returns.

Black-billed Magpie Avian Pox
A close-up gives an idea of how bad these wart-like growths are. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

To try to get an idea of how common this disease is in Calgary, I contacted The Wild Bird Store to see if they had heard of any cases of Avian Pox from their customers. They had not heard of any at all. On iNaturalist, there is only one other case reported in Calgary, a magpie that was badly infected in the NW last fall. You can see the photos of that bird here. (It doesn’t look like the same bird I saw and was miles away from my location.) So avian pox seems to be very rare in the city.

Please note that it is important to always disinfect your feeders and birdbath at least monthly, to prevent the spread of not just avian pox, but other diseases as well. A common one is conjunctivitius in House Finches, which I have seen in a bird in my yard as well (a few years ago).

More information about avian pox is here: Cornell University Wildlife Health Lab.

Information about conjunctivitis in House Finches. Also see Monitoring House Finch eye disease with Project Feederwatch.

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Welcome Back, Swamp Boss: The Red-winged Blackbird Returns

Mar29

By Cathy Warwick

Guess who is coming back to Calgary this spring, the Red-winged Blackbird! This feels like a spring where Mother Nature will roll out the “white carpet” for these hardy birds. Hopefully they won’t turn right around and head back south.

Red-winged Blackbird
Courtship Display, Red-Winged Blackbird. Wikipedia.

For birders the Red-winged Blackbird is, thankfully, relatively easy to spot. They are widespread and, as birding books like Sibley’s call them, “conspicuous”, that means they make themselves seen. The males are glossy black with a military-esque red and yellow striped patch on their shoulders. The females are much harder to identify, and are almost sparrow-like, although larger. If you have ever seen a female out of context, as I have on a conifer tree, you will know what I mean.

Red-winged Blackbird
Male Red-winged Blackbird. Photo by Bob lefebvre.

One of the main attributes of these birds is that they are highly territorial, befitting their military regalia. Their distinctive tumbling song can be translated to “Stay out of this swampy area, it’s mine!” repeated endlessly, all day. This is the male of course, chasing other Red-winged Blackbirds out and any other perceived threats to nests, including humans sometimes. His song is also for the benefit of the females, he will show off his red shoulders and puff up a bit and then sing loudly – ”conk-la-reeee”. 

Red-winged Blackbird
Male Red-winged Blackbird. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

Meanwhile the females are quietly building the nests in the territory. They lash their sweet cup nests to reeds or tall grasses. As a finishing touch they line the nest with fine grasses. A male can have many female mates, although it turns out the eggs in his territory are not always his. The little swampy area has more drama than a Mexican soap opera.

Red-winged Blackbird
Female Red-winged Blackbird. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.
Red-winged Blackbird
Female Red-winged Blackbird. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

If you want an (almost) guaranteed sighting of a Red-winged Blackbird head to Ralph Klein Park. This is a 30 acre wetland area in the eastern part of the city that could, frankly, use more visitors. The last time I was there it seemed to be just me and my son. These parks need more appreciation, to encourage more parks and more preserved wetlands. An unwilling teenager and his mom are not going to cut it.

In between all the Red-winged Blackbirds you will see a lot of other wetland species. Last time we were lucky enough to see a Black-crowned Night Heron. They also have a great interpretive center, similar to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary.

Welcome back Red-winged Blackbird! I can’t wait to hear your song, although I can’t guarantee I will stay out of your territory.

Red-winged Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbirds will come to feeders for seeds, especially on migration, when insects can be scarce. They prefer to feed on the ground. Photo by Bob Lefebvre, May 2013.

Consider the Bald Eagle a good luck symbol – unless you’re a Gull

Mar11

By Cathy Warwick

When I do an internet search on a Bald Eagle I can see what other popular searches come up. As with other birds, there is one that says ‘what does it mean when I see a Bald Eagle’. Before I started writing articles I wasn’t aware that people looked at birds as little omens as they went about their day.

The most dramatic behaviour of a Bald Eagle I have seen is when I was swimming in the Pacific Ocean one year. An eagle swooped down and snatched a gull who was casually paddling near me. I know for that poor gull, whose last look at earth included a fast receding woman in the ocean, mouth agape, the eagle was a very bad omen.

Bald Eagle
Adult Bald Eagle, Stanley Park, Calgary. Photo by Diane Stinson.

These impressive creatures can be seen near bodies of water around our city. Carburn Park, Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, Sandy Beach, the Bow River, Glenmore Dam and sometimes just flying over your neighbourhood. They are about 2-3 feet in height (almost 1 metre) and can have a wingspan of almost 7 feet (2 metres) – a huge bird! They build mega nests, at least 6 feet wide, way at the top of trees. As they will reuse them yearly and keep building them out, it’s a wonder they don’t add a front door and chimney. 

Most people recognize them by their two-color uniform of a white head and a brown body. Of course they are not actually bald, the word ‘bald’ means ‘white’ in ye olde English. It’s wise to remember that immature Bald Eagles can be completely brown and as big as a mature Bald Eagle. Don’t go assuming you are seeing a Golden Eagle! There have been too many “Golden Eagle” sightings in Calgary, I wouldn’t be marking that in eBird unless the bird flew close enough to let me see its legs that are feathered to the toes. If it did a kick dance in front of me and I saw its “feathered boots” clearly, then maybe I would mark it as a Golden Eagle. Another way to tell is that while the Bald Eagle flies with its wings straight out like a board, the Golden will hold them in a slight “V”.

Bald Eagles like fish, but definitely aren’t picky, and, like most of us, will eat whatever is easiest. Often that means carrion or stealing another predator’s food. They can fill up on food when it’s available and then have nothing for many days. 

Bald Eagle
Adult Bald Eagle, Weaselhead, Calgary. Photo by Diane Stinson.

Their impressive size, huge talons and fierce looks lend them to becoming a powerful symbol. The United States adopted them as such of course. Perhaps that government’s ties to the Bald Eagle hastened the banning of DDT, which severely impacted the eagles’ numbers in the early and mid 1900s. If so, we are lucky that the Bald Eagle is around to act as an ‘Umbrella Species’ to the many other birds and animals that were also protected by the banning of DDT.  Humans often need a symbol to focus their efforts on. The Bald Eagle was an Endangered Species for a while there, thankfully they are off that list as of 2017. Many of the Indigenous Peoples of North America viewed this eagle as a spiritual symbol, or a messenger from the spirit world. 

The Bald Eagle Wikipedia page is so long compared to other birds!

If you are walking around Calgary and you see a Bald Eagle you really can consider it a lucky omen, considering you were lucky enough to see it.

Bald Eagle Common Raven
Bald Eagles nest in Calgary and can be seen here year-round. In some winters, they are concentrated on the open water of the Bow River. Twenty-six Bald Eagles and Two Common Ravens, Beaverdam Flats, Calgary, January 3, 2009. Photo by Ron Kube.

Click here to see more posts about Bald eagles.

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Winter Birding Homestretch!!

Feb24

February 28th is the last day to add to our winter bird list (and yours).

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

Although we have had some snow and cold weather in the Calgary area recently, this has been a very mild winter for the most part. One might assume that more bird species than usual would be found, since more birders are spending more time outside, and the mild conditons would allow for more overwintering birds. But the factors that lead to birds wintering farther north than usual are complex, and this winter has seen slightly fewer species here than normal. We may still get a few late ones.

As of February 24th 2026, we have 109 species in the 80-km radius Calgary Circle. The average over the previous eight years was 113, with a low of 108 and a high of 120.

Part of the reason for the low number is that a few fairly regular species have not been found. Some of these are ones that usually overwinter in small numbers and are often found near the begining of the count period, in the first couple of weeks of December. This includes Yellow-rumped Warbler (seen in 5 of the previous 8 winters), Western Meadowlark (4/8), and Rusty Blackbird (7/8). We did get a Red-winged Blackbird recently, which makes it 8/9 years that we’ve had one. There are quite a few in the southernmost part of the province this winter.

Varied Thrush
Varied Thrush, Calgary, December 25, 2011. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

One species that usually overwinters in small numbers and could still be found is the Varied Thrush. We had at least one for seven straight years from 2017 until two winters ago, missed last year, and have not had one yet this winter. There could still be some around, and they can be seen at feeders in the winter, feeding on the ground.

Some birds are almost certainly around and we usually get them, but are very hard to find. There are species that are probably present in low numbers like Steller’s Jay, which is alway found in the Bow River corridor near Canmore, and 6/8 years here, usually at the western edge of our circle. Other species may be here but in hard-to-access places, like White-tailed Ptarmigan, which we have only had once, but Bow Valley has had every year.

Steller's Jay
Steller’s Jays will come to feeders, like this one in Bragg Creek in 2012. Photo by Dan Arndt.

Boreal Owls are certainly present in the area, but are very hard to find. We have only had them in 3/8 years, and not yet this wiinter. We are also missing Northern Hawk Owl, which comes south in good numbers some years, but is very scarce this year. We have had this species every previous winter.

The only new species for the count this year is Glaucous Gull. A few were seen in the area (and in the Bow Valley!) in January. The Northern Mockingbird that was here until the first week of January was the second one on our list. The Spotted Towhee that has been in Redwood Meadows all winter is also just the second record.

There are some recent additions to this year’s list, including Black-backed Woodpecker in west Bragg Creek on February 9th. This is another hard-to-find species that is always here, and we now have it in all 9 years. A Spruce Grouse (now 9/9 years) was seen on Grand Valley Road on February 9th. This is one that is always present but only on the western edge where it can be hard to find. A Greater White-fronted Goose (6/9 years) was found at the 68 Street Wetlands on February 16th. Maybe it was hidden all winter among the thousands of Canada Geese we have. Finally, we got a Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (7/9) near Millarville on February 16th. This species can be present in large or small numbers, or entirley absent from the area. It is usually near the western edge.

There are a few species not on our list which have had unconfirmed reports. These are ones that are unlikely to be here and could have been confused with other species. If there are no photos these are usually not accepted by eBird, nor by our list-keepers.

Finally, are there any returning migrants that we could expect in the next four days that are not already on the list? It seems unlikely. The best bet every year is California Gull. They usually arrive in the first week of March, followed closely by the Ring-billed Gulls. Currently, there are only a very small number of Californias in central Montana. There are more in the Kallispell region, along with quite a few Ring-bills, but those birds may go straight north into British Columbia. We have only had Californias arrive by the end of February once, in 2020, and it was on leap day, Febraury 29th. I recall standing in my back yard at dusk that night when a single California Gull flew over. Going farther back, Californias arrived on February 26 in 2016 (before we started the winter list). We haven’t had Ring-bills in February. The most likely place to get a gull in late February is probably the 68 Street Wetlands east of Elliston Park. Maybe you’ll see me standing there at dusk on Saturday!

California Gull
California Gulls. Don’t expect to see that many here before the end of February! Calgary, April 1, 2009. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

To see the Winter Bird Lists for Calgary, the Bow Valley, Edmonton, and the Province, click here.

[Email subscribers can click on the blog title or here to go to the Birds Calgary website.]

Christmas Bird Count Presentation, Thursday February 26th

Feb20

The Calgary Count results will be presented, plus those from the Fish Creek Park New Year’s Day Count.

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

Everyone is welcome to a special event to be held next Thursday, February 26th at the Royal Canadian Legion at 9202 Horton Road SW. This is the venue we use for Birds & Beers events, so many of you will be familair with the format. The doors of the big ballroom open for us at 5pm. If you can come early you can order food and drinks and visit with your fellow birders. At about 7 pm we will start the presentations.

Merlin
Merlin at Pearce Estate, Calgary CBC, December 14, 2025. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

Jim Washbrook will present the results and historical trends of the long-running half-day Count in Fish Creek Park. This is held annually on New Year’s Day. Matt Wallace will have the results of the Calgary Count, which recorded 68 species and 43,631 individual birds within the Count Circle. Expect to see some great photos (much better than mine)!

American Wigeon Mallard
American Wigeon with dabbling Mallard, Pearce Estate, December 14, 2025. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.
Bald Eagle
Bald Eagle, December 14, 2025. Photo by Joyce Tse.

Our Feeder Watchers had a lot of good birds on the count too:

Red-breasted Nuthatch
Red-breasted Nuthatch, December 14, 2025. Photo by Marilyn Parker.

Whether you took part in these counts or not, come for an enjoyable and informative evening!

Notes: Children are welcome at the Legion as long as they are accompanied by an adult. We have to pay a small fee for the use of the room so we ask for an optional donation of $1 per person to cover this. Any extra money is donated to the Legion. The next Birds & Beers event at the Legion is on Thursday February 12th, where Jody Allair will give a talk called “Inspired by Birds.”

New Field Guide to the Birds of Alberta

Dec24

Pre-order your copy of this new guide now!

David R. Scott of Lethbridge and Gavin McKinnon from Calgary have produced a beautiful new field guide to the birds of our province. This is really exciting for anyone who birds in Alberta. Bird populations and ranges are constantly changing, and our knowledge of the birds continues to increase. There have also been quite a few name changes, lumps, and splits since the last Alberta field guide was published.

Image from meadowlarkbirding.com.

The book will be published on May 12, 2026, but you can pre-order your copy now. Go to Gavin’s Meadowlark Birding Tours site here to pre-order. This will make a great gift for any birder you know!

Below is the book description:

Situated at the convergence of the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, and North America’s vast boreal forest, Alberta boasts a great diversity of landscapes and habitats. From turquoise glacier lakes nestled between towering peaks, to spruce- and sphagnum-dominated muskeg, to labyrinthine badland canyons, to expansive grassland dotted with sagebrush, to islands of green space amidst sprawling cities, this province has much to offer outdoor enthusiasts, including birders! More than 300 species of birds occur every year in the province, and well over 400 have been observed at least once within its borders. This guide aims to assist those who wish to find, observe, identify, and better understand the birds around us—whether it be an American Robin nesting in a city park, a White-tailed Ptarmigan foraging in the alpine tundra, or a Turkey Vulture soaring over the badland hoodoos. With clear descriptions designed to be accessible for beginner and intermediate birders, this extensive guide is also useful for experts in the field. It comprises 305 full-page species accounts for regularly occurring species and 29 abbreviated accounts for more rarely occurring birds. With so many birds to see and hear in every region of the province, A Field Guide to the Birds of Alberta is the definitive guide for locals and visitors alike.

When you pre-order you can arrange for local pickup or drop-off in Alberta and Southern Ontario. Shipping can also be arranged.

Watch for some book launch events coming in May 2026!

Winter Birds Update

Dec13

The Calgary List as of December 12, 2025

Mallard

There have been some good species found in the Calgary area this year, and still many more to find. Christmas Bird Counts are taking place on December 14th in Calgary, and on several other dates until January 5 in the area. We should add some of the regulars then, and with a little luck, some more rarities.

The star of the show so far is the Northern Mockingbird in the city – only the second one since this count started in 2017. The bird is still here and being seen regulary in Rotary Park near Centre Street and Memorial Drive.

A Peregrine Falcon seen on December 3rd in Downtown Calgary was the first one we’ve had. These birds nest downtown and one is quite late in departing. I don’t know if it’s still around.

A Mourning Dove seen along the Bow River in Cranston Meadows was the 4th in 9 years.

It’s been a really good year for Short-eared Owls east of the city, and there have been a few Long-eared Owl sightings as well. Snowy Owl sightings have been concentrated NE of the city in the Irricana/Beiseker area. We added a Prairie Falcon and a Northern Harrier in that region as well.

Gyrfalcon, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Wild Turkey, and Sharp-tailed Grouse have each been reported on Facebook groups, or directly to me.

The Alberta province-wide list has some rarities in its 114 species. In addition to the Mockingbird (reported for the third time in the last ten years), there was also a recent Barn Owl in central Alberta (2nd in ten years) and a Double-crested Cormorant near Stavely, just outside of the Calgary circle (6 of the last 10 years).

On December 12th, the Calgary list was at 89 species. Our eight-year average is 113, and the high count was 120. Here are some species that are usually found that haven’t yet been reported:

Greater Scaup (seen 8/8 previous years; often seen at Carburn Park in the winter), Northern Hawk-Owl (8/8), Harris’s Sparrow (6/8), Varied Thrush (7/8), and Common Grackle (7/8). Some regulars that we don’t have yet that are usually found in the foothills west of the city are Northern Pygmy-Owl, Barred Owl, Black-backed Woodpecker, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, Steller’s Jay, Clark’s Nutcracker, and American Dipper. Dippers are usually seen in the city as well, on the Elbow River or Fish Creek.

Good luck finding these elusive winter birds! Here is a link to the lists.

Peak Birding – The Great Horned Owl

Dec7

By Cathy Warwick

Great Horned Owl
A beautiful Great Horned Owl. Photo by Diane Stinson.

A few weeks ago I was leaving my house to start my walk to work and I saw a cloud of Magpies squawking wildly around a spruce tree. I ran over and was delighted to see a large Great Horned Owl! It was a lighter color than I had seen before, almost white. Its large yellow eyes looked at me wearily. The Magpies were relentlessly hassling it, flying at it and generally freaking out. I managed to get a fairly decent picture of it with my phone, and also yelled at a stranger “An Owl is in this tree!”, as one should given the special circumstances. If I saw an owl nesting I wouldn’t tell anyone, but I could tell this one was moving on soon.

The Magpies know the owl is a skilled predator that is a threat to their very lives, they don’t want it to get comfortable in our neighbourhood. Owls have very sharp beaks, crushing claws, night vision, great hearing and near silent flight, they must be terrifying to other birds. Whereas we humans just notice their super fluffy feathers and luminous, intelligent eyes. “Don’t be mean” we mutter to the Magpies and Crows harassing them. 

Great Horned Owl
Great Horned Owls will often roost near the trunk of a spruce tree during the non-breeding months, where they can be very hard to see. Photo by Dan Arndt.

Owls eat rodents, hares, skunks and other mammals. With their swiveling head, which can turn nearly 180 degrees in either direction, no small mammal is safe. They’ve even been known to go after house cats. I would love to see one hunting, I wouldn’t hear it though. There are numerous videos on the internet of an owl flying with a sound detector nearby, they are virtually silent. They have specialized feathers that break up the sound, a subject of much study by scientists.

If you see a very large owl it is probably one of three in Calgary: Snowy, Great Grey or Great Horned. The Great Horned Owl is the most common and is distinct because of its prominent ‘horns’ which are part of a ‘V’ coming down to its beak. Although the Long Eared owl also has feather tufts protruding from the top of its head, those owls are much harder to find in the city. Obviously the same person didn’t name these owls, one taking their tufts for horns and the other for ears. It is difficult to identify owls by colour (other than the Snowy of course), for instance the Great Horned can vary from a light colour to a tawny brown colour. 

Nesting for the Great Horned is in February. The mating pair will usually steal another bird’s nest, they aren’t the apex of the birding world without some perks! After laying the eggs the female will diligently keep the nest warm for about 30 days. It probably requires a lot of energy – warming eggs through those long cold nights. Once the fluffy little owlets hatch they will stay around the nest until fall. If you know where an Owl is nesting, keep it to yourself and give them a chance to make it through their long nesting cycle.

An older Owlet, showing the last thing many mammals see. Photos by Diane Stinson.

I’m not sure if I’ll see the Owl around my house again, the Magpies are a very dominant force on our street. They seem really smug about it, if they had fingers they would be snapping them like the Jets from West Side Story. Meanwhile the owl has moved on, although they don’t migrate they can travel far for food, or to get away from Magpie gangs.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone! May you all see an owl this season.

A very young Great Horned Owlet. Isn’t it the cutest?! Photo by Diane Stinson.

Winter Bird Lists, 2025-2026

Dec5

Tracking the winter birds of Alberta from December 1 to February 28.

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

It’s time for winter birding, and I will be helping to track the species seen in the Calgary area once again. Caroline Lambert provides a lot of assistance with the Calgary list, and also maintains the Bow Valley list.

-throated Sparrow
A White-throated Sparrow below the feeder in my yard, SE Calgary, 2 December 2025. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

Caroline also maintains a website with up-to-date and historical data for each of the four lists. Here is more information on the lists, from Caroline:

Link to The Winter Bird Lists.

Calgary: The count area is the 80km radius count circle centred on Calgary, the same one used for the May species count. It is preferred that sightings during this count period and in the count area be reported to the email list, albertabird@groups.io (keeping in mind that certain sensitive species should not be openly reported), but we will also include species reported to eBird and elsewhere, if we can find them.

Bow Valley: this area includes both the Bow River and Kananaskis River watersheds, as far east as the Stoney Nakoda casino and Seebe Dam. Most sightings for this area are taken from the Bow Valley Birding Facebook group, but we will record sightings reported on this email list, Albertabird, eBird, Christmas Bird Counts, rumours on the street, etc. The Bow Valley has the lowest species count of any area, so we’ll accept any reputable report! This is the list Caroline maintains, so you can send reports of sightings to her.

Provincial list: Andy Ross is again taking care of the Alberta-wide list. Andy will collect sightings from the usual sources (eBird, Albertabird, the other winter lists, WhatsApp, etc.). 

The Edmonton list as shown on the albertawinterbirds.org site is kept by Vivek Dabral. Birds that are listed on the Edmonton list must be reported to the Edmonton Nature Club discussion group (ENCnaturetalk@groups.io) by an Edmonton Nature Club member. If you are in Edmonton and are interested in the club, more information can be found at edmontonnatureclub.org.

If you post your sightings to eBird it will be added to the appropriate list (except for the Edmonton one). If you see a significant species that has not already been found, you can report it as above, or email to birdscalgary@gmail.com.

Most of the common winter birds are found on December 1st or shortly thereafter. This year, we had 63 species on the first day in the Calgary circle. As of December 4th, we are at 75 species. Our average for the winter is 113, so there are still lots of birds to find!

Notable birds include a Spotted Towhee which was found on December 1st in Redwood Meadows (and had been there for a while). It is only the second Calgary winter record in the nine years of the count. If you are building your own winter list, you might want to head to Carburn Park for the Harlequin Duck, which has only been reported there, and for some uncommon ducks. Wilson’s Snipe has only been reported from Douglasbank Park. Brown-Lowery Park has again produced an American Three-toed Woodpecker, and is a good place to try for Black-backed Woodpecker as well (not seen yet).

As of December 4th, the list totals are: Alberta 97, Calgary 75, Edmonton 43, Bow Valley 32.

I’ll do an update with more sightings and missing targets in a week or so. Good winter birding!

2025 Calgary Christmas Bird Count

Nov3

Register now to take part on Sunday December 14th!

One of the Field Teams at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary during the 2024 CBC. Photo by Paul Dang.

The 74th annual Calgary Christmas Bird Count (CBC YYC) will take place on Sunday, December 14, 2025. Here is a message from Coordinator Matt Wallace:

As you may know, Calgary hosts one of the largest CBCs in Alberta and Western Canada. In 2024, we had a total of 141 field participants and 163 feeder watchers, documenting 71 species and counting 39,446 individual birds. It’s a big job that takes an army of people to ensure its success each year. We hope you’ll join us again this season—no matter your experience or birding skills. Each one of you plays an important role, and the data we collect helps us understand long-term trends in our winter birds.

We’ve set up a Google Form that we kindly ask everyone to fill out so we have your most up-to-date information for analysis and team assignments. Please share the registration form widely with your network of neighbours, friends, family, and colleagues. Register Here. Once you submit your registration you will receive an acknowledgement email from us, followed by further instructions in mid-November.

A quick note: This year, I am seeking a “shadow” assistant (or assistants) to work with our organizing team. I plan to hand off the CBC Coordinator role to an inspired member of our community for the 2026 Calgary event, as I may be relocating in the new year. Finding a suitable successor will help ensure the continued success and legacy of this long-running event.

Sharp-shinned Hawk
A Sharp-shinned Hawk from the 2024 Count. Photo by Ken Pride.

Birds Canada has also launched a pilot project encouraging CBC circles to have Community Engagement Leaders (CELs). Calgary has been ahead of the curve in this regard—this has essentially been my role in recent years, while Lara Fitzpatrick has handled much of the data analysis for our circle. Bob Lefebvre is another key member of our team, overseeing feeder watcher outreach and following up on notable or unusual bird reports.

Birds Canada: The CEL roles are defined as:

  • Participant recruitment and community outreach
  • Helping manage sector/section/zone assignments and coordination
  • Onboarding new participants and facilitating mentoring
  • Coordinating communications with participants

This pretty much sums up what we are looking for in the “Shadow Assistant” Role with this person leading the charge next year. If you’re interested in taking on the coordinator role, there’s an option on the registration form where you can indicate your interest and provide a few details. We’ll be in touch right away to include you in this year’s planning. We encourage anyone with an interest to apply!

Bald Eagle
A Bald eagle from the 2024 Count. Photo by Andrew Hart.

Please watch for more information in November, including data submission instructions and templates.

A quick reminder that our CBC is open to anyone with an interest in the outdoors including experienced birders, novices, and the public. We try to accommodate all abilities and ages to grow and support our community, so please let us know if you need any assistance or have any requests using the comment section of the form.

Gadwall, from the 2024 Count. Photo by Andrew hart.

Register for the Calgary CBC here: https://forms.gle/pcAU6tH7Vcfk63sV9

Thank you very much for your attention—we’re looking forward to connecting with you all for our big count day!