Avian Pox

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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”.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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 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.

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

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.”

The Bohemian Waxwing – A Social Showstopper

Jan23

By Cathy Warwick

There is a large flock of Bohemian Waxwing flying around the North Glenmore Park, it’s great to see them back! These social birds are usually found in a tight flock that is full of non-stop trilling and fluttering. Their flocks can number in the thousands, however the one I saw looked to be about 150 birds. The best way to guarantee the number of birds is to be the only one around to count them. In this case I didn’t have much time because a car honked and they took off in a moving cloud, trilling away.

Bohemain Waxwing — Bohemian Waxwings are primarily fruit-eaters in the winter, and in Calgary they usually eat Mountain Ash berries. *Wikimedia commons, no restrictions, Lisa Hupp/USFWS*.

I have a soft spot for masked birds, so the Bohemian and Cedar Waxwings are always a welcome sight. These two birds are very similar to one another. However looking at their bar chart on eBird for Calgary it’s like they have two shifts, a Winter shift and a Summer shift. That makes it easy to guess which species you are looking at. The Bohemian Waxwing summers in the north, they must feel right at home in the cold, so they took the winter shift. You can also see from this chart that a few hardy (and perhaps not very bright) Cedar Waxwings stick it out here in Calgary over the winter.

How to tell if a stray Cedar is in a flock of Bohemians? The Bohemian Waxwing can be identified by its Cinnamon undertail and they are plumper and more jolly looking, than their sleeker cousin. Both birds have the sweet black mask and funky head plumage, as well as bright colors at the end of their wingtips and tails. This is where they get their name from, previous generations thought their wingtips looked like they had been dipped in wax. This is another example of how much day-to-day life has changed, the importance of wax has plummeted in the modern era.

The trilling sound they make is not a true song but a high-pitched sound that is nevertheless very distinct. I’m sure they are discussing something of great importance, probably where the dried berries are, which is their winter food. The abundance of Mountain Ash in Calgary would make you think they have it made here, however their populations see wild fluctuations. For example in the below chart we have the eBird total sightings for the winter months in Calgary. The numbers have dropped drastically, especially in 2025. As their name suggests they are wanderers at heart so we can only hope there is a berry laden place somewhere else in Alberta where they are all congregating.

Total birds on eBird checklists, Winter months. 5 year comparison:

Even if there is some other factor, like a Bohemian Waxwing loving birder has moved from Calgary, the numbers are telling us these birds aren’t around as much. In fact, although these birds are considered ‘common’, the “Partners in Flight” organization has identified them as a “Species in Steep Decline”. This organization is made up of a network of more than 150 partner organizations in the Western Hemisphere, concerned with landbirds specifically.

If you see the Bohemian Waxwings in North Glenmore, take a moment to admire them, I know I did until the horn honked, a clear warning in the cold winter air.

See also Winter Waxwings of Calgary – more photos by Ron Chiasson.

(email subscribers – Click on the post title to go to the blog website.)

Calgary Christmas Bird Count Results

Jan18

68 species, 43,631 birds counted on December 14th, 2025.

Results will be publicly presented on February 26, 2026.

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

We had another very successful Christmas Bird Count (CBC) in Calgary on Sunday December 14th. The sixty-eight species found inside the Count Circle was one more than our average over the past fifteen years. We had 265 people take part in the count, with 154 out in the field, and 111 Feeder Watchers counting birds from their homes.

The Northern Mockingbird which is (or was?) in Rotary Park in NE Calgary was a new bird species for the Count, bringing our cumulative species total to 147 in all the Calgary CBC’s since 1952.

Mallard
Canada Goose — This photo shows how difficult it can be to count Mallards and Canada Geese on the Bow River. Photo by Stevie Williams.

We had several unusual species, including the Long-eared Owl shown below, an American Kestrel (last seen in 2003), Northern Shoveler (three reports in the last fifteen years), Sharp-tailed Grouse (two reports in fifteen years), and Common Grackle (three reports in fifteen years).

Of the 68 species seen, 66 were found by field teams, while the 111 Feeder Watch houses reported 34 species, including two that were not seen by field teams: American Kestrel and Pine Siskin.

Mallards observed by a Feeder Watcher. Photo by Dee Keating.

American Goldfinches at a feeder. Photo by Marilyn Parker.

Below is a more detailed account of the results, and you can download the file if you wish. (Use the scrollbar on the right-hand edge to see all the pages.) Note: if the file does not appear on your device, download it or go to the website to view it.)

CBC_YYC 2025 Results Download

The eBird Trip Report

Another way to see some of the results is to view our eBird Trip Report, which includes most of the checklists from our Field Teams, and has photos of dozens of the species reported.

Presenting the Results

On Thursday February 26th we will be having a special meeting at the Royal Canadian Legion, 9202 Horton Road SW to present the results of the Calgary CBC. (This is the same location where the Birds & Beers meetings are held.) In addition to the Calgary CBC, we will have a presentation on the Fish Creek Park New Year’s Day Count, and we are working on getting some more presenters for some of the other southern-Alberta CBC’s. Save the date, and I will be posting more details about this event in mid-February. Join us for more information and many more photos from the Count!

A Killdeer at Pearce Estate. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

(email subscribers: click on the Post title to go to the Birds Calgary website.)

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.

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

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

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.

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.

Birds Calgary

A birding blog for Calgary, Alberta and area

Archives

Avian Pox

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

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

Winter Birding Homestretch!!

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

The Bohemian Waxwing – A Social Showstopper

Calgary Christmas Bird Count Results

68 species, 43,631 birds counted on December 14th, 2025.

Results will be publicly presented on February 26, 2026.

The eBird Trip Report

Presenting the Results

New Field Guide to the Birds of Alberta

Pre-order your copy of this new guide now!

Winter Birds Update

The Calgary List as of December 12, 2025

Peak Birding – The Great Horned Owl

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

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

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68 species, 43,631 birds counted on December 14th, 2025.

Results will be publicly presented on February 26, 2026.

The eBird Trip Report

Presenting the Results

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The Calgary List as of December 12, 2025

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