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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.”

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

Bald Eagle
Immature Bald Eagle seen during the count on December 14th, 2025. Photo 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.

Christmas Bird Count
It was a warm, pleasant winter day to be out counting birds! Photo by Bob Lefebvre.
Christmas Bird Count
Myself with two first-time CBC participants (Juliana, left, and Dhyanna, right) at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. It’s always nice to have some enthusiastic new birders join the CBC! Photo by Alec Hamilton.

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).

Long-eared Owl
An elusive Long-eared Owl, only the second one ever seen on the Calgary CBC. Photo by Michael Hentges.
Northern Shoveler
Northern Shoveler at Pearce Estate Park. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

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.

Mallard
Mallards observed by a Feeder Watcher. Photo by Dee Keating.
American Goldfinch
American Goldfinches at a feeder. Photo by Marilyn Parker.
American Goldfinch
Our Community Feeder Watchers (outside the official Count Circle but in the city) contributed a lot of Goldfinches! Photo by Dennis Zahn.

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 ResultsDownload

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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!

Killdeer
A Killdeer at Pearce Estate. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

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

Count Birds in Your Yard For the Christmas Bird Count!

Nov30

Spend 30 minutes counting birds on December 14th for the Calgary CBC.

We always like to have as many birders as possible go out in the field on Count Day, and this is how we get the majority of our birds and species. But field teams operate mostly in parks in the city (though we do have some diligent counters who drive residential back alleys!), and there are large areas of the city that are not covered in this way . That’s where the Feeder Watchers come in.

As a Feeder Watcher, you simply count the birds you see in or from your yard on Count Day. We ask that you spend at least 30 minutes counting in total, though you can spend much more time if you wish. Every year our Feeder Watchers see a good number of species, including usually one or two that are not found by the field teams. So they are an important part of the Count, and they do help to fill in the gaps in our coverage.

We can really use more people to watch at their feeders this year. If you have participated in the past, you still have to register this year to be included.

Register here!

Below is an animated look at the tracks of the field teams in 2024. As Matt Wallace says in this Instagram post, it only includes 190 out of the 218 eBird tracks of field teams, which accounts for some of the large gaps in coverage. But look at all the residential spaces in between the tracks! There are a lot of birds in those areas, and we’d like to count them. (If this doesn’t play on your device, try this link: Instagram.)

In addition, the field teams are all located within the Count Circle, which has a 24-km diameter. We want to cover that circle as fully as possible. But over the years the city has expanded beyond the boundaries of the circle, leaving many willing backyard observers outside the Count. We have started to include observations by Feeder Watchers who are in the city but outside of the circle as part of our Community Christmas Bird Count. Those observations cannot be counted in the official Audubon count, but we feel that it is important to do this to get a more complete picture of the winter birds in our city, and to involve as many people as possible.

Please fill out the registration form if you’d like to take part, either as a Feeder Watcher inside or outside the city, or as part of a field team.

Bonus Read: Below is a link to a recent article about the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary in the Calgary Journal which includes an interview with CBC organizer Matt Wallace.

Calgary Journal link

Registration link for the Calgary Christmas Bird Count

Nov30

Here is a link to the form to fill out to register to join the count, or even if you just want more information:

Register Here for the 2025 Calgary CBC.

Trumpeter Swan

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!

Calgary and Area May Species Count

May4

There are still some areas that need observers. Please volunteer to help count on May 24th and 25th.

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

Bobolink
A Bobolink I photographed on the May Species Count near Longview in 2023. I was shooting through some trees, and the leaves caused an unusual bokeh. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

The last weekend in May is the annual May Species Count in the Calgary region. The count covers a huge area – a circle 80 km in radius centred in downtown Calgary. The circle is divided into about 50 territories that each need to be covered by a birder or birders.

Calgary May Species Count map
The Calgary May Species Count circle.

As of today, there are still some areas that are in need of observers. This includes some smaller areas within the city, as well as some longer walks such as the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, Elliston Lake, and the 68 Street Wetlands east of Elliston. These are great territories!

All that is required is that you try to cover your area as fully as possible, and record all the birds you see on eBird.

If you are interested in helping out, please contact Andrew Hart at andrewhartch[at]gmail[dot]com or call 403.608.8918. Andrew will provide detailed but simple instructuons, and can assist you with eBird if you are new to it.

In addition to the areas that have no coverage, if you would like to join an existing group with experienced leaders to show you how the count is done, Andrew may be able to place you in one of these.

Please volunteer so that we have complete coverage of the count circle!

2025 City Nature Challenge Events

Apr21

Take part from Friday April 25th to Monday April 28th.

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

White-crowned Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

This coming weekend is the 7th annual City Nature Challenge in the Calgary area, organized by Matt Wallace. During this four-day event, particpants will document urban biodiversity on the iNaturalist app and website. Anyone can take part anywhere within the competition area:

City Nature Challenge Map
The Calgary CNC area.

Although this is a fun and educational activity, and a friendly competition between hundreds of cities around the world, recording our biodiversity is critically important to the cause of conservation. As birders, many of us record our sightings on eBird, which is great for research into bird populations. But when it comes to governments and industry making changes to the environment, iNaturalist is the database that is most often used, as it provides a critical understanding of our complete biodiversity so that we can make responsible development decisions. In the first six years of the Calgary CNC, over 40,000 observations have been made. This is a great start, but we can do much more to fully document our species and to fill in the map with observations. Go to the Calgary CNC website for more information, and watch the video below:

Anyone can use the iNaturalist app on their smart phone or the iNaturalist website on their computer at any time of year to contribute to our biological knowledge. But the CNC is a great time to learn how to do this. There are many resources on the CNC website about how to use iNaturalist, how to take good identifiable photos, and how to upload your observations (you have until May 4th to upload your observations for this project, so you can use this weekend to just make as many observations as possible, and upload them later). See the detailed page about iNaturalist too.

There are many events planned for the upcoming weekend as well:

Friday April 25 – Frank Lake Bird Walk, Nose Creek Bioblitz Walk.

Saturday April 26 – Nature Walk at North Glenmore Park, Guided Photo Walk in the Weaselhead, Bragg Creek Bioblitz, Documenting Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park.

Sunday April 27 – St. Patrick’s Island Nature Walk, Nose Hill Community Pollinator Walk.

Monday April 28 – The Plants of Britannia Slopes.

Please see the CNC Events page here for more information and to register for any of these events. Bring your camera and phone, learn about our natural areas, and help us reach our goal of 15,000 observations this weekend.

City Nature Challenge 2025

Mar23

Matt Wallace will be giving a presentation about this on April 2nd – book your spot now!

The worldwide City Nature Challenge (CNC) is back for 2025, and Calgary will be competing once again. In this four-day event, volunteers record photos and sounds of any living thing and save them on the iNaturalist website or App, generating a snapshot of the biodiversity of the Calgary region.

Matt Wallace
Calgary CNC founder and organizer Matt Wallace. Photo – the Wild Bird Store site.

The CNC runs from Friday April 25th through Monday April 28th. Calgary’s event organizer, Matt Wallace, will be giving a presentation at The Wild Bird Store to get you informed and ready to go.

Location: Wild Bird Store presentation space, 5901 3 Street SE.

Wednesday April 2, 2025, 6:00 PM

Ticket Price: $15.00 + GST

Matt Wallace is the organizer and founder of the Calgary City Nature Challenge (CNC). April 25-28, 2025 marks the 7th annual event for our city, but what’s it all about? This presentation will tell the story of how the CNC has been a catalyst for the growth of citizen science in Calgary and dive into what we have learned about our urban biodiversity and how you can help to protect it by sharing your observations.

You can book your spot on the Wild Bird Store’s Events page here.

This event is always one of the highlights of the year for all birders and naturalists. See the following for more information about how to get involved.

City Nature Challenge main international website.

Calgary City Nature Challenge page.

iNaturalist CNC 2025 Project Page

Also, check out the Wild Bird Store’s website for more upcoming speaker events, and sign up to get their free monthly email newsletter.

Birding Brooks-Lake Newell and Milk River-Writng-on-Stone 2025

Mar9

Register now for these two southern Alberta May Species Counts.

Spring is almost here, so it’s time to prepare now for the Alberta May Species Counts, which take place in May, when many migrating birds are back or passing through. Two long-running counts are the Brooks-Lake Newell Count in the SE part of the province, and the Milk River-Writing-on-Stone Count in the far south of Alberta.

Common Nighthawk
Common Nighthawk in the Brooks area. Photo by Dan Arndt.

Many birders from Calgary, Edmonton, and other parts of the province travel to these counts, so it’s important to make accomodation arrangements ahead of time. Here is the information about the counts from the organizers:

We are pleased to announce that our two SE Alberta May Species counts will take place on the following dates:

Brooks – Lake Newell Bird Count: Sat. May 17 and Sun. May 18

Milk River – Writing-on-Stone Bird Count: Sat. May 24 and Sun. May 25

Looking for accommodation for the Brooks-Lake Newell and Milk River-Writing-on-Stone Bird Counts? The Brooks Heritage Inn and Suites, where we will hold our Brooks count meetings, is offering a discount rate of $125 per night for count recipients. To book, call 403-362-8688 and mention you are a bird count participant.

See brochure (below) for hotels in the Milk River area.

All of the campsites reserved for bird count participants have been allotted. Tillebrook Provincial Park general reservations for the nights of Friday May 16 through the May long weekend and Writing-on-Stone campsite reservations for May Friday May 23 through the count weekend are open. To book: shop.albertaparks.ca, 1-877-537-2757.

Note: a non-refundable fee of $15 per person will be charged to all Brooks participants to help cover the rental of the meeting room.

A reminder to plan to attend the pre-count meetings on the Fridays before each count. The 2025 Brooks WOS Bird Counts Brochure contains more information on the schedule for each weekend. Read/download the brochure here or see below.

Registration for the Brooks-Lake Newell and Milk River-Writing-on-Stone Bird Counts will open on March 1. A link to the registration form will be emailed starting March 1. If you wish to register for either or both of the counts please contact Donna first so we can get you on the email list to receive the link! Registration is open until May 1st.

We look forward to seeing you — and thousands of migrating birds — at the end of May!

Donna Wieckowski *astolat@shaw.ca*  403-870-6222

Debra Hornsby *debra.hornsby.banff@shaw.ca*  403-431-2447

(Note: remove * before emailing)

Please contact the orgainzers if you are new to the counts and would like more information!

Brochure – use the scrollbar on the right to see more.

2025 Brooks WOS Bird Count Brochure FINALDownload

Birders needed for Calgary CBC, Sunday December 15th!

Dec6

Register here to join backyard feeder watchers, or urban walking or driving routes.

The more eyes we have looking for birds during the Calgary Christmas Bird Count on December 15th, the better picture we will have of winter bird populations in Calgary.

Cassin's Finch
Cassin’s Finch, the first ever seen on the Calgry CBC, in 2023. Photo by Laura Bentley.

We could use a few more people to join existing teams who will be covering established routes driving or walking in a few parts of the city. (Refer to the section numbers on the map below.) This includes routes in the far NW (N9), Beaverdam Flats area (E1), Dover/Erin Woods/Forest Lawn/Marlborough neighbourhoods (E-5), the area south of Downtown along the Elbow River (W-3), a large section of the SW including North Glenmore Park (W-5), the large western edge of the Count Circle from Canada Olympic Park south to Griffiths Woods (W-6), and even Carburn Park (S-1) which is the section that usually finds the most species of birds. Please register if you’d like to help out in one of these areas – you can specify your preferred section number when you register.

Some sections have no one covering them at all yet. If you would like to do one of these by yourself, or lead a small team, again please register. Areas available include Bowness including Bowness Park (N1), The U of C grounds and parts of Varsity and Shouldice (N-4a), Parkdale and the rest of Shouldice (N-4b), and the Capitol Hill area (N-7 lower).

As always, in addition to the field teams, we will accept as many people as we can get counting birds at their feeders in their yards. You can watch for as little as 30 minutes on Count Day. Just select “Feeder Watcher” on the registration form under “How do you want to participate?” (Note that you must live within the Count Circle as shown on the map, in order that your Feeder Watcher results can count for the CBC.)

Once again, the count is Sunday December 15th. Register here!