Rare Bird Alert Calgary: June 20

Jun21

Have you seen an unusual bird in Calgary? If it is on this Reportable_Birds (PDF), please report it to the Nature Calgary Rare Bird Alert line at 403 221-4519 and leave a message after the beep at the end of the recording. If you would like some help with species identification, us email us at zoxox@shaw.ca To report injured wildlife call the Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society at 403 239-2488, or the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation at 403 946-2361.

This Bird Albert was recorded on Jun 20, 2011.

JUN 15

BAND-TAILED PIGEON: reported by Carrie Mashon at a feeder at her home in Dorothy, AB. Not seen after June 15

JUN 16

SHORT-EARED OWL – Ron Kube saw one on Twp Rd 192 north of Frank Lake
VEERY – Gus Yaki and Friends of Fish Creek heard one in Weaselhead

JUN 17

BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO – POSSIBLE – reported by Terry Korolyk who saw a large dull brownish bird with a very long brownish tail moving in a deciduous tree on either Auburn Rd, Adrian Rd or 7 St visible above a gray sound barrier wall from Southland Drive just west of Blackfoot Trail.
LONG-BILLED CURLEW – south of Hwy 566 on Hwy 9 northeast of Calgary, by Corinne Griffin

The next scheduled update of the bird alert is on Thu Jun 23.

Photo Feathers: Rose-breasted Grosbeak (?)

Jun20

I took these pictures in the Weaselhead/South Glenmore area on Friday June 17. I have seen male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks there before so I assumed this was a female Rose-breasted, but it’s possible that it is a Black-headed Grosbeak or hybrid, or a juvenile. All opinions on its ID are welcome in the comments.

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

Sunday Showcase: Red-necked Grebes

Jun19

This spectacular series of nesting Red-necked Grebe photos was sent to us by Rob English. Enjoy! (Click images for a larger view).

Rare Bird Alert Calgary: June 16

Jun17

Have you seen an unusual bird in Calgary? If it is on this Reportable_Birds (PDF), please report it to the Rare Bird Alert line at 403 221-4519 and leave a message after the beep at the end of the recording. If you would like some help with species identification, us email us at zoxox@shaw.ca To report injured wildlife call the Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society at 403 239-2488, or the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation at 403 946-2361.

This Bird Alert was recorded on Thursday June 16 at 10 am.

Bird Sightings:

June 9:
GREAT GRAY OWL, CONNECTICUT WARBLER, WILLOW FLYCATCHER at Pearanod? Wildlife Hab. S of Grand Valley Rd & Rge 52, SW of Cochrane , Dwight Knapik.

June 13:
BAND-TAILED PIGEON for the last week at the home of Carrie Mashon ? (403
822-2216) near Dorothy (near Brooks) .
CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD (3), EASTERN PHOEBE, Weaselhead area of FCPP, Gus Yaki and
FFCPP.

June14:
SPOTTED TOWHEE, CALLIOPE HB, E. PHOEBE, as above.
THAYER’S GULL (possible) Glenmore Res near the Yacht Club, Terry Korolyk.

The next scheduled update of the Bird Alert is on Monday June 20.

Status of Birds In Canada

Jun17

Rough-legged Hawk by Pat Bumstead

A new Status of Birds in Canada section has been added to Environment Canada’s web site. It identifies the overall status of each species, describes population changes, discusses some of their conservation needs and provides a mechanism to track the success of ongoing and proposed conservation actions for these species.

The first phase of the site, which has just been launched, reports on a selection of more than 100 landbirds. These landbirds are either of conservation concern or those for which our stewardship responsibility is high, because Canada is home to a large portion of their population. Future iterations are planned to include all of Canada’s birds.

The Web site presents individual species accounts based on an assessment of the available population data from a variety of bird monitoring programs. It identifies the overall status of each species, describes population changes, discusses some of their conservation needs and provides a mechanism to track the success of ongoing and proposed conservation actions for these species. Although results from individual monitoring programs have been presented previously, the Status of Birds in Canada Web site is the first time that data from all these different sources has been pulled together and presented.

Bird monitoring programs provide the data that allow biologists to measure changes in their populations. There are a wide variety of monitoring programs in Canada: some are co-ordinated by government, others by conservation and environmental organizations. By synthesizing information from these various surveys, biologists are able to assess the status and changes in each species. It also allows us to identify those species for which our information is inadequate, so that we can work towards filling these gaps in knowledge.

The landbird monitoring programs that provide data for the Status of Birds in Canada Web site rely in large part on the participation of volunteers who are highly-skilled in the identification of birds. Thousands of these volunteers contribute their time and expertise to the Breeding Bird Survey, the Christmas Bird Count, Breeding Bird Atlases, and many other bird monitoring programs. Their contribution to our knowledge of bird populations and to bird conservation has been enormous. We are extremely grateful to all these dedicated birders.

Source: Environment Canada

The Status of Birds In Canada is a searchable website using common names, scientific names or an alphabetical list. Some examples:

Baird’s Sparrow

Rough-legged Hawk

Posted by Pat Bumstead

Bird Profile: Western Kingbird

Jun17

A large flycatcher with a yellow belly, pale grey head and breast and a black tail with white stripes down the sides, the Western Kingbird is one of my favorite birds. Eating mostly insects, the Kingbird is always ready to snatch its next meal; whether from a perch or on the ground.

Nesting in tall cottonwoods along river valleys, the Western Kingbird can be difficult to find in Calgary. Probably the best spot in the city to look for this neat bird is Lafarge Meadows, in Fish Creek, south of 22x where they nest.

More social than other kingbirds, at times, several pairs of Western Kingbird may be found nesting in the same tree. They readily attack crows, ravens, hawks and other larger birds that can be potential predators to them and their young.

The Western Kingbird has a distinguishing lemon yellow belly.

Posted by Matthew Sim

Rare Bird Alert: June 13

Jun15

This Bird Alert was recorded on Monday June 13 at 10:20 am.

Bird Sightings:

June 9:
LUZULI BUNTING (male) in the yard of Michael Woertman, Wintergreen Est. Bragg Creek.
BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK (male) for 4 days, as above.
Unidentifed HUMMINGBIRD, south Glenmore Pk, Gus Yaki and FFCPP.
YELLOW RAIL , Horse Creek Rd slough about 9 km N of Hwy 1A, Dwight Knapik.
WHOOPING CRANE (3) flying over Okotoks, Keri Kesha.

June 11:
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD (2 males) at Country Garden Greenhouse, L. Springbank Rd. Laurie Moore.
RED-TAIL HAWK, rufous morph. east of McElroy Slough, east of Chestermere Lake, Terry Korolyk.
Sterna TERN sp. at Chestermere Lake west side, TK.
WESTERN GREBE, at Chestermere Lake east side, TK.
CASPIAN TERN (pair) west end of Glenmore Res,have been there most of May, TK.

June 12:
RED-TAILED HAWK (dark morph) that was in the Raven Rocks area of FCPP through May, was at Votier’s Flats parking. TK.

The next scheduled update of the Bird Alert is on Thursday June 16.

Sunday Showcase: Great Horned Owls

Jun12

Posted by Matthew Sim

Rare Bird Alert: June 9

Jun10

This report was prepared on Thursday June 9.

June 4
–RED-TAILED HAWK, Fish Creek PP,Raven Rocks area. An unusually plumaged bird, likely of the sub-species “Calurus”, seen more often in BC, by Terry Korolyk.

June 7
–BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK(M+F),Seen at the feeders of Michael Woertman,Wintergreen Estates near Bragg Creek.

June 8
–OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER,Lowery Gardens, east of Edworthy Park, by Marcel Gahbauer.
–LAZULI BUNTING(3m +1f), in the yard of Nancy West, Mountain View.For details, call Nancy at 403-653-1359. This species is more widespread this year than most other years.

–WHITE-FACED IBIS have been reported from Frank Lake by Daniel Hart.
–BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD.Flocks of this species have been reported from Banff NP, more so than usual. Thomas Glen reported several flocks there the weekend of June 4/5,2011.

The next scheduled update of the Bird Alert is on Monday, June 13.