CALGARY COMPETITION: WINTER BIRDING TARGETS
Brian Elder PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Winter birding strategy
Winter birding targets
Winter birding locations
Resources Get out birding
Go after rare birds (but don’t worry about seasonal rarities)
Target winter visitors and birds most easily seen in winter
Don’t worry about taking a winter vacation … you’ll get a 2nd chance next November and December! WINTER BIRDING STRATEGY Winter visitors
Resident birds more easily seen in winter
Scarce birds – usually occur annually
Rare birds – do not occur annually
Country birds - not easily found within city limits
TARGET CATEGORIES WINTER VISITORS
There are lots of reasons to come to Calgary in winter! WINTER VISITORS FOOD IS THE REAL ATTRACTION
Gyrfalcon
Snowy Owl
Northern Shrike
Bohemian Waxwing
Common Redpoll
Hoary Redpoll
Pine Grosbeak
Snow Bunting ID: a large, bulky falcon. Can be confused with Prairie Falcon but is not brown, does not have dark “armpits” and is bulkier.
PLUMAGES: Adult (left, top right), immature (bottom right). Gray morph is the most common variety in our area
WHERE TO LOOK: Usually one or two around Calgary – SE of the city is the best location. Perches on utility poles GYRFALCON SNOWY OWL
ID: As easy as it gets!
PLUMAGES: Varies from nearly pure white (adult male) to white with dark bars (female and immature birds)
WHERE TO LOOK: Most easily found in the Lyalta area but can be anywhere east of Highway 2 ID: Compared to Cedar Waxwing, darker, grayer with rufous undertail coverts and white on wings
WHERE TO LOOK: a berry eater – look for them in suburbs with lots of Mountain Ash. Common, often in large flocks
BOHEMIAN WAXWING NORTHERN SHRIKE
ID: Similar to Loggerhead Shrike (which is not here in winter) but larger with narrower mask
PLUMAGES: Adult (right), immature (left)
WHERE TO LOOK: Usually perch on top of small bushes COMMON REDPOLL
Plumages: Male (leftmost), female/immature (top right)
WHERE TO LOOK: small bushes with seeds; feeders ID: Tricky! Compare with Common Redpoll (with which it usually associates) – paler, fluffier, small billed; less streaking on flanks, undertail coverts
WHERE TO LOOK: Usually found within a flock of Common Redpolls
HOARY REDPOLL PLUMAGES: Male (left), female (above)
PINE GROSBEAK WHERE TO LOOK: Glenmore – listen for its call ID: No other songbird is so extensively white (but can look quite dark from above)
WHERE TO LOOK: Usually occurs in large flocks in open areas; Listen for the “tew” call
SNOW BUNTING Northern Goshawk Northern Saw-whet Owl
Spruce Grouse Barred Owl
Sharp-tailed Grouse American Three-toed Woodpecker Wild Turkey Black-backed Woodpecker Great Gray Owl Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch Northern Pygmy-Owl Red Crossbill Northern Hawk Owl White-winged Crossbill Boreal Owl
BIRDS MOST EASILY SEEN IN WINTER NORTHERN GOSHAWK
ID: A large, bulky accipiter – adult (right) is distinctive; immature (left, centre) note white supercilium, speckled back, uneven tail bands
PLUMAGES: adult, immature
WHERE TO LOOK: Glenmore, Fish Creek PP, Bow River ID, PLUMAGES: Male (left) has black chest, white-spotted underparts; female has short, dark tail and barred underparts
WHERE TO LOOK: North/south section of Grand Valley Road; hiking trails in mountains
SPRUCE GROUSE SHARP-TAILED GROUSE
ID: Smaller than pheasant; pointed tail unlike all other grouse
WHERE TO LOOK: West of Nanton; Hwy 22 south of Longview. Large flocks in winter ID: Large size, dark body, tiny head
PLUMAGES: Male (both photos); WILD TURKEY beard and dewlap smaller or absent in female
WHERE TO LOOK: Open woodlands west of Turner Valley GREAT GRAY OWL
ID: Large owl with no ear tufts, yellow eyes, white “bow tie”
WHERE TO LOOK: Water Valley area, west of Turner Valley. Perches close to ground (usually no higher than 5m) ID: Mid-sized owl with no ear tufts, yellow eyes, barred underparts, long tail
WHERE TO LOOK: Water Valley area, west of Turner Valley. Often perches on top of trees
NORTHERN HAWK OWL NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL
ID: Small owl with no ear tufts, yellow eyes, boldly streaked underparts, fairly long tail
WHERE TO LOOK: Water Valley area, west of Turner Valley. Often perches on top of trees; listen for its call during the day ID: Large owl with no ear tufts, dark eyes, boldly streaked underparts
WHERE TO LOOK: Fish Creek PP, Water Valley area, Sibbald Trail. Generally nocturnal
BARRED OWL ID: Small owl with no ear tufts, yellow eyes, more or less spotted pattern above and below; dark V through the eyes creates an “angry” expression
WHERE TO LOOK: West of Calgary. Nocturnal
BOREAL OWL
Illustration from: http://www.paulnoll.com/ Oregon/Birds/Likely/likely-Owl-Boreal.html ID: Small owl with no ear tufts, yellow eyes, broad brown streaks on underparts
WHERE TO LOOK: Glenmore, Fish Creek PP, west of Calgary. Nocturnal
NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER
ID: Mid-sized woodpecker with white barring on back, dense black barring on flanks
PLUMAGES: Male has yellow on crown; female lacks yellow (left)
WHERE TO LOOK: Fish Creek PP, Brown Lowery PP, Griffith Woods. Watch for dead spruce with bark peeled off ID: Mid-sized woodpecker with black back, dense black barring on flanks
PLUMAGES: Male has yellow on crown; female lacks yellow (left)
WHERE TO LOOK: Fish Creek PP, Brown Lowery PP. Watch for dead spruce with bark peeled off
BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCH
ID: Dark brownish overall with gray hind- crown and pink on wings and belly
PLUMAGES: Interior form (left), Hepburn’s – much more extensive gray on face
WHERE TO LOOK: Exshaw, particularly after a snowfall; any foothills location near mountains ID and PLUMAGES: Male (above, right) dull reddish-orange, usually lacks wingbars; female yellow-green with dark wings
RED CROSSBILL WHERE TO LOOK: An irruptive species – not always here. Wherever there is a good cone crop (particularly pines) – Queens Park cemetery, Willow Park, west of Turner Valley ID and PLUMAGES: Male (left) pinkish-red, with bold white wingbars; female (below) yellow- green with white wing bars and indistinct streaks on underparts. Compared to Red Crossbill, smaller bill and longer tail
WHERE TO LOOK: An irruptive species – not always here. Wherever there is a good cone crop – Queens Park cemetery, Willow Park
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL Scarce – usually occur each winter; can also be seen in migration
Harlequin Duck
Long-tailed Duck
Long-eared Owl
Rusty Blackbird
Harris’s Sparrow
SCARCE WINTERING BIRDS HARLEQUIN DUCK
ID and PLUMAGES: Male unmistakable; female (below left) dark gray-brown, told from scoters by smaller size, short bill, small white spots on face
WHERE TO LOOK: fast flowing sections of Bow River, gravel bars LONG-TAILED DUCK
ID and PLUMAGES: Winter plumage male (top), spring plumage male (bottom) - not likely to be seen in winter; female winter dark breast and back, white belly and head with dark cheek patch and crown
WHERE TO LOOK: Bow River ID: Slim, mid-sized owl with long ears and orange face. Coloration is similar to Great Horned Owl but is much smaller and more strongly streaked
WHERE TO LOOK: Farms near Frank Lake
LONG-EARED OWL PLUMAGES: Non-breeding plumage (below), breeding plumage male (left) – not likely to be RUSTY BLACKBIRD seen in winter, female breeding similar to Brewer’s Blackbird female but with pale eye
WHERE TO LOOK: along banks of river or creek with flowing water ID: A large sparrow with a pinky-orange bill
PLUMAGES: Adult (below) complete black face and throat, immature (right) lacks extensive black of the adult
WHERE TO LOOK: bushy areas with redpoll flocks, feeders
HARRIS’S SPARROW American Black Duck
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Steller’s Jay
Northern Mockingbird
Northern Cardinal
RARE BIRDS – DO NOT OCCUR ANNUALLY AMERICAN BLACK DUCK
ID: Similar to female Mallard but darker with dark olive bill and no white in speculum
WHERE TO LOOK: Amongst the large flocks of Mallards on the Bow River … have fun! ID: Conspicuous bright red nape, uniformly barred back, faint wash of red on belly
WHERE TO LOOK: Only record for the Calgary area was in High River
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER ID: Shape (and habits) of a Blue Jay but mostly dark and no white in wings, tail
WHERE TO LOOK: West of Calgary
STELLER’S JAY ID: Pale gray, more slender and longer tailed than American Robin
WHERE TO LOOK: Could be anywhere! Most recent records close to Calgary area have been in Vulcan and Nanton
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD ID: Large, triangular red- orange bill
PLUMAGES: male (below), female (right)
WHERE TO LOOK: Suburbs, small towns
NORTHERN CARDINAL Ruffed Grouse
Short-eared Owl
Mountain Chickadee
American Dipper
Gray Jay Clark’s Nutcracker X
COUNTRY BIRDS (BUT SOMETIMES SEEN AT EDGE OF CITY) ID: Slender grouse with dark tail band and dark bars on flanks
PLUMAGES: rufous and gray morphs and intermediates (left?)
WHERE TO LOOK: Weaselhead, Fish Creek PP, Griffith Woods, west of Calgary
RUFFED GROUSE SHORT-EARED OWL ID: Mid-sized owl with short ear tufts (often not visible); distinctive butterfly like flight (photo below is of a darker morph on Haida Gwaii)
WHERE TO LOOK: Frank Lake; easiest to find at dusk or dawn AMERICAN DIPPER
ID: Dark gray with long legs and short tail
WHERE TO LOOK: Griffith Woods, Bow Valley PP, Kananaskis River MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE
ID: Chickadee with white eyebrow
WHERE TO LOOK: West of Calgary WHERE TO LOOK: West of Calgary
GRAY JAY CLARK’S NUTCRACKER
WHERE TO LOOK: Exshaw WINTER BIRDING LOCATIONS - CALGARY
Along the Bow and Elbow Rivers
Fish Creek Provincial Park
Weaselhead
Griffiths Woods
Queens Park Cemetery
Feeders WINTER BIRDING LOCATIONS - COUNTRY
NW – Water Valley area
West – Exshaw, Sibbald Trail
SW – Millarville, Turner Valley, south on 22
South – High River, Frank Lake, northwest of Nanton
SE – Sheperd to Carseland
NE – Lyalta area ebird
Christmas Bird Counts
Nature Calgary outings
Albertabird: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Albertabird/info
Birdfinding Guide to the Calgary Region: http://www.naturecalgary.com/birding/birding-locations/
RESOURCES GOOD BIRDING AND GOOD LUCK!
• Photos by Brian Elder • ID information adapted from The Sibley Guide to Birds, 2nd edition • Clip art from internet • Maps from Google Maps