Calgary.
Fish Creek Park is the largest park within the Calgary urban area and contains many ecosystems including white spruce forest, aspen parkland, aquatic areas and grasslands. This offers excellent habitat for breeding and over wintering birds. It is one of the largest urban parks in North America and over 180 species have been recorded. From east to west, it stretches 19 km (11 miles) and has over 80 km of trails, of which 30 km are paved. Red-tailed and Swainson’s Hawk and Prairie and Peregrine Falcon can be seen in the summer, along with Spotted Sandpiper, American Woodcock, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Gray Catbird, Black-capped chickadee, Willow Flycatcher, Yellow Warbler and White-winged and Red Crossbill. Great Horned Owls are present and Bald Eagle can be seen in winter. To get to Fish Creek Park, follow Highway 1 west or east to Deerfoot Trail. (Highway 1 becomes 16th Avenue inside the Calgary city limits). Head south on Deerfoot Trail, and take the Bow Bottom Trail exit. This will take you into the Bow Valley Ranche entrance. Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. Birding in winter is slow, but once spring and summer arrive then one can expect to see 60+ species in a day at this sanctuary. Over 20 species of duck have been recorded in spring and Bald Eagle, Swainson’s and Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier, Black-billed Magpie, Downey, Hairy, Pileated and American Three-toed Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Black-capped Chickadee, Tennessee, Yellow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat andChipping, Clay-colored, Savannah, Song, White-throated and White-crowned Sparrow should all be present during the summer months. The University of Calgary Campus can be good during migration, particularly in fall when good numbers of warblers and sparrows pass through. Check out the trees and shrubs bordering the east side of the Library, and the area of mixed deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs around Parking Lot 32, which is to the east of Campus Gate, off 24th Av. NW.
Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary
Located 33 km southwest of Edmonton’s city centre, the Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary protects 348 acres of marshland, open meadow, aspen parkland and pine forest. The varied habitats of the Sanctuary attracts more than one hundred bird species. Good numbers of ducks breed here and also look for Northern Harriers, Broad-winged and Red-tail Hawk, American Bittern, Black Tern, Ruffed Grouse, Yellow-headed blackbird, and Marsh Wren. The boardwalk and connected upland trails are easily navigated by all skill levels and wheelchair access is available. To reach the Sanctuary, take Highway 16 west to the Devon turnoff (Highway 60), go south for 13.2 km to Woodbend Road, turn west for 1.6 km and then south on Sanctuary Road for 1.4 km.
Cypress Hills Provincial Park.
The Cypress Hills Provincial Park is located 70 km southeast of Medicine Hat, in the far southeast of the state near the Saskatchewan and Montana borders. It is a boreal forest plateau, up to 600 m higher than the surrounding plains and has a unique and isolated avifauna. The park is home to over 200 species of birds, half of which nest in the park. Birds to look for include Ferruginous Hawk, Red-naped Sapsucker, Common Poorwill, Gray Catbird, Dusky Flycatcher, MacGillivray's Warbler, Lazuli Bunting, Red Crossbills, and the pink-sided race of the dark-eyed junco. The dry prairies here also support good numbers of longspurs and pipits. Bird check-lists for the park are available online or at the Cypress Hills Park Office.
he Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory and Provincial Park.
About a 2.5 hour drive northwest of Edmonton in central Alberta, birding here is best during migration and summer and over 230 species have been observed in the area. With 20 species of duck either breeding here or migrating through, 13 raptor species, including Bald Eagle, Broad-winged and Rough-legged Hawk, Spruce and Ruffed Grouse, 19 wader species, Three-toed, Black-backed and Pileated Woodpecker, Olive-sided, Alder, Least and Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Boreal Chickadee, Gray-cheeked, Hermit and Swainson’s Thrush, 20 species of Warbler, including Tennessee, Blackpoll, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Connecticut, and Canada Warblers, 17 species of Sparrow and Longspur, including Clay-colored, Le Conte's, Nelson's Sharp-tailed and White-throated Sparrow and Lapland and Smith's Longspur, this is an excellent birding site that need a few days to fully appreciate. The Observatory operates from April to October.
McGregor Lake and Travers Reservoir
McGregor Lake and Travers Reservoir are in southern Alberta, approximately 27 km (17 miles) east of the town of Vulcan and 120 km (76 miles) from Calgary. There are mudflats at the north end of McGregor Lake and native mixed grasslands, badlands, and eroding coulees surround the reservoirs. Geese, ducks and shorebirds stage here at locally significant numbers in spring and fall migration. Away from the lake, species of note include Golden Eagle, Ferruginous Hawk, Prairie Falcon, Burrowing Owl and Sprague’s Pipit.
McKinnon Flats.
Just under 30km south east of Calgary, McKinnon Flats is a park on the Bow River that offers good birding. Waterfowl are plentiful and in late spring and summer passerines come in to breed. Look for Olive-sided, Alder and Willow Flycatcher, Northern Oriole and Eastern Kingbird. Raptors seen here at this time include Prairie Falcon and Red-tailed Hawks and during migration these are joined by Golden Eagle and Rough-legged Hawk. Bald Eagle overwinter here.
Sheep River Wildlife Sanctuary.
About 1 hour southwest of Calgary, this is one of the best areas in the province for observing migrating birds of prey which follow the foothill ridges in spring and fall. Nearly all of Alberta's birds of prey have been recorded here during migration, with the last week of March and the first week of April, and the last two weeks of September and the first week of October being particularly rewarding. Look for Golden and Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned, Cooper’s, Broad-winged, Swainson’s, Red-tailed, Ferruginous and Rough-legged Hawk and Prairie and Peregrine Falcon. To get there, take Hwy 22 south to the junction of the 546 and turn right (west). Stop at the Sheep River Visitor Information Centre, on the right-hand side of the road, just prior to the Sandy McNabb Campground. You can get good maps showing the trails and possibly some information on what’s being seen.