Assiniboine Park and Assiniboine Forest, Winnipeg.
6 km west of downtown Winnipeg this park ranks as one of Canada's better birding "hot spots", with over 230 species of birds recorded. The park consists mainly of lawns of lawns and formal and informal gardens. The forest is 700 acres of woodlands, mainly oak and aspen, interspersed with trails, that has been described as “an urban forest where mixed woodland and prairie meet in a marsh teeming with wildlife - all in the centre of a major city”. This is a good area to bird in spring and summer when passerines arrive. Broad-winged, Coopers, Red-tailed, Rough-legged and Sharp-shinned Hawk and Northern Goshawk should be around, but the main attraction for birders is probably the flycatchers and warblers that arrive in late spring. Look for Alder, Great Crested, Least, Olive-sided and Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Eastern and Western Kingbird and Eastern Wood-Pewee. Black-throated Blue, Bay-breasted, Blackburnian, Blackpoll, Black-throated Green, Cape May, Connecticut, Golden-winged, Hooded, Magnolia and Nashville Warblers are a few of the 27 warbler species that can be found. A number of sparrows, including Clay-colored, Fox, Harris and Le Conte’s can be seen as well as Pine Siskin, Purple Finch and Red and White-winged Crossbill. Spring and fall also attract a number of ducks and this is a good place to see Wood Duck and occasionally in fall, Harlequin Duck. There is an observation area that overlooks the pond, which is a good place to watch for shorebirds and waterfowl. Assiniboine Forest Park located between Chalfont Avenue and Shaftesbury Boulevard.
Birds Hill Provincial Park.
Located just 24 km north of Winnipeg along Highway 59, Birds Hill Provincial Park is a great place to spend a day out, and with more than 200 species of birds recorded here offers a wide variety of habitat in which to bird, including esker ridges, dry prairie, wet meadows, bogs, and aspen-oak and mixed boreal forest. Many of the birds found here are the same as found at Oak Hammock Marsh, which is nearby. The main difference here is that more woodland species are likely to be seen.
Churchill.
Churchill is situated on the shore of Hudson Bay at the mouth of the Churchill River, 1600 km north of Winnipeg. Most people visit Churchill to see the polar bears, but it also offers some good birding, with over 275 species recorded. The best time of the year for birders to visit is between late May and mid-July, with the greatest number of birds often observed between mid- to late June. Most species of duck that are found in eastern Canada can be seen here, and many waders breed in the vicinity. The one bird that many come here to see is Ross’ Gull. This is a reliable site as they breed in the area. All the “northern” owls can be seen and Boreal, Great Gray, Great Horned, Northern Hawk and Short-eared Owls breed here. Snowy Owl is common most of the year. 18 warbler species have been recorded and Blackpoll, Orange-crowned, Palm, Tennesse, Yellow and Yellow-rumped Warblers and Northern Waterthrush all breed. Many other boreal species should be seen. Before visiting Churchill, birders are advised to obtain a copy of "A Birder's Guide to Churchill" by Bonnie Chartier. Getting there one has the option of flying in or going by train. There are no roads into Churchill and driving to Thompson and then catching the train is a popular way of getting there.
Oak Hammock Marsh.
Approximately 25 km north of the city of Winnipeg, Oak Hammock Marsh features many visitor facilities including a 2,000 m² wetland interpretive centre, a nature craft shop, marsh boardwalks, observation mounds, 25 km of hiking dikes, nature trails and picnic sites. Over 285 bird species have been recorded here. This is a great site for waterbirds and waders, and breeding birds to look for here include American Black Duck, American Wigeon, Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal, Gadwall, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Wood Duck, Canvasback, Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Ring-necked and Ruddy Duck, Piping Plover, Marbled Godwit, Upland Sandpiper and Wilson’s Phalarope. A good number of raptors either breed here or pass through during migration, and Broad-winged, Cooper’s, Red-tailed and Swainson’s Hawk should all be seen in summer. Rough-legged Hawk is common during both spring and autumn migration. Ruffed and Sharp-tailed Grouse are present year round and Spruce Grouse can sometimes be found. Alder, Great Crested and Least Flycatcher could all be seen and Marsh and Sedge Wren are common. Few warblers breed here, but a number pass through during migration including Bay-breasted, Blackpoll, Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, Golden-winged, Magnolia, Palm and Tennessee Warblers and Northern Waterthrush. Chestnut-collared Longspur breeds and there is a reasonable chance of seeing Smith’s Longspur and Grasshopper, Le Comte’s, Nelson’s Sharp-tailed and Swamp Sparrow. If spending some time here, then it is suggested that you get a copy of "Birds of Oak Hammock Marsh Wildlife Management Area," that is available through the gift shop at the Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre. Oak Hammock Marsh is just 20 minutes north of Winnipeg, at the junction of Hwy 67 & 220, between Hwy 7 & 8.
Riding Mountain National Park
Riding Mountain National Park is located in southwestern Manitoba, approximately 265 km northwest of the city of Winnipeg. Situated amidst a sea of agricultural land, Riding Mountain rises dramatically from the prairie landscape, and is an island of boreal and mixed forest. This habitat has attracted many breeding birds and with the abundance of water here, ducks and waterbirds are numerous. Eared, Horned, Pied-billed and Red-necked Grebe breed as do American Bittern, which is common here. 16 species of raptor can be seen and this is a good site to see Ruffed, Sharp-tailed and Spruce Grouse. 27 wader species have been recorded, mainly during spring and fall migration, but a number, including American Woodcock, Marbled Godwit and Upland Sandpiper breed. This is a great site for owls with Barred, Eastern Screech, Great Gray, Great Horned, Long-eared, Northern Hawk, Northern Saw-whet and Short-eared Owls all being breeding birds. Northern Flicker, Black-backed, Downy, Hairy, Pileated, Red-headed, Three-toed Woodpeckers and Red-breasted and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker are all present and can be found fairly easily. Black-capped and Boreal Chickadee, Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatch and Brown Creeper are all breeding birds as are Philadelphia, Red-eyed, Solitary, Warbling and Yellow-throated Vireos. 27 warbler species have been recorded of which 21 species have been confirmed as breeding here, including Canada, Connecticut and Golden-winged Warblers Northern Waterthrush and Ovenbird. This is also a good spot to see sparrows and Chestnut-collared and Lapland Longspur and Le Conte’s, Nelson’s Sharp-tailed, Vesper and White-throated Sparrows should all be looked for. To date more than 260 bird species have been recorded in the park. The best way to get to the park from Winnipeg is to take Highway 1 west and then Highway 10 north from Brandon.