This week we start a new series on the blog, a weekly highlighting of birds considered to be at risk in Canada. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) lists 73 bird species or subspecies, divided into three categories: Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern. One of …
The Okanagan Valley is one of Canada’s best birding destinations, and a new guide will help visiting birders enjoy their pilgrimages there. The four naturalist clubs in the Okanagan Valley worked together to publish a 32-page full-colour guide to the Okanagan Valley Birding Trail. Bird Studies Canada’s Senior Project Biologist …
There’s been a lot of talk on my Twitter stream lately about the ubiquitous house sparrow. To feed or not to feed? I’ve had bird feeders in my yard for years, and I’ve yet to hear of any method of feeding all the birds BUT house sparrows. This time of …
Situated in the rolling prairie fields of southern Saskatchewan lies an unusual tourist attraction, highlighting a most engaging little bird. The Saskatchewan Burrowing Owl Interpretive Centre (SBOIC) is an educational facility dedicated to the conservation of burrowing owls and their prairie home. Opened to the public in 1997, the Centre …
Are you an Alberta birdwatcher? Red-tailed hawks are one of the most common buteo hawk species in the province, and if you’re a birder, you know where to find them! The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is looking for your help. They’re seeking photographs of red-tailed hawks taken in the province, …
Alberta is a province with a vast range of habitats: boreal forest, the Rocky Mountains, aspen parkland, grasslands and short-grass prairie. For our vacation this summer, we decided to head for the grasslands. In particular, we wanted to visit a geological wonder tucked into the prairie – Dinosaur Provincial Park …
Canada’s federal government has been taken to court over their own endangered species legislation. A coalition of nature and environmental groups brought the suit against the federal government, charging they had failed to protect key habitat for endangered species in general, and the prairie-dwelling sage grouse in particular. Their argument …
We love posting good news on this blog. When you’re dealing with wildlife and wild spaces, good news items are few and far between. Today is one of the good days. The Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey samples more than two million square miles of waterfowl habitat across the …
At a height of around 17 inches, pileated woodpeckers are the largest woodpeckers in North America (unless someone finds a live Ivory-billed). They are found in dense mature forests throughout Canada, and in the eastern half of the USA. Rarely seen, they are a birdwatchers delight when they are spotted. …
Can you name Canada’s National Bird? You may get a clue from our coins! Our national bird is the Common Loon, which also explains our loonies and toonies that the world loves to laugh about. And before you ask, no a baby loon is not called a loonie (or twins …