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WINTER BIRDING

Courtesy of CSI: Life


Chestnut-backed Chickadee - photo © by Richard Klauke

  Chestnut-backed Chickadee - January 2013, Waterton
 photo © 2013 by Richard Klauke

This site focuses on the joys of Winter Birding in Alberta, Canada.

This winter's bird list is compared with those from previous winters,
and links are also provided to winter bird list compilations in other areas.


Winter

PAGE NAVIGATION:

Winter Bird Lists For:

    ALBERTA  

Other Provinces, west to east:
British Columbia
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
Ontario
Québec
New Brunswick
Prince Edward Island
Nova Scotia
Newfoundland and Labrador

Other Areas:
Saint-Pierre et Miquelon
Iceland


LAST UPDATED 19 February 2015

PROVINCE-WIDE 2014/2015 SPECIES TOTAL = 126

Compiled by Richard Klauke from the Albertabird discussion group

Web Page by Blake Maybank  (CSI: Life)

The table below lists the species sighted somewhere in the province of Albertaa
in the months of December through February, between 2011 and 2015. 
The left-most column shows the species sighted during the current winter season, 2014/2015.

For the detailed sightings for the decade 2001 - 2011 click HERE.



Core Species* have a YELLOW backdrop.
Alberta's Core List  = 110 Species

*(are seen every winter, or are elusive winter residents)


Species not encountered every winter have an ORANGE backdrop.

Species which are rare in any season in Alberta have a PINK backdrop.
 


Alberta Provincial Flag
 Winter of:
Number
of
winters
each
species
occurred
2001-2011		 Year of occurence
for species noted
only
pre-2001
BIRD SPECIES 2014/
2015		 2013/
2014
 2012/
2013
 2011/
2012
Greater White-fronted Goose
X
 X
 X
 4
Snow Goose
X
 X
 X
 8
Ross's Goose



3
Cackling Goose X
 X
 X
 X
 8
Canada Goose X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Tundra Swan X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Trumpeter Swan X
X
 X
 9
Mute Swan




1998
Wood Duck
X
 X
 X
 10
Gadwall X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Eurasian Wigeon



1
American Wigeon X
 X
 X
 X
 10
American Black Duck



1
Mallard X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Blue-winged Teal


X
 1
Cinnamon Teal


X
 0
Northern Shoveler
X
 X
 X
 8
Northern Pintail X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Green-winged Teal X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Canvasback X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Redhead X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Ring-necked Duck X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Greater Scaup X
X
 X
 10
Lesser Scaup X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Common Eider



2
King Eider



1
Harlequin Duck X
 X
X
 10
Surf Scoter



2
White-winged Scoter

X
 X
 9
Long-tailed Duck X
X
 X
 10
Bufflehead X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Common Goldeneye X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Barrow's Goldeneye X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Hooded Merganser X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Common Merganser X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Red-breasted Merganser

X
 X
 8
Ruddy Duck
X
 X
 X
 10
Gray Partridge X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Ring-necked Pheasant X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Ruffed Grouse X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Spruce Grouse X
 X
 X
 X
 10
White-tailed Ptarmigan X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Willow Ptarmigan X
 X
 X
 X
 8
Rock Ptarmigan


X
 0
Greater Sage-Grouse



1
Sharp-tailed Grouse X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Wild Turkey X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Red-throated Loon




1974
Pacific Loon


X
 6
Common Loon


X
 7
Yellow-billed Loon



1
Horned Grebe X
 X
 X
 X
 8
Red-necked Grebe X

X
 9
Eared Grebe



6
Pied-billed Grebe
X
 X
 X
 7
Western Grebe X
 X
 X
 X
 9
American White Pelican



3
Double-crested Cormorant

X
 X
 5
Great Blue Heron X
X
 X
 9
Cattle Egret



0
 2001
Black-crowned Night-Heron



0
 1987
Turkey Vulture


X
 4
Bald Eagle X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Northern Harrier
X
 X
 X
 10
Sharp-shinned Hawk X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Cooper's Hawk X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Northern Goshawk X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Swainson's Hawk



0
 1976
Red-tailed Hawk X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Ferruginous Hawk
X

2
Rough-legged Hawk X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Golden Eagle X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Virginia Rail X

X
 4
American Coot X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Sandhill Crane



0
 1996
Common Crane



0
 1957
Sora



1
American Golden-Plover



0
 1999
Killdeer X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Spotted Sandpiper



0
 1999
Wilson's Snipe X
 X
 X
 X
 10
jaeger sp.



1
Parasitic Jaeger



0
 year?
Bonaparte's Gull



0
 1976
Mew Gull



2
Ring-billed Gull X
 X
X
 9
California Gull


X
 6
Herring Gull X
 X
X
 9
Thayer's Gull



1
Iceland Gull



0
 1993
Lesser Black-backed Gull



0
 1987
Slaty-backed Gull



0
 2001
Glaucous Gull X
X
 X
 6
Great Black-backed Gull


X
 0
 1988
Black-legged Kittiwake



0
 1979
Ivory Gull



1
 1986
gull sp.



1
Rock Pigeon X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Eurasian Collared-Dove X
 X
 X
 X
 9
White-winged Dove



1
Mourning Dove X
 X
 X
 X
 9
Eastern Screech-Owl



3
Barn Owl


X
 0
 2000
Great Horned Owl X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Snowy Owl X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Northern Hawk Owl X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Northern Pygmy-Owl X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Barred Owl X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Great Gray Owl X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Long-eared Owl X
 X
X
 10
Short-eared Owl X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Boreal Owl X
X
 X
 10
Northern Saw-whet Owl X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Green Violet-Ear



0
 1993
Belted Kingfisher X
 X
 X
 X
 8
Lewis's Woodpecker



1
 2000
Red-headed Woodpecker



0
 1999
Red-bellied Woodpecker

X
 X
 1
sapsucker sp.

X
1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker


X
 5
Downy Woodpecker X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Hairy Woodpecker X
 X
 X
 X
 10
American Three-toed Woodpecker X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Black-backed Woodpecker X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Northern Flicker X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Pileated Woodpecker X
 X
 X
 X
 10
American Kestrel
 X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Merlin
 X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Gyrfalcon
 X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Perefrine Falcon
 X
X
 X
 8
Prairie Falcon
 X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Loggerhead Shrike



0
 1974
Northern Shrike X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Gray Jay X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Stellar's Jay
 X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Blue Jay X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Clarke's Nutcracker X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Black-billed Magpie X
 X
 X
 X
 10
American Crow X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Common Raven X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Horned Lark X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Black-capped Chickadee X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Mountain Chickadee X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Boreal Chickadee X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Chestnut-backed Chickadee X
X
1
Red-breasted Nuthatch X
 X
 X
 X
 10
White-breasted Nuthatch X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Brown Creeper X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Rock Wren



0
 2000
Winter Wren



4
Pacific Wren
 X
X
0
Marsh Wren



1
wren sp.



1
American Dipper X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Golden-crowned Kinglet X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Ruby-crowned Kinglet



1
 1974
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher



0
 1987
Eastern Bluebird
 X
X
0
Mountain Bluebird



1
Townsend's Solitaire X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Swainson's Thrush



0
 1997
Hermit Thrush
X
X
 1
American Robin X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Varied Thrush X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Gray Catbird X


1
Northern Mockingbird

X
 X
 4
Brown Thrasher X

X
 1
Curve-billed Thrasher



0
 1998
European Starling X
 X
 X
 X
 10
American Pipit


X
 1
Bohemian Waxwing X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Cedar Waxwing X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Lapland Longspur X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Smith's Longspur



1
Snow Bunting
 X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Orange-crowned Warbler



0
 1979
Yellow Warbler



1
Chestnut-sided Warbler



0
 1999
Magnolia Warbler



0
 1999
Cape May Warbler

X
3
Black-throated Blue Warbler



0
 1999
Yellow-rumped Warbler

X
4
Pine Warbler



0
 1994
Palm Warbler



1
Ovenbird



0
 1999
Northern Waterthrush



0
 year?
Common Yellowthroat



0
 1997
Hooded Warbler



1
Wilson's Warbler



1
Green-tailed Towhee



1
Spotted Towhee

X
 X
 5
Eastern Towhee



1
 1994
American Tree Sparrow X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Chipping Sparrow

X
2
Clay-colored Sparrow

X
 X
 0
Lark Sparrow



0
 1982
Savannah Sparrow


X
 0
 1986
Nelson's Sparrow



0
 2001
Fox Sparrow



4
"Sooty" Fox Sparrow



1
Song Sparrow X
 X
 X
 X
 9
Lincoln's Sparrow

X
1
 1990
Swamp Sparrow



3
White-throated Sparrow X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Harris's Sparrow X
 X
 X
 X
 9
White-crowned Sparrow X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Golden-crowned Sparrow



1
Dark-eyed Junco X
 X
 X
 X
 10
"Gray-headed" Junco



1
"Oregon Junco"

x
0
"Pink-sided Junco"

x
0
Northern Cardinal X
 X
 X
 X
 7
Indigo Bunting



1
Red-winged Blackbird X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Western Meadowlark X
X
 X
 8
Yellow-headed Blackbird
X
 X
7
Rusty Blackbird X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Brewer's Blackbird X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Common Grackle X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Brown-headed Cowbird



2
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch

X
 X
 10
Pine Grosbeak X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Purple Finch X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Cassin's Finch X


1
 1989
House Finch X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Red Crossbill X
 X
 X
 X
 10
White-winged Crossbill X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Common Redpoll X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Hoary Redpoll X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Pine Siskin X
 X
 X
 X
 10
American Goldfinch X
 X
 X
 X
 10
Evening Grosbeak X
 X
 X
 X
 10
House Sparrow X
 X
 X
 X
 10
SINGLE-WINTER TOTALS
 126
 121
 140
 149


Average = 139 species (over 13 years)


This Site is maintained by:

Blake Maybank

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