Birdwatching
Alberta is the only place in North America where the prairie, boreal forest and mountain ecosystems coexist. As a result, the province is a haven for indigenous and migratory birds. From the northern nesting grounds of the endangered whooping cranes and summer home of the rare trumpeter swans to the protected burrowing owls and hundreds of golden eagles migrating across our border, get ready for birdwatching opportunities of a lifetime.
Getting Started
Many of our provincial parks offer birdwatching vacation opportunities for independent travelers and for those wishing to join a guided interpretive program. Looking for a particular bird? For a list of more than 400 species of birds found in Alberta, get the Royal Alberta Museum’s Official List of Alberta Birds.
Birdwatching by Season
Springtime is prime time, especially for migratory shorebirds and waterfowl on the staging areas of our central and northern lakes. Summertime is for songbirds and guided interpretive programs. In the autumn, head to some of our parks and natural areas to watch a myriad of species—such as the magnificent trumpeter swans and golden eagles—migrate to their winter habitats. In the winter, Alberta birds of prey such as the pygmy owl and sharp-shinned hawk can be found because of the abundance of sparrows, chickadees and nuthatches.
Birdwatching in Alberta North
Wood Buffalo National Park is Canada’s largest national park. Within the park’s boundaries is the Peace-Athabasca Delta, one of the biggest inland freshwater deltas in the world, where migratory birds from all four North American flyways pass through each spring and autumn. The park also protects the last remaining wild nesting area of the endangered whooping crane, as well as some nesting sites of the threatened peregrine falcon.
McLennan, known as the Bird Capital of Canada, is located 135 km (84 mi) northeast of Grande Prairie, in the “Mighty Peace Country.” Here you will find one of the most significant waterfowl staging areas in Northern Alberta, where more than 206 species have been identified. Visit the Kimiwan Lake area which boasts an internationally recognized wetland. Stop by the Kimiwan Birdwalk and Interpretive Centre, staffed from May through September, to learn more about the many shorebirds and waterfowl that populate the area.
Athabasca County is home to a wide variety of wildlife that can be viewed from various wildlife viewing platforms located throughout the area. Take the opportunity to enjoy nature by gazing out over a lake from one of these platforms and observing the wildlife Athabasca County offers. Be sure to drop by the Visitor’s Information Centre located on the Riverfront in Athabasca to pick up a birding guide before heading out or request one from our website.
In late April in Grande Prairie, the rare trumpeter swans are so numerous, the town celebrates their arrival at nearby Crystal Lake with a weekend festival.
At Lesser Slave Lake, the largest auto-accessible lake in Alberta—108 km (68 mi) long—you can observe hundreds of migrating songbirds on any given spring or fall morning. The Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory is the northern-most observatory in Canada. It studies neo-tropical migratory songbirds and has identified 23 species of wood warblers alone.
