Ever had a golden eagle land on your arm? Seen a burrowing owl perched on a fencepost? Been held up in traffic because of a flock of wild turkeys? In the Canadian Badlands, never say never: When you’ve got hundreds of bird species hanging out all year, unique takes on a whole new meaning.
Thanks to an array of topography, temperate climate and open spaces, the Canadian Badlands is one of the best bird watching areas in North America, boasting more than 300 species.
The birds of this region are accessible for both serious and casual bird watchers with many species easily viewed in the region’s provincial parks and protected city river valleys.
Visit the Canadian Badlands website at
www.canadianbadlands.ca, click on touring routes, then activity tours
to find the Birdwatching section. Get your binoculars ready because you
won’t want to miss a thing!
If you were in the Lethbridge area, the Helen Schuler
Coulee Centre reminds you that more than 250 species of birds live in
the Oldman River Valley. Over in Coaldale, the Alberta Birds of Prey
Centre gets you up close and personal with that aforementioned eagle,
not to mention a few raptors, a few owls and more than a couple ducks
that charm your socks off.
Driving along you might not think much about birds
but randomly stop and check out whatever scenery you’re near. You just
might turn up a tiny burrowing owl or a partridge. One hidden gem is
Pakowki Lake near Etzikom, which is a vital site in the spring and fall
for tens of thousands migratory and nesting birds including northern
pintails and long-billed dowitchers.
Keep your eyes peeled as you explore Lake Newell,
Dinosaur Provincial Park, Medicine Hat or Cypress Hills Interprovincial
Park. Not only will you be struck by the stark habitat contrasts, from
desert-like badlands to rough fescue grasslands, but by the variety of
birds. Be sure to look for the Canada geese, prairie falcons or
endangered American white pelicans.
Over in Elkwater, wild turkeys have been known to
march through town like a bunch of tough hombres, oblivious to the
rules of the road.
One general rule for birding is to stray off the beaten path. After all, birds like their space.
You’ll still see the odd heron in Hanna but if you
head northeast past Consort to Sounding Lake, you’ll stumble on one of
the world’s largest concentrations of stilt and Baird’s sandpipers.
Up in Red Deer, the region’s ecosystems are quite
different than the southern grasslands. Still, the 84-year-old Gaetz
Lakes Sanctuary has been visited by 188 different species. Whether it’s
mergansers or mallards, swallows or swans, you’re likely to find them
on your tour.
If the choices sound overwhelming, it’s because
incredible birding experiences in the Canadian Badlands are simply
infinite. Now’s the time to spread your wings and discover some of them
for yourself.
