Prairie Provinces: Winter 2025–2026

Waterfowl through pelicans

All notable sightings of lingering waterfowl occurred in Saskatchewan and included a single Cackling Goose at Danielson P.P. on 27 Dec (Darshana Perera) and two birds at Gardiner Dam on 2 Jan (Kale Worman), two Tundra Swans at Crooked Lake from 22 Dec to 5 Feb (Don Weidl), a Wood Duck at Crooked Lake on 15 Dec (Don Weidl, ph.), a Gadwall at Regina from 17 Dec to 1 Jan (Daniel Sawatzky) and Greater Scaup at Danielson P.P. and Boundary Dam around New Year (m.ob.). A tally of 23 Eurasian Collared-Doves at the Cypress River-Spruce Woods Christmas Bird Count (CBC) on 22 Dec was high for the location (m.ob.). There were a number of reports of rare gulls in Alberta and Saskatchewan, including two Iceland Gulls (Thayer’s) at Gardiner Dam from 6 to 8 Dec (m.ob., ph.), a Lesser Black-backed Gull at the same location on 8 Dec (Camryn Vestby) and a Glaucous Gull at Gardiner Dam from 7 to 15 Dec (Nick Saunders, Dawn Hall, m.ob., ph.). In Alberta, five Glaucous Gulls were found from 1 Jan into Mar at Calgary, Lethbridge and Exshaw (m.ob.). A Yellow-billed Loon was a great find at Gardiner Dam on 1 Jan (Ryan Dudragne, Ron Jensen, ph.). Double-crested Cormorants survived until at least 27 Dec at Danielson P.P. (Darshana Perera) and Gardiner Dam to 3 Jan (Michael Bueckert), while an American White Pelican at Lockport, MB lasted until 16 Dec (Meredith Stoesz).

Diurnal raptors through Chickadees

Sharp-shinned Hawks have become regular, if uncommon, winterers in the Prairie Provinces. This season there were at least 10 reports from Saskatchewan and 12 in Manitoba (m.ob.). Cooper’s Hawk is much rarer at this time of year, and reports usually involve mis-identified sharpshins, but one was photographed at Birds Hill P.P., MB on 9 Jan (Ward Christianson, Marlene Waldron, ph.). Manitoba’s first winter record of Ferruginous Hawk was established with a nicely photographed bird near Melita on 3 Jan (Tiffany Gartner, ph.). An American Barn-Owl at Red Deer, AB on 12 Dec may have been a hold-over from the fall of 2025, when several were noted in the province (Gayle Fathoulin, ph.). Northern Hawk-Owls, and particularly Great Gray Owls, were very scarce. On the other hand, several Long-eared Owls, which tend to be rare in winter, were recorded in Manitoba, and up to four Short-eared Owls attracted many birders and photographers to Beaudry P.P. near Headingley, MB through the early part of the winter (m.ob., ph.). Northern Saw-whet Owls were already vocalizing as early as late December in Manitoba (m.ob.). Snowy Owls saw a late season upswing in numbers in Alberta. A Red-headed Woodpecker on the Cypress River-Spruce Woods CBC on 22 Dec was unexpected. A hybrid Black-capped x Mountain Chickadee spent the winter at Calgary (m.ob., ph.). Bohemian Waxwings were spottily distributed.

Gray Catbird through Northern Cardinal

Nice wintertime finds were a Gray Catbird at Winnipeg, MB on 1 Dec (Kendra Imrie, ph.) and another at Matlock, MB on 7 Dec (Garry Evans, ph.), a Northern Mockingbird at Calgary from 3 Dec into 2026 (m.ob., ph.), an Eastern Bluebird in the Brandon, MB area, present since fall, on 20 Dec (Carson Rogers, Adrielle Parlee) and two Eastern Bluebirds at Medicine Hat, AB on 4 Feb (Milton Spitzer). There were three reports of Townsend’s Solitaire in Saskatchewan and one in Manitoba. Similarly scarce were Varied Thrushes. A flock of 40 American Robins in central west Saskatchewan on 18 Jan was unusually large for the time of year (Brenda Schmidt, ph.). Evening Grosbeaks continue their steady decline across the Prairie Provinces and now tend to be found in far fewer areas than a few decades ago. Pine Grosbeaks and redpolls were also scarce, while crossbills were virtually absent; the latter no doubt due to a very poor cone crop throughout the region. Rarely reported in winter were a Chipping Sparrow at Winnipeg from 10 Dec to 1 Feb (Jo Swartz) and a Harris’s Sparrow at Pembina Valley, MB on 24 Dec (Carol Holmes). While White-throated Sparrows regularly winter in small numbers across the southern Prairie Provinces, a tally of 71 on the Winnipeg CBC on 14 Dec was record-high and included 38 birds at a seed plant (m.ob.). A Vesper Sparrow at Shamrock, SK on 5 Jan was probably the rarest sparrow of all (Lori Wilson, ph.). There were two Song Sparrows on the Winnipeg CBC. Spotted Towhee is a regular breeder in Alberta, but rare in winter. One was at Calgary on 18 Dec (m.ob.). Rarer still was an Eastern Towhee at Long Lake, AB, which lingered from 21 Dec into spring (m.ob., ph.). Brown-headed Cowbirds are gone by late August, but one was found at Carman, MB on 20 Dec (Chris Larsen, ph.). Rounding out the list of rarities was a Northern Cardinal which lingered through December at St Albert, AB (m.ob., ph.).

Report edited by Andrew Keaveney, 19 Jun 2026.