Welcome to Prairie Birder — birding from the Alberta prairies
Prairie Birder
Wide prairie landscape with tall grasses and a distant slough under a big open sky, muted golds and soft blues
// Welcome

A personal birding blog by Charlotte, documenting sightings across the Alberta prairies — from annual species lists to conservation updates and resources for young birders.

Posts

The Sandhill Crane Migration Through SaskatchewanFew prairie wildlife spectacles can match the sound of Sandhill Cranes moving across Saskatchewan. Their rolling calls travel over stubble fields, wetlands and…
Why Fenced Enclosures Make Ideal Birding StopsA fenced enclosure can look like a simple boundary on a farm, reserve or roadside property, yet it often creates a surprisingly productive birdwatching stop.…
The Best Audiobooks and Podcasts for Birders on the RoadLong drives are part of birding in Australia. Reaching Kakadu, the Kimberley, the mallee, or a remote wetland can take hours, and a good listening queue makes…
Field Guide to Savanna and Vesper Sparrow IdentificationThese two streaky, brownish sparrows test the eyes of even seasoned birders across the Canadian prairies, and they can stump anyone used to watching the…
Big Quill Lake in Spring: Salt Flats, Shorebirds and Open SkiesBig Quill Lake sits in east-central Saskatchewan, a shallow saline lake with a quiet reputation among birders who chase the Central Flyway. In late April and…
The Northern Shrike: a songbird’s nightmareA black-masked shape on a bare branch can transform an ordinary prairie drive. The Northern Shrike watches from above, then drops onto a mouse, insect or small…
Steady glassing: how to hand-hold your binoculars for sharp viewsThe difference between a hazy smudge and a feather-by-feather read of a distant bird often comes down to what your hands are doing. A pair of decent field…
Birding with children on the prairie: a family guide to safe outingsAustralia's wide grasslands might not carry the same name as the North American prairie, yet families here find plenty of flat, sweeping country to explore…
The Least Flycatcher: Small Bird, Big VoiceA sharp, emphatic “che-bek!” can cut through a Canadian woodland long before a birder spots its source. The Least Flycatcher is a compact songbird with an…
A Winter Finch Forecast for the Canadian PrairiesEach autumn, birders across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba begin watching the boreal forest for signs of an irruption, that unpredictable southward surge…

// Latest Posts

Small bird perched on a bare branch against a pale sky

Birding News #95 — Holiday Edition

December 2014
Close-up of a bird nest atop a bare tree against blue sky

Great Canadian Birdathon 2016 Results

May 2016
Two storks standing on a twig nest on a wooden platform under grey sky

Tofield Snow Goose Chase

April 2016
Dried sunflower head on a stalk in snow beneath evergreen branches

Giveaway Winner — Best Places to Bird in the Prairies

April 2018
View all posts →

Alberta Bird Lists →

Annual species lists from 2011 through 2018, tracking every bird spotted across the province.

Bird Conservation →

Citizen science projects, the Great Canadian Birdathon, and the WildResearch Alberta Nightjar Survey.

Birding Events →

Coverage of the Tofield Snow Goose Chase, Young Naturalists' Corner, and community gatherings.

Young Birder Resources →

Christmas Bird Count guides, CBC4Kids materials, and resources for new birders of all ages.

Explore the site

Whether you're looking for detailed Alberta species records, tips on bird identification, or news from the birding community, there's something here for every prairie bird enthusiast.

The Alberta Birds section archives year-by-year species counts — from 131 species in 2011 to a high of 175 in 2015. The Conservation category covers volunteer surveys and citizen science opportunities. Events highlights community involvement, and the Resources section is built especially for young birders getting started.

Check out the Birding News series for curated links and stories, or browse book reviews covering field guides and prairie birding literature from publishers like Greystone Books.