Bird Nerds' Bird Search

We're closing in on 1000 photos on this website so we made this handy tool to help us easily find a particular bird or photograph.

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Gila woodpecker

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Sharp-shinned hawk

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Northern mockingbirds were regular visitors in our yard

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We saw multiple northern cardinals and they are stunning

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We love goldfinch so it was neato to see a new one (lesser goldfinch)

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Albert's towhee

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The common moorhen was another lifer sighting

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Cactus wren are a staple bird of Arizona

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Gambel's quail are so fun to watch

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Female northern cardinals might not be stunning but they're definitely a great looking bird

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The male northern cardinal's red plummage is otherworldly

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Rose-breasted grosbeak usually take us a few minutes to identify, Medicine Hat AB

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Baltimore orioles glow very brightly, Cypress Hills AB

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We have seen way more Steller's jay than normal including one in our Calgary yard, Beauvais Lake AB

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It happened at dusk but we saw a great big flock of turkeys, Beauvais Lake AB

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Even though we're in grasslands a lot we had never seen a badger before, Brooks AB

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Ruffed grouse, Beauvais Lake AB

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Yellow warbler, Cypress Hills AB

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Black-capped chickadee, Cypress Hills AB

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We had never seen a thirteen-lined ground squirrel before but they're cool, Calgary AB

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Killdeer, Frank Lake AB

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Sandpiper, Frank Lake AB

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Least sandpiper, Weed Lake AB

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Avocet, Frank Lake AB

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Dowitcher, Frank Lake AB

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Blackburnian warblers are maybe the most stunning bird in Alberta, Sir Winston Churchill PP AB

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We've been seeing more and more chestnut-sided warblers in Cold Lake, Cold Lake PP AB

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Yellow-bellied sapsucker, Cold Lake PP AB

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Common snipe in the rain, near Lac La Biche AB

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Even a more mundane bird like an eastern phoebe can look great in the right light, Cold Lake PP AB

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We didn't see a lot of Canada warblers but the few we did were photogenic, Cold Lake PP

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A mourning warbler perched in the same area every day to sing its song, Cold Lake PP AB

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Ruby crowned kinglet, Cold Lake PP AB

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Snowshoe Hare, Cold Lake PP AB

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Bald Eagle, Sir Winston Chruchill PP AB

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Purple martins are hard to see in the wild but we often see them in specific birdhouses, Cold Lake AB

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Alder flycatchers are only identifiable by their sound, Cold Lake PP AB

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Dusky grouse can be identified by how stubborn they are to leave the road, Sheep River PP AB

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Mountain bluebird, near Calgary AB

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When you see a bird in your periphery then realize it's a Stellar's Jay it's pretty cool, Pincher Creek AB

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We came by an Onsprey that was doing such weird vocalizations it made us laugh, Pincher Creek AB

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A special moment was when we saw wild turkeys since they were high on our most-wanted list, Pincher Creek AB

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It's a toss up between harlequin and wood ducks for best duck, Comox BC

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Even though it was a million miles away we already knew we were looking at a lifer -- pacific loon, Comox BC

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Song sparrow, Comox BC

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Spotted Tohee, Comox BC

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A harder ID but pretty sure we were looking at a juvenile golden-crowned sparrow, Comox BC

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Song sparrow that we thought might be a fox sparrow at first, Fernie BC

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In one day we scored an Alberta hat-chick (seeing three species of chickadee) -- boreal chickadee, Canmore AB

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Mountain chickadee, Canmore AB

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In the winter a flock of grey partridge moved into our inner-city neighborhood, Calgary AB

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Most golden eagles people see are actually juvenile bald eagles but golden eagles are massive, Elkwater AB

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Red-eyed vireo, Medicine Hat AB

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Common yellowthroat (female), Elkwater AB

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Black-bellied plover have been uncommon for us during migration but we've never had great photos, High River AB

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Tree Swallow, High River AB

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Black-capped chickadee, Medicine Hat AB

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American redstart (female), Medicine Hat AB

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Red-winged blackbird, High River AB

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Philadelphia vireo, Medicine Hat AB

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Black-necked stilt, High River AB

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Yellow-rumped wabler, Brooks AB

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Barn swallow, High River AB

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While we were in Cold Lake we saw about a dozen palm warblers

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Black poll warlbers look a lot like chickadees when they're in breeding colours

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There were a pair of eastern phoebes living in our campsite in Elk Island

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Tennessee warblers have very unique colours and are very cute

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A lifer sighting on the side of the road when we spotted a flock of red-necked pharalopes

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The Cape May warbler blew our minds when we spotted it in our binoculars and view finder

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During migration the yellow-rumped warbler has amazing contrast and colours

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We found a spot near the water where birds were bathing including a white-throated sparrow

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We were on the lookout for redstarts and there were many on this trip

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Black and white warblers are very cool but also very hard to photograph

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Lots of bunnies hopping around in the park which explains the great-horned owls

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We love ducks but don't pay as much attention to them as we used to but this wigeon really caught our eye

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We had a very cool and close encounter with a pair of sandhill cranes in Elk Island. They were super chill and we left without scaring them

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The magnolia warblers in Cold Lake were so vibrant but they were shy and liked dense foilage

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Dark-eyed junco (Oregon style) near Calgary, Alberta

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Yellow-headed blackbird near High River, Alberta

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Common merganser looking crazy as usual in Calgary, Alberta

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The blue bills of ruddy ducks are super cool near High River, Alberta

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We had only seen one Barrow's Goldeneye before and this one showed up in the exact same spot a year later near MD Willow Creek, Alberta

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Double-crested cormorant in Denver, Colorado

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Had to look this one up but it's a greylag goose and it was hanging out with a group of Canadian geese in Denver Colorado

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Marbled godwit near High River, Alberta

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American avocet near High River, Alberta

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Anna's hummingbird winter all over the place on Vancouver Island and it's great seeing them

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Not sure if kestrels are rare on the island but we saw one which had attracted a group of birders

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We love kingfishers but we've had trouble getting close for photos in Alberta; no problem on Vancouver Island

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Great horned owls are easier to spot in winter because of the bare trees

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There was a group of friendly grey jays on a x-country ski outing in Kananaskis

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One trip we did was out to Brooks Alberta in search of snowy owls and falcons

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Magpies are great all year round but we appreciate them most in winter

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Waxwing in Brooks Alberta

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Nuthatch in Fishcreek Provincial Park, Calgary Alberta

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They used to be a fairly common sighting but American Dippers have been much rarer since the 2013 flood

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Flycatchers are hard to ID but this one checks all the boxes for a Cordilleran flycatcher

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Juvenile wood duck

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Likely a semipalmated sandpiper

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We had our first encounter with a buff breasted sandpiper

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Likely a least sandpiper

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The hard line in colouring on the breast makes us think this is a pectoral sandpiper

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A little unsure but going with semipalmated sandpiper

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More sandpipers and some have really long bills

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Classic eastern kingbird

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We noticed the biggest mule deer buck catching some shade on a hot day

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Common loon -- it's possible we've seen the same pair 3 years in a row now

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On a camping trip we had a flock of pileated woodpeckers fly through in the early morning hours

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Can't forget about the white-throated sparrows

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2021 was another stinky year

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Orioles are hard to photograph because they favour being high up in trees

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Rattlesnakes like to hang out in trees -- who knew? Correction: based on the eye we were told this is a bull snake

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A pair of kings

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Starling chick in the process of learning to fly

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The sound of towhees fill areas where sagebrush grows

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We figure that we see about 1 golden eagle for every 200 bald eagles

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The common nighthawk is quickly becoming a Bird Nerd Favourite Bird

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Mourning dove

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Clay-colored sparrow

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Want to gopher lunch? Swainson's hawk

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Proghorn antelope

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American goldfinch

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Bull snake (maybe)

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Lark sparrows like landscapes with sagebrush

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Yellow warbler

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Red-naped sapsuckers have a larger red spot on the back of their necks and hang out more in Southern Alberta

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Female lark buntings look different than males and our sighting took a while to ID (lifer)

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Long-billed curlews use their long bill to eat grasshoppers

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We were surprised when we saw a raccoon in the wild

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Swainson's hawk

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Song sparrow

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Mountain bluebird

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Yellow warbler

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Hairy woodpecker

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Great grey owl

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Common mergansers are sometimes called sawbills or fish ducks

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Northern flickers spend a lot of their time on the ground feeding on insects

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Lewis's woodpecker will often act like a fly-catcher hunting insects on the wing. This was a lifer sighting for us

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Bill length is not the best way to differentiate short-billed and long-billed dowitchers

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When a white-faced ibis shows up every birder in the area will flock to them

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Canada geese will sometimes watch over ducklings that aren't theirs

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Some pectoral sandpipers make a round-trip migration of ~30,000km each year!

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Day-old avocets can walk, swim, and even dive to escape predators

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Dunlins are another rare sighting in Alberta because of their tendency to migrate almost non-stop through the province #lifer

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Black-necked stilts are one of the easiest shorebirds to identify

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Pelicans remind us of dinosaurs

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During breeding season willet populations moves inland to nest in grasslands and prairies near freshwater

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Semipalmated sandpipers are so small that we naturally assume they're least sandpipers at first glance

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Wilson's pharalope is the only pharalope that breeds in Alberta

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Merlins were formally known as 'pigeon hawks' and they resemble them in flight

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The first few robin sightings are awesome but by the start of May they're less exciting

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Ninety percent of the time we see snow geese flying over us

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Alberta has 4 distinct races of juncos

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Rough-legged hawks have a dark belly compared to ferruginous hawks but both wear 'pants'

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American tree sparrows migratory habits indicate the arrival of spring and fall

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Duck feet make us happy

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We were relieved to see tree swallows this year because it took longer than usual

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Is it a black-breasted yellow bird or a yellow-headed black bird?

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Sometimes Canada geese will use abondoned osprey nests

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Avocets are a welcome sight and we love their plee-eek plee-eek noises

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Hudsonian godwits migrate through North America (often non-stop) and are a rare sighting in Alberta #lifer

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Black-necked stilts are a beautiful bird that hangs out in dreary environments

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Marbled godwit's long beak helps them get buried prey and is often covered in mud

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Snakes make us happy

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This photo is equally gross and amazing

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Rough-legged hawks nest in the arctic and look so cool

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Every winter we anxiously await the return of the world's largest falcon but this season was the first time we've managed to see a gyr falcon (from very far away)

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We learned to track mallards and other ducks in order to see more prey birds

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Juvenile bald eagles seem less cautious than matures but they still don't like people much (which is a good thing)

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Pointing out bald eagles to budding birders and naturalists is a good way to raise appreciation

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Snowy owls must capture the equivalent of 7 to 12 mice a day to meet their food requirements

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Prairie falcons are basically mini-gyrs which makes them awesome

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We observed multiple prairie falcons and eagles chase down waterfowl

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It was getting dark but we stop for ruffed grouse -- they're so weird

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No winter expedition would be complete without a downy woodpecker

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Great sighting of evening grosbeak in Weaselhead

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A flock of pine grosbeak in Kananaskis

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Redpoll are another winter classic bird

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Common raven in Kananaskis

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Black-billed magpie in Weaselhead

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The chickadees in Weaselhead took me back to our first winter birding

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Northern Flicker in our backyard

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Pine grosbeak in Weaselhead

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Kinbrook is the first place we saw common grackles

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American robin

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Orange-crowned warbler

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Ruby-crowned kinglet

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This warbler-like bird took us a few minutes to ID. We think it's a common yellowthroat.

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Yellow-rumped warbler showing how it got its name

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A few western meadowlarks were still here

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Flycatcher (likely least)

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Tennessee warbler

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Cedar waxwing

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Northern flicker

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Swainson's hawk (one of ~30 that congregated in a field)

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The first bird we spotted on our way to Cold Lake was a turkey vulture

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Red-eyed vireos were everywhere

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White-throated sparrows filled our campsite with their awesome song

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Like most birders from Alberta we freak out when we see a male American redstart

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American pelican

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Warblers require tonnes of patience to photograph

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Magnolia warbler

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This is probably an orange-crowned warbler given its yellow bottom parts

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Northern waterthrush are a good sighting

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We noticed that we almost never photograph crows

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Sandhill cranes have a great sound (compared to geese) and are much faster

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A common loon from an evening on the water at Winchell Lake

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White-faced ibis

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Marbled godwit

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American pelican

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Black-necked stilt

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Wilson's snipe

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Short-billed dowitcher

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Mountain bluebirds are easy to find but western bluebirds and eastern bluebirds are very rare

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The red tips on the feathers of cedar waxwings aren't always visible

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Osprey have rebounded since governments have banned DDT pesticides

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Mourning doves have neato eyes -- they look like old-timey cartoon characters

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Upland sandpipers hang out in different terrain than most other sandpipers

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Red-winged blackbirds and geese were by far the most common birds we saw near Pincher Creek

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The bill of a red crossbill is uniquely adapted for eating pine cones

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The flowers in South Western Alberta are something else

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Pine siskin's look like sparrows but they have the soul of a goldfinch

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It's easy to mistake a caspian tern for a gull because they are similar size and fly like gulls

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Although most cranes are seen during migration many nest in the foothills and boreal forests

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The stubby tail is an easy ID for a winter wren

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We must have seen 40 different types of wild flowers on this trip

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We saw lots of baby birds on this trip including eared grebes.

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We had a group of cedar waxwings flying around us and being brave

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Flycatchers are a species we've been paying more attention to and the least flycatcher is the most common

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Grey catbirds were very common around Lethbridge and Writing on Stone

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We were expecting to see lots of warblers but only saw yellow warblers

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Lark sparrows fit with the badlands environment perfectly

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The Swainson's hawks down south looked real nice

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A violet-green swallow landed right near us but was backlit -- still a cool sighting

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A lot of people don't know that Alberta has native antelope

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One of our favorite sightings wasn't a bird on this trip but 3 young foxes

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A western wood pewee is easy to confuse with flycatchers

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Writing on Stone is famous for bull snakes and rattlesnakes

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California gulls are amazingly adaptable -- webbed feet but finding food in an A&W parking lot? Impressive!

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We got some photos of birds we don't see close up very often such as bank swallows

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In a couple fields we spotted long-billed curlews which stand out with their impossibly long bill

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Another bird we expected to see in the badlands environment were rock wrens

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American goldfinch are a crowd-pleaser with their bright colours and uplifting song

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Western kingbirds are common where we vacation in Mexico so it's neato seeing them in Alberta

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On a trip to Pakoki Lake we saw tonnes of birds including marbled godwits

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With slow, deep wingbeats, the great blue heron is a majestic sight

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Blue-winged teals look like they're wearing leopard print

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If your fav bird is a common yellowthroat we totally get it

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Ruby-crowned kinglets are really tiny birds

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The yellow-rumped warblers were out of control on a couple of our trips

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We had orange-crowned warblers and yellow-rumped warblers in our yard

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We have been checking every goldeneye to see if they are a Barrow's goldeneye and we finally saw one that was

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No other bird matches the tropical vibe of a western tanager

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We saw a saw-whet owl in a popular park and played it cool so that a crowd wouldn't gather and disturb it

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Black-necked stilts were the first shorebird migrant we saw this year and they have been abundant

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Swainson's thrush are more olive coloured than veerys and hermit thrush

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We might be addicted to posting pictures of wood ducks

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Wigeons hit hard with their awesome plummage

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We rate Swainson's hawk 3/5 for photo cooperativeness

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Red-winged blackbirds are a top five for bird sounds

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Northern harriers have a light morph and a dark morph

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Yellow-rumped warblers are everywhere in the province right now

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Gadwalls do not have striking plummage but are still great

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Scaups are one of the ducks that hang out in city parks in Calgary

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American kestrels are a Bird Nerds' favourite and have been hard to photograph

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Lots of sparrows show up in May and one of the first are white-crowned sparrows

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This mallard definitely was smiling at us

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There are a few days during migration where we see horned grebes in city parks

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Sharp-tailed grouse's natural tendency is to hide

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The sharp-shinned hawk is the smallest hawk in Canada

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Robins are comfortable in the wilderness even though most people think of them as city dwellers

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In California some magpies have a bright yellow bill and are called yellow-billed magpies

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Brown creepers are energetic birds and we have never seen one resting

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This was the first year we have seen mountain bluebirds in the snow

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Northern shrike's mask doesn't extend over the eye or bill like a loggerhead's does

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Horned larks have a lot of neat markings when you see them up close

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The common goldeneye is a great duck and we are happy to see them back in the province

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Green-winged teals are among the most speedy and maneuverable waterfowl

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With underwater vision and sealed nostrils cormorants are built for aquatic mastery

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Red-tailed hawks are mostly pale below with dark bits around the tips and edges. They also have a dark belly band

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Red-breasted mergansers look crazed and are a fairly rare sighting in Alberta

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Tufted ducks wander to the Pacific Coast from Asia but have only been sighted in Alberta once before (in 1992)

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We hadn't seen pine grosbeak in a while so we were happy to find a flock in Weaselhead

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The mountain bluebirds were right on time, arriving in mid-March

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If mallards were rare I bet people would post photos all the time

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Fledgling pine grosbeaks are cute and look different than adults

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At the end of March we saw several large flocks of robins

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The boreal chickadee has a brown cap instead of a black one

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Rough-legged hawks spend their summers in the arctic.

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Ruffed grouse can digest bitter (sometimes toxic) plants that many other birds can’t

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The loss of its fourth toe may help three-toed woodpeckers deliver powerful blows

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We often see mountain chickadees hanging out with boreal chickadees

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Our book says black-backed woodpeckers 'are rarely seen even by the most committed naturalist' so we felt lucky spotting one

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Usually when we see grey jays we're looking for something else but still happy to see them

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Although our guides showed belted kingfishers in the area we are pretty sure we saw ringed kingfishers instead

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The magnificent frigatebird is fairly common in the area but we almost never see them perched

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It's always cool seeing a local bird, like the great blue heron, halfway around the world

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There are lots of species in Jalisco that look similar to the western kingbird

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Some of the colours were so intense that it was tough to capture them with the camera

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Great egrets were standing on the beach watching people fish

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Painted buntings' Spanish name is colorín sietecolores which roughly means brightly coloured 7 colours

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A lifer sighting on this trip was the reddish egret which was hanging out close to a crocodile

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Brown pelicans would dive into the ocean just feet away from where we were swimming

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Grebes are great in general and the least grebe is extra cute

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Orchard orioles could reliably be found in the big flowers every morning

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Orange-breasted buntings are one of the coolest birds anywhere -- they also match our brand colours

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Squirrel cuckoos are one of the most spectacular birds we saw on our trip

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We were able to identify all the shorebirds we saw (including whimbrels) which was pretty cool

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Purple gallinules are remarkable fliers and turn up far out of their normal range quite often

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Groove-billed Ani are a tropical blackbird with a groovy bill

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Royal terns were one of a handful of species that we saw every day in the bay

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One of the oldest domesticated fowl species in the world, the muscovy duck was already being kept by native people in Peru and Paraguay when the early Spanish explorers arrived

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We thought we were watching a black and white warbler but the photos later showed a black-throated gray warbler -- another lifer!

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The male painted bunting can make the cover of birding magazines but the female is interesting as well

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One of the many flycatchers we saw in Mexico was the social flycatcher -- at least it is easy to identify

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The trail-head where we'd venture into the mountains was always full of birds including stripe-headed sparrows

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The slender snowy egret sets off immaculate white plumage with black legs and brilliant yellow feet

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We like how the grayish saltidor looks like an angry muppet

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Even though we see chickadees on every trip they're still special.

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The white-breasted nuthatch is another bird we can rely on seeing in winter.

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It's pretty hard to miss a bald eagle considering they're the size of a child, Calgary AB.

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As we climbed in elevation we started to see more wildlife, Kananaskis AB.

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The last few seasons all the snowy owls we have seen have been perched on telephone posts, Lyalta AB.

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American dippers are awesome birds that swim in very cold fast moving streams, Calgary AB.

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We are still figuring out a way to get closer to snow geese but we saw a flock of hundreds near Langdon AB.

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Squirrels -- they're sometimes annoying but when you look at them up close they're pretty cute too.

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We saw lots of pronghorn antelope herds including some big bucks, Maple Creek Saskatchewan.

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Grackles will often migrate with other blackbirds, Kinbrook Island PP.

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Immature chestnut-sided warblers look like a completely different species when compared to adults, Kinbook Island PP

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Yellow warblers have yellow edging on their wings which is a way to tell them apart from Wilson's warblers, Kinbook Island PP.

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Vesper sparrows are a larger sparrow with a distinctive patch on their shoulder.

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We were happy to find ourselves in a flock of goldfinch, Cypress Hills Saskatchewan.

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Although sandhill cranes are mainly spotted during migration large numbers nest in Alberta.

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Blackpoll warblers look different in the fall but the eye markings and double wing bars are distinctive, Medicine Hat.

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On our trip we saw Swainson's, red-tailed, and ferruginous hawks.

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The grey catbird is true to its name because it's grey and it makes cat noises, Kinbrook Island PP.

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Even we have noticed that the eurasian collared dove is getting more common, Writing on Stone PP.

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Rock wren don't appear to be shy of people at all, Writing on Stone PP.

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Sometimes orange-crowed warblers will have a grey head which can make for a tricky ID, Writing on Stone PP.

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Even with lots of time and patience it can be tricky to photograph a Wilson's warbler, Writing on Stone PP.

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Ruby-crowned kinglets can be ID'ed by their small size and adorableness, Writing on Stone PP.

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Yellow-rumped warblers are probably the warbler we see most often, Kinbrook Island PP.

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Sprague's pipit is becoming less common but can still be found in large areas of healthy prairie, Kinbrook Island PP.

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Mourning doves were everywhere we hit on this adventure, Kinbrook Island PP.

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Our first close look at a pied-billed grebe, Elk Island NP

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The contrast in the face is a quick way to differentiate red-eyed vireos, Elk Island NP

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The pileated woodpecker is the species that inspired the cartoon character, Elk Island NP

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Black-throated green warblers, blackburnian warblers, and Towsend's warbler required us to do research so we can differentiate them, Beaverhill Lake.

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Look at its little hands!

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We try to be mindful and appreciate all the birds we see -- even the sparrows.

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By far we see house wrens more than any other type of wren.

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Osprey are neither hawks nor eagles.

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As we become better birders we have become more interested in flycatchers.

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Bald eagles convey power when you see them in the wild.

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Marmots are big and loud.

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We saw many baby marsh wrens at Frank Lake.

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Soras are extremely skittish even when they don't sense danger.

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It's easy to forget just how small least sandpipers are.

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Lesser yellowlegs at Frank Lake.

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The dark legs, long wings, and slightly thinner more pointed bill helps us ID Baird's sandpiper.

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Still one of the strangest birds we see in our province.

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At a glance plover look a lot like a killdeer.

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The chestnut-sided warbler's breeding range is at the very edge of eastern Alberta.

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We were watching for a sora wen an alder flycatcher landed right in front of us.

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American coot babies are so ugly they're cute

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Canada warblers have the shortest stay in Alberta of all our wood warblers

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We saw lots of butterflies, bees, and mosquitoes in Cold Lake

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Red-necked grebes have very cool markings when they're young

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Muskrat in Elk Island National Park

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We were birding a quiet part of Elk Island National Park when a wood bison came over to see what we were doing

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Waxwing in Weaselhead Wildlife Area in Calgary.

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Yellow warbler in Confederation Park in Calgary.

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Spotted sandpiper in Weaselhead Wildlife Area in Calgary.

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We saw a Cooper's hawk having a meal in Confederation Park in Calgary.

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Mountain bluebird NW of Calgary (near Water Valley).

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Warbling vireos are really cute; seen in Confederation Park in Calgary.

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Gadwall drakes are non-descript and easy to overlook.

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The yellow-rumped warblers have been looking great this year! Seen in Confederation Park in Calgary.

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We seem to see more and more black-necked stilts; seen at Frank Lake Alberta.

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The bill of a ruddy duck always amazes us; seen at Frank Lake Alberta.

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Black terns have an incredible shape; seen at Frank Lake Alberta.

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Phalarope at Frank Lake Alberta.

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The blacked tip bill and darker tail identify this a common tern; seen at Frank Lake Alberta.

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We haven't seen as many killdeer as we usually do this season; Frank Lake Alberta.

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Young yellow headed blackbird seen at Frank Lake Alberta.

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Young white-faced ibis at Frank Lake Alberta.

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Chestnut-sided chickadees are common on Vancouver Island but pretty rare in Alberta.

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First warbler sighting of 2019 was an orange-crowned warbler.

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When the light hits a tree swallow right they're spectacular.

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One of the signs of Spring is yellow warbler sightings.

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Even when you're only a few feet away from an Anna's hummingbird they're still very small.

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House finch have a beautiful song and are strikingly red.

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White-crowned sparrows nest 1.5 to 10 feet from the ground in shrubs.

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An awful sound lead us to a Steller's jay in a tree.

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Although we've seen boreal chickadees many times this is our first posted photo (seen in Kananaskis Country).

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Every year we reliably see a couple of blue jays in Weaslehead.

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Unlike other ducks, wood ducks are comfortable flying through woods (taken in Inglewood Bird Sanctuary).

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Red-breasted nuthatch in Weaslehead Wildlife Area.

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Meadowlarks have the scientific name 'Sturnella Neglecta' because they were originally overlooked.

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There is a rest area on our way to Brooks that has been the first place we see red-winged blackbirds of the season.

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We saw many tundra swans east of Calgary.

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Urban sprawl stinks; we saw a moose running between houses east of Calgary.

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Merlins are frequently seen flying low and fast.

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Grey jay in Kananaskis Country.

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North of brooks we drove a short loop of back-roads and saw almost 10 pheasants.

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A banded American robin in Inglewood Bird Sanctuary.

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A bird dashed by quick and we caught photos of it in flight -- turns out it was a pileated woodpecker in Weaslehead.

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Another sure sign it's spring is sighting white pelicans.

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In the last year we have seen way more crossbills compared to grosbeaks.

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Common redpoll are very small.

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We found a campground near Calgary where the birds are so friendly they were landing on us.

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Another one of the friendly birds we saw in a campground near Calgary.

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Snowy owls are one of the best parts about winter on the prairies.

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Some people call moose swamp-donkeys.

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Short-eared owls are usually spotted from March to November but some over-winter.

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Grey partridge disappear into fields within seconds after flushing.

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In Rocky Mountain House there are ravens everywhere and it's incredible.

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We spotted an incredible ring-necked pheasant while looking for snowys.

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This is the first semi-decent photo we've had of the cool-looking bufflehead.

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Orioles are just fantastic! The Bullock's oriole has been spotted in Waterton NP but we saw them everywhere in Playa Grande.

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We saw an iguana feasting on fallen fruit and it was neat to watch.

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Black legs, beak, and eye are clues that identify sanderlings.

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Crabs are a good source of food for many birds.

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Cocodrilos seem to hang out in places we like to go birding.

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It's neat that woodpeckers all around the world resemble each other.

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The white-necked puffbird in widespread in CR but uncommon.

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The howler monkeys were pretty relaxed in Playa Grande.

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The roadside hawk is one of the most widespread raptors of the neotropics.

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We saw our first flock of seedeaters on the side of the road eating seeds.

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We saw yellow-crowned night herons roosting in the mangroves from our boat.

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The turqouise-browed motmot is the national bird of El Salvador and Nicaragua. We were very happy to spot them in CR.

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The stripe-headed sparrow was the only sparrow we saw on our trip.

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Tricolored heron somewhat resemble little blue heron but have white bellies.

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The male rose-throated becard is black and grey while the female is black and rufous.

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The brown booby rarely comes close to shore.

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Trogons build their nests in occupied termite mounds.

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We saw lots of cool lizards and reptiles in our travels.

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The first toucan we spotted was a black-mindibled toucan. It was eating oranges in an orchard. It is the largest toucan in CR.

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Grackles are amazing and we've seen them in all our travels and at home as well.

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We were stunned when we saw our first red-legged honeycreeper in full breeding plumage.

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The montezuma oropendola has a great name and a unique appearance.

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The female red-legged honeycreeper might not be as stunning as the male but it's still pretty cool.

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On our CR adventures we saw many types of hummingbirds.

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The blue-gray tanager is one of the most common garden birds in Costa Rica.

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The summer tanager wins 'most red bird award'.

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Green honeycreepers caught our eye because no birds from Alberta have this shade of green.

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The white-throated magpie jay was much smaller than the magpie jays we've seen in Mexico.

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Toucans make a low croaking noise similar to a frog. Did you spot the 2nd keel-billed toucan in the picture?

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Bees are the best.

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Rufous-tailed hummingbirds were everywhere in Bijagua.

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Collared aracari are a type of toucan that look like something out of a Tim Burton movie -- amazing!

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The black-crested coquette was our 2nd favourite hummingbird lifer sighting (snowcap were our favourite).

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Cattle egrets are a skittish bird but completely trust cows.

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The collared redstart is endemic to CR and western Panama.

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Tufted flycatchers are an adorable bird that we saw perched high in Santa Elena.

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Black-faced solitaires have a very unique call that makes them hard to locate.

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The southern lapwing was first recorded in Costa Rica in 1997 and has been expanding from South America.

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The great curassow is a giant chicken-like bird that is increasingly rare.

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Orange-fronted parakeets are the first psittacidae family bird we've seen up close.

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As bright as these orange-fronted parakeets are they are hard to see in vegetation.

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We only saw this one wood stork during our whole trip.

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Not sure why these are called black-billed whistling ducks?

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Hiking with capuchin monkeys was an incredible experience.

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Jacanas have spider like feet to help them in wetlands.

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Black-headed trogon are the only bird in CR with a yellow belly and blue eye-ring.

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We were birding with a park ranger who got really excited when we spotted a Mangrove Cuckoo.

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Laughing falcons are commonly known as Guacos in Costa Rica.

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Double-striped thick-knees are a nocturnal bird.

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Everywhere we went in Palo Verde it was possible to spot an iguana with a quick look.

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Crested caracaras are cool carrion eating birds and are everywhere in Costa Rica.

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The bare-throated tiger heron in Palo Verde were loco.

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In Costa Rica green heron can be found around almost any body of water.

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Inca doves were so common that we stopped paying attention to them.

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We saw great egrets, snowy egrets, and cattle egrets in Palo Verde.

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Ring-necked pheasants came into Alberta from China and Japan in 1908. Seen in Fishcreek Park

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This flock of migrating grackles were about 100+ in size. Seen in Fishcreek Park.

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Whitetail doe seen in Fishcreek Park.

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This sparrow was looking good outside our bedroom window.

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The rusty blackbird is a common bird in steep decline.

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The hermit thrush has a distinct reddish tail. Seen in Inglewood Bird Sanctuary.

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Chickadee in Carseland.

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Incredibly friendly white-breasted nuthatch in Carseland.

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Lone American white pelican in Carseland.

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We went looking for geese and found white-fronted, snow geese, and swans near Strathmore.

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Grey jays showed up while we were looking for other birds in Kananaskis.

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More research is needed on what type of hawk this is. Probably a rough-legged hawk.

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Yellow-rumped warbler, Black Diamond AB

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Orange-crowned warbler, Black Diamond AB

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Chipping sparrow, Black Diamond AB

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White-crowned sparrow, Black Diamond AB

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Lesser yellowlegs, Weed Lake AB

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Mallard duckling, Weed Lake AB

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Juvenile night heron, Weed Lake AB

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Dowitchers, Weed Lake AB

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Killdeer, Weed Lake, AB

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Avocets grouping up and getting ready to migrate, Weed Lake AB

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Long-billed dowitcher, Weed Lake AB

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Two rare-ish birds: Clark's grebe and a long-billed curlew, Frank Lake AB

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A northern harrier buzzing the tower at Frank Lake AB

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A flock of white-faced ibis getting ready to fly south, Frank Lake AB

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Wilson's snipe is an easy bird to identify, Frank Lake AB

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Short straight bill and rufous ear patch makes us think this is a semipalmated sandpiper, Frank Lake AB

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Semipalmated plover's black patches turn brown when they're in non-breeding mode, Frank Lake AB

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Black bill, black legs, wings that extend beyond the body, and light speckling makes us think this is a Baird's sandpiper, Frank Lake AB

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Pigeons are stunning, fast, and incredible navigators.

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The dark eye, the red dot on the bill, and the lack of black wing tips tell us this is a glaucous-winged gull.

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Black oystercatchers can be found along rocky shores from Alaska to Baja California.

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Originally we looked at this and thought it might be a mew gull but now we think it's a young ring-billed gull.

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We watched this gull catch and eat a crab. We think it's a glaucous-winged gull.

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Some migrating whimbrels make a nonstop flight of 4,000 km

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We didn't see the massive flocks of sandpipers like we thought we might but were happy to spot a least sandpiper.

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A fledgling northwestern crow looking pretty adorable.

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While staking out a kingfisher we ran into a pair of white-winged crossbills.

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Anna's hummingbirds are becoming more common on Vancouver Island.

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Bushtits are one of the smallest birds we've ever seen.

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You can identify a female bushtit by its pale eye.

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Juncos are an island staple and we saw several posing nicely.

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Mystery sparrow. Maybe a chipping sparrow?

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Song sparrows are really common on the island.

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On a trip to a local diner for pie we passed a big group of California quail. They're neat.

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Red-eyed vireo in Cold Lake Provincial Park.

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We thought we had sighted something amazing but we talked to our 'gull guy' and learned this is a first-year Franklin's gull.

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We also saw a lot of vieros in Cold Lake including the Philadelphia vireo.

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Warblers are hard birds to photograph because they're tiny, move fast, and hang out in scrub.

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Vieros are cute birds but the blue-headed vireo is the champ.

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Magnolia Warbler in Cold Lake Provincial Park.

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White-throated sparrows seem to like the same places as warblers do.

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House Wren.

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Sharp-shinned hawk in Cold Lake Provincial Park

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Ovenbirds have neat markings on top of their heads but they look plain if you see them in a tree, Cold Lake Provincial Park.

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House wren chick.

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It's a sign summer is ending when you begin seeing flocks of birds, Weed Lake.

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We still think avocets are French. Their bill is like a pencil moustache. Taken at Weed Lake.

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Not all spotted sandpipers have spots, Weed Lake.

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Barn swallow at Frank Lake. Doesn't it look miserable?

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Baby grebe (probably and eared grebe) at Frank Lake. Pretty cute!

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Western grebe at Frank Lake. Several species of waterfowl carry their young on their backs.

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Alder flycatcher in Sheep River Provincial Park.

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Eared grebe at Frank Lake.

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Some ducks just float there but ruddy ducks put on a show, Frank Lake.

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How to increase the cuteness factor of a post.

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Mystery flycatcher in Sheep River Provincial Park. Perhaps a young cordilleran.

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Philadelphia vieros sounds like red-eyed vireos but look totally different, Sheep River Provincial Park.

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It makes sense that we see mountain chickadees closer to the mountains, Sheep River Provincial Park.

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It was a proud moment when we identified a female rose-breasted grosbeak off the top of our heads, Sheep River Provincial Park.

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Spotted sandpiper hanging out right next to the Sheep River.

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Young wrens look even meaner than mature wrens, Sheep River Provincial Park.

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Meadowlarks stay still as long as I don't have the camera out, Frank Lake.

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The loggerhead shrike is a songbird with a raptor’s habits and they are FIERCE.

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Burrowing owls are one of the most endangered birds in Alberta.

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Western kingbirds hope to catch flies by leaving their mouth open.

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What would a trip to Newell County be like without peli pics?

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In the right light grackles are an awesome looking bird.

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Eastern kingbirds are one of the easier birds to photograph.

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The prairies never cease to amaze us.

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Ferruginous hawks are incredible and classified as at-risk in Alberta.

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Black terns can be found around freshwater marshes.

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A black-necked stilt sighting always makes a trip better.

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The common loon baby was alive but not very photogenic.

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It's cool seeing a mountain bluebird in the forest because usually they're on fences.

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Phalaropes are friendly and entertaining to watch.

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It's good to pay attention to sparrows and chickadees and not just focus on rare birds.

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Brown thrashers love hanging out in tangled thickets.

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On this trip to Newell Country we saw lots and lots of catbirds.

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We see a lot of deer but usually not bigger bucks.

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Meadowlarks can disguise themselves as borrowing owls when you're searching for borrowing owls.

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We call these 'cantaloupe' hummingbirds because we can never remember their name.

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Sometimes we find birds we can't explain like a red Canada goose in Weaselhead.

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During the May species count in Weaselhead we saw tonnes of clay-colored sparrows.

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Catbirds are plain looking but have a great song and a patch of red on their tail.

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In Vancouver,BC the ducks and geese already had ducklings and goslings.

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One of the few birds we saw in Stanley Park in Vancouver,BC.

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Canada goose goslings are ridiculously cute.

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Surf scoters are a black-and-white seaduck with a cool looking bill.

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A sea otter was swimming around near Stanley Park.

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This gull looked a little strange so we photographed it and believe it's a glaucous-winged gull first sighting.

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Mountain bluebirds are slightly larger than a Cassin’s Finch and considerably smaller than an American robin.

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Eared grebes are the most abundant grebe in the world.

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Common terns aren't just a coastal bird.

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We will probably use this photo around halloween time on social media.

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It took us a while but we finally got good photos of a western grebe at Frank Lake.

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Northern pintails migrate at night at speeds around 75km per hour.

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It's probably pretty common for birders to visit Alberta hoping to see magpies.

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Common goldeneye tilt their head far back and make croaking sounds.

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We think robins have brighter chests earlier in the season.

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Our sparrow ID skills are a bit rusty after a long winter. It took a second for us to recall what a savannah sparrow looked like.

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Red-winged blackbirds are another sign of Spring.

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Spring is locked in when yellow-headed blackbirds show up.

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It's not uncommon for birds to land on us while we're birding.

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Some birders don't care about ducks but we think they're great.

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Winter wrens are dark, small, and very noisy.

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Tree swallows nest in tree cavities; they also readily take up residence in nest boxes.

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Its 'horns' are yellowish patches of feathers that it can raise and lower at will.

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Likes include: dandelions, goslings and honking. Dislikes include: everything else!

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We always check out wigeons hoping to see the eurasian variety.

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On a trip to Carburn Park in Calgary a handful of Franklin's Gulls were acting like ducks near shore.

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I wonder if the Brewer's blackbird is named for someone who makes beer. I hope so.

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What Spring looks like in Alberta sometimes.

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Snow buntings have been on our list while we search for gyrfalcons

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The northwestern crow is different than the American crow, Victoria BC.

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A sure sign of Spring is seeing orange-crowned warblers, Duncan BC.

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Anna's Hummingbird were already abundant on the island, Victoria BC

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Spotted towhees hang out everywhere on the island, Duncan BC

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White-fronted goose hanging out in a group of Canada geese, Parksville BC

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Linked-in profile picture for Mr. Mallard, Victoria BC

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Herring gulls prefer freshwater but will drink seawater if they must, Duncan BC

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Harlequins like rocky coastlines and crashing surf, Victoria BC

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We had to work against some awful coastal weather to get brant pics, Parksville BC

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Black oystercatchers were added to the conservation watch list in 2014, Victoria BC

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The bay where we stayed was filled with brown pelicans.

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Brown pelicans would dive right next to us while we were swimming.

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Blue buntings have insanely metallic plumage.

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We saw numerous warblers on our vacation.

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Hooded oriole covered in flower pollen.

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We only saw one neo-tropic cormorant on our trip.

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Orange-breasted buntings are stunning and endemic to Mexico.

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The crested caracara has been spotted in Alberta at least once.

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We think this is a cinnamon hummingbird.

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We don't see very many of these in Alberta.

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To date we still haven't seen a snowy egret in Alberta.

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So cool to see a new type of kingfisher.

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Chachalacs are large birds that run in the tree top canopy.

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The word anhinga comes from Brazil and means devil bird or snake bird.

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Yellow-crowned night herons were pretty common where we stayed.

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Golden-cheeked woodpeckers remind us of a tropical version of northern flickers.

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We found a limpkin after getting a tip about a nearby bumping lagoon.

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This probably is a great blue heron and not a tri-coloured heron.

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It was funny finding purple gallinules in trees.

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Orchard orioles were one of two orioles we saw in Mexico.

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On our second trip to this lagoon we noticed all the crocodiles.

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We almost passed out from the heat trying to find spoonbills but it was worth it.

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Magpie Jays are massive birds with really long tail feathers.

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On our last trek out we saw a great pale-billed woodpecker.

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Grey jay in Kananaskis.

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Common goldeneye are still one of our favourite ducks.

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The white-breasted nuthatch is a winter classic.

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Hairy woodpecker at Mallard Point.

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Bald eagle along the Bow River.

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Horned larks aren't a bird we see in the city.

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No winter post would be complete without a black-capped chickadee.

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The rough-legged hawk is one of Alberta's winter raptors.

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Brown creepers are almost impossible to see against tree bark.

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Check out the talons on this juvenile bald eagle.

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The time of year says tundra swan but this might be a trumpeter.

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Great-tailed grackles have the craziest vocalizations.

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Verdin are reminiscent of desert chickadees.

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These black-throated sparrows looked like they belonged near cacti.

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This greater roadrunner was on our 'most wanted' list.

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The plain looking phainopepla has a neat crest.

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Gambel's Quail are a mascot for Phoenix, AZ.

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We saw so many hummingbirds!

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Hummingbirds can change their colour to this incredibly bright magenta.

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We only saw this one great egret while in Arizona.

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The vermilion flycatcher might be one of the most striking birds we've ever seen.

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The Northern mockingbird in rare in AB but common in AZ.

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This cormorant had eyes like Frank Sinatra.

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We've seen great blue heron many times but never so close.

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Curve-billed thrashers are skittish and good at hiding.

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Green heron were a really great lifer sighting on our trip.

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The black phoebe is a friendlier bird.

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These wild horses roam Tonto National Forest and were a special sighting.

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Although the locals referred to these as wild horses they're not native to the area.

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We spotted a pair of bald eagles in Carburn Park.

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Starlings aren't our favorite birds but we don't see many in winter.

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Really liked this photo of a downy woodpecker taken in Edworthy Park.

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We saw three snowy owls one day just outside Calgary.

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These common redpoll were very brave because there was a snowy owl right next to them.

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It was very cold when we saw this common redpoll in the Weaselhead Wildlife Area.

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The rusty under-tail tells us this is a bohemian waxwing.

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I only had a 200mm lens when I came by a flock of grosbeak in Edworthy Park.

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This cedar waxwing was puffed out because it was cold.

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This Townsend's solitaire was a lucky find in Edworthy Park.

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Coyote in Weaselhead.

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Black-capped chickadee in Fish Creek Park.

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A lot of birds started visiting the yard including house finches.

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The male house finch is a striking backyard bird.

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It's not everyday you see a squirrel with a beard.

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Northern Flicker in the Yard.

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Our owl friend caught this vole right in front of us.

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Northern Pygmy Owl is Fish Creek Park.

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In Kananaskis we saw a massive raven sitting on a fence.

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We saw a prairie falcon while looking for gyr falcons near Lyalta.

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These starlings befriended a cow or were invading its feed trough.

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Juvenile gull in Elliston Park.

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Magpie in Elliston Park.

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This merlin in Fish Creek Park looked great against the fall leaves.

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We started paying more attention to gulls but see mostly ring-billed and California species.

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Tundra swan East of Calgary.

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We were searching for snow geese at Weed Lake when we saw this great egret.

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Hooded mergansers are listed as rare but we've been seeing a handful in Calgary.

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Two great horned owls have been hanging out at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary.

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Black-capped chickadee at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary.

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Whitetail buck at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary.

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A small flock of northern flickers were feeding near our house.

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Downy woodpecker in Brown Lowery Park.

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Having a great grey owl watch you is special. Glad to get a non-fence photo too.

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Ruffed grouse do not get enough credit for their beauty. Seen in Brown Lowery Park.

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Wilson's warbler at Mallard Point.

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Yellow-rumped warbler at Mallard Point.

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One morning Confederation Park was packed with orange-crowned warblers.

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Even though they're not rare, seeing a saw-whet owl in the daytime is a feat of birding.

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Warbling vireo in Confederation Park.

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We were sitting on the shore of Weed Lake when this young night heron landed meters away.

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Semipalmated plovers look like killdeer at a glance and are very cute.

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We think this is likely a Baird's sandpiper.

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The Towsend's warbler is a Bird Nerds' fav and we felt lucky to spot this one in Kananaskis.

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Ruby-crowned Kinglet in Kananaskis.

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Chipmunk hiding in bushes near Wedge Pond, Kananaskis.

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We haven't seen too many Brown Creepers but we spotted this one in Brown Lowery.

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Pileated woodpeckers are great but have eluded the camera until now!

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Young red-napped sapsucker in Willow Creek Provincial Park.

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Nortern waterthrush aren't the most colourful bird but they're a very cool sighting.

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The collared-dove was introduced to the Bahamas in the 1970s.

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Orange-crowned warblers seem to be less vibrant than yellow warblers.

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This is a warbling vireo because it has a white chin and less prominent head cap.

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Female yellow warblers are uniform yellow with no streaks on their underparts.

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The strong head pattern on this red-eyed vireo makes for an easy ID.

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Pine siskins are streaky birds with subtle yellow edgings on their wings and tails.

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The Wilson's warbler looks like a yellow warbler wearing a toupee.

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Cooper's hawks chase prey through the cluttered tree canopy at high speed.

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The magnolia warbler changes appearance by both sex and breeding plumage.

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Song sparrow

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White-throated sparrows have a yellow dot next to their eye.

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Solitary sandpiper

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Leucism is a condition in which an animal loses some or all of its pigmentation.

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The oldest American wigeon was at least 21 years 4 months old.

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We observed this Tennessee warbler eating bugs off the back of leaves.

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This bird was hanging out near us and we think it's a yellow-rumped warbler.

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Grey catbird

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An incredible lifer sighting was unexpectedly seeing this peregrine falcon.

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It's hard to differentiate semipalmated sandpiper and Baird's sandpiper.

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This American avocet has its non-breeding colours.

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Watching a great blue heron land is pretty awesome.

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Sights like this are a reminder that summer is ending.

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Lesser yellow-legs attend most shorebird parties.

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We're still ID rookies but these dowitchers have pretty long bills.

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These least sandpipers standing next to a killdeer show why they're called 'peeps'.

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Soras hang out in the worst scenery.

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The dark legs, dark short straight bill, and blunt ending on the bill are signs this is likely a semipalmated sandpiper.

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We mistook this juvenile night heron as a bittern at first.

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The forest fire smoke created a nice sunset for this black-necked stilt photo.

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Watch out! He's got a berry!

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When you're in the mountains chipmunks are a great source of entertainment.

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We probably won't see too many more western tanagers as they will be migrating soon.

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Downy woodpecker

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Most sparrows look fairly similar but juncos are an exception.

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White-crowned sparrows will share territories with fox sparrows but not chipping sparrows or juncos.

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A lifer sighting of a Wilson's warbler!

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This is probably a solitary sandpiper based on leg colour and eye ring.

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Common ravens could be heard croaking in camp and it was great!

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On the trail leading up to Rawson Lake we happened by a family of 3 three-toed woodpeckers.

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This Say's phoebe was an awesome lifer sighting.

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We saw way more red-tailed hawks than we're used to on this trip.

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The Bird Nerds consider ravens and crows positive omens.

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It was a neat experience watching a group of black terns feeding at sunset.

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The eastern phoebe's head shape and earthy colours make them look like miniature flying bison.

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Sandra spotted a night heron from the truck so we pulled over and walked back -- luckily it was still there.

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Even though we were hoping to get a good shot of the male, female rose-breasted grosbeak are cool too

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This young red-tailed hawk had really wild markings.

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Savannah sparrows are consistently cooperative with the camera.

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We were on a path around Beaverhill Lake when this bittern jumped out and told us off. We quickly left but it scared us pretty good.

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Frogs are great and we saw them everywhere in Elk Island National Park.

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In winter, yellow warblers mainly hang out in the mangrove forests of Central and South America.

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The black-and-white warbler was one of our favorite first-sightings on this expedition.

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A male red-eyed vireo may sing 20,000 times in one day.

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The lighting and tones in this photo really pair nicely with the black-and-white warbler.

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This white-tailed deer is in heavy velvet.

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Seeing Canada geese on the Canada 150 anniversary seems fitting.

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The eyebrow is the strongest clue that this is an orange-crowned warbler.

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We initially mistook this warbling vireo for a blue-headed vireo.

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We finally got close to a male western tanager -- beautiful bird.

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Despite having a fancy house this purple martin is still wild.

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Our great egret sighting happened on our way home in the Buffalo Lake area.

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Semipalmated plover

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Short-billed dowitcher, lesser yellowlegs, pectoral sandpiper, least sandpiper, Wilson's phalarope.

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Least sandpiper

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Lesser yellowlegs, Wilson's phalarope

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This ring-billed gull had caught a crayfish -- odd scene for the middle of the prairies.

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This eastern kingbird was doing a penguin impression.

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The Caspian tern can be identified by its black legs and massive size.

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We will never get tired of seeing great blue heron.

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We've seen many spotted sandpipers but this is our first posted photo.

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Red-breasted nuthatch

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Kinbrook is full of pelicans which look like pterodactyls in the air.

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This white pelican swimming at sunset was stunning.

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Fledgling barn swallows have frowny faces.

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This was our first sighting of a sora and we noticed it had cool feet!

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The solitary sandpiper is a shorebird that nests in trees.

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Baird's sparrow are usually found in grasslands but this one was near a wetland.

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Sedge wrens are rare but we're fairly certain this is one.

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This mourning dove wouldn't get off the road.

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Western kingbird

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This catbird believed it was hidden in the branches but it was actually framed perfectly.

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We looked for burrowing owls but didn't see any despite hours of searching at sunrise.

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Osprey in Inglewood Bird Sanctuary.

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Cedar waxwing in Griffith Woods.

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Red-winged blackbird in Griffith Woods.

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Black-capped chickadees are still a Bird Nerds' favorite. Taken in Griffith Woods.

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White-breasted nuthatch in Griffith Woods.

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The lighting was bad but we felt that our first sighting of a prairie falcon was super cool.

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This Eurasian collared-dove was the first bird we've seen that isn't in our book.

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Our assessment is that this is a least flycatcher chick.

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The violet-green swallow winters in Mexico and Central America.

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We did a lot of second takes on the juvenile robins thinking they were something else.

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The spotted towhee is a large striking sparrow of sun-baked thickets.

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The name rusty is applicable to this bird's fall colours and its song.

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Common yellowthroats live in thick tangled vegetation in a wide variety of habitats.

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One of our favorite sightings on the trip was the lark sparrow -- they fit the area perfectly.

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House wrens have a longer tail than winter wrens.

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One of the birds we hoped to see on this trip was the brown thrasher and we saw many.

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Yellow birds can be tricky because the female yellow warbler, Wilson's warbler and orange-crowned warbler all look similar.

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We're always proud of ourselves when we spot common nighthawks sleeping during the day.

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We drove around for hours looking at gopher mounds searching (unsuccessfully) for burrowing owls.

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The American goldfinch is a strict vegetarian and doesn't eat insects.

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At the end of summer nearly the whole Swainson's hawk population will fly as far South as Argentina.

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Male song sparrows like to perch at eye-level to sing.

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This Wilson's snipe was really friendly and we dubbed it 'Snipey'.

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Yellow warblers are common but still one of our favourite summer wood birds.

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Chipmunk-o-sarus goes roar!

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The red-naped sapsucker drills a series of wells in trees to attract insects.

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A favorite meal of the upland sandpiper is grasshoppers.

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Sprague's pipits may look like a meadowlark at a glance but they're more uncommon (actually, I think this is a meadowlark).

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Barn swallows do not form mass colonies like other swallows.

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The face markings of the horned lark can quickly differentiate it from longspurs.

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When this bird flushed we saw orange tail feathers which helped lead to an ID.

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Pronghorn antelope can reach speeds of 65 kph.

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Right before it dived, this short-eared owl looked directly at us, as if to say 'watch this'.

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Even though we have northern flickers in our backyard they're always great to see on the road.

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As we left Cypress Hills we saw this turkey vulture in a heavy fog. We spotted 4 on our trip which was super cool.

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Only flamingos have longer legs than the black-necked stilt (relative to their body size). Seen at Frank Lake.

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Killdeers nest in a shallow depression scratched into the bare ground.

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Ruddy ducks have many distinguishing features including a stiff tail.

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The American avocet's bill is shaped for skimming the surface of shallow waters. Seen near Nanton.

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This red fox was stalking waterfowl near a pond.

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Several osprey were catching fish over Beauvais Lake.

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Red-necked grebe's breeding range is mostly in Western Canada.

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The marsh wren is most often found in marshes.

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The rare-ish lazuli bunting was on our list of birds to see in Waterton.

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This chipmunk appeared while we were hunting for buntings.

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This bighorn sheep was hanging out on the road to Cameron Lake.

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We were looking for Steller's jay and saw this young one high up in a tree in a parking lot.

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Pink monkey flower

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Twisted stalk

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This is the king of the Waterton bison herd.

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The Waterton bison herd has calves this year which is good to see.

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We were watching nighthawks when the full moon started rising.

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Common harebell

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These Swainson's thrush were abundant around camp.

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Every botanist in our group got excited about the bumper crop of bear grass.

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The long ears and lack of shoulder hump mean this is a black bear.

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We aren't 100% sure what type of flycatcher this is.

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The bubbling call of the house wren is similar to a nightingale's.

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We couldn't miss these sandhill cranes, near Police Outpost, because they're the size of deer.

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American goldfinch look like they could be from the Amazon.

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The eastern phoebe is a loner, rarely coming in contact with other phoebes.

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Grasshoppers make great snacks if you're a mountain bluebird.

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This downy woodpecker has a band so it can be tracked for science.

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Crisp markings help set clay-coloured sparrows apart from other sparrows.

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The three-toed woodpecker breeds farther north than any other American woodpecker.

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The Tennessee warbler doesn't breed or winter anywhere in Tennessee.

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A black band encircling the yellow bill helps distinguish ring-billed gulls.

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The lesser scaup is a regular visitor to Hawaii.

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Redheads eat submerged aquatic plants.

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This Canada goose is just getting its adult plumage.

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Cormorants like hanging out in the sun.

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Hunting for food is serious business when you're a Swainson's hawk.

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Red-naped sapsuckers are industrious woodpeckers with a taste for sugar.

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We found out that marbled godwits are capable of making a lot of noise.

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It's tricky to tell a Brewer's blackbird from a grackle.

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The Eastern kingbird looks like it’s wearing a business suit.

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Sandra did an amazing job spotting this common nighthawk.

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Western meadowlarks are a type of blackbird.

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Northern shoveler pairs are monogamous.

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We never noticed the blue eye-ring on a mourning dove until this sighting.

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A male red-winged blackbird will have many female mates.

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A baby magpie bathing in a puddle.

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A baby tree swallow.

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A juvenile hawk (likely a Swainson's hawk).

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Magpies look pretty rough when they leave the nest.

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Males cedar waxwings often pass a small item (like fruit) to the female.

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After taking the fruit, the female cedar waxwing hops away.

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White-breasted nuthatch

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Goldeneye with her ducklings

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Common merganser duckling.

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Mallard duckling.

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In summer, the snowshoe hare feeds on plants such as grass, ferns and leaves.

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We came by a group of yellow warblers on a bike ride.

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Cliff swallows build gourd shaped nests out of mud.

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Cliff swallows under this bridge in Willow Creek campground.

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These cliff swallow nests looked like they were still under construction.

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We've been looking for Baltimore orioles but they usually stick to the very tops of very tall trees.

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This house wren was in Carburn Park but we've been seeing (and hearing) them everywhere lately.

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We were driving near Bragg Creek and went down a few back roads searching for great grey owls.

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This least flycatcher was in Willow Creek campground.

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Swainson's hawk

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This harlequin duck was playing in some class IV rapids on the Elbow River.

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Migrating tree swallows can form enormous flocks numbering in the hundreds of thousands.

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Common merganser

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Blue-winged teal

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This female goldeneye was also taking to the trees.

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The male was stretching its neck and trying to get the female's attention.

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Canada geese are some of the best parents in the animal kingdom.

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This actually happened in front of us during the species count.

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Where exactly the western wood-pewee goes in the winter is still a mystery.

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Baby ducks are called ducklings.

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Clay-coloured sparrow

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Female red-winged blackbird

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Red-winged blackbird

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Northern flicker

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This female harlequin floated by moments/minutes/seconds after we mentioned we hadn't seen one yet.

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White-faced ibis look like they're from the tropics but can be spotted in Alberta on rare occasions.

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Swainson's hawk

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After researching sandpipers more we realize that most of what we see is semiplamated sandpipers.

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Savannah sparrows tend to return to the area where they hatched each year.

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Marbled godwits are one of the larger shorebirds we see.

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Even though the American advocet is very exotic looking it is fairly easy to find.

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Phalaropes are the only shorebirds that regularly swim in deep water.

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Killdeers seem to show up wherever we see shore birds.

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Cinnamon teals are slightly less common than most of Alberta's ducks.

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Willets find prey using the sensitive tips of their bills and can feed both during the day and night.

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The bill of the northern shoveler is about 6.5 cm (2.5 inches) long.

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Avocette d'Amérique is the French name for the American avocet.

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Franklin's Gull are a common sight in the prairies.

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The common tern is the most widespread tern in North American.

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Eared greebes can be identified by their black neck.

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Yellow-headed blackbird at Frank Lake.

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Male ruddy ducks hit their chest with their bill to make bubbles and attract females.

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Common grackle

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The red-necked grebe migrates over land strictly at night.

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European starling

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Female red-winged blackbirds are brown and streaky and lack red wings.

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Depending on lighting, a mallard's head may appear green, purple or black.

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The American coot is a closer relative of cranes than ducks.

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Female common merganser

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Swainson's thrush... probably

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Red-winged blackbird

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Mystery merganser. Probably a juvenile common female.

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Yellow-headed blackbirds sing a few musical notes followed by a screeching buzz.

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A young goose is called a gosling.

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Unlike many thrushes, mountain bluebirds hunt insects from perches or while on the wing.

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Most of what we know about mountain bluebirds comes from studies of nesting boxes.

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A female mountain bluebird pays more attention to good nest sites than finding a mate.

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Green-winged teals feed on shallow bodies of water and in flooded fields.

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Common snipes are among the most widespread shorebirds in North America.

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This varied thrush looks like it's reflected in the tree bark behind it.

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Grey jays are deceptively cute and are actually very resilient birds.

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The courtship display of sharp-tailed grouse is emulated by many native cultures.

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Sharp-tailed grouse gather at traditional dancing grounds called leks.

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Sharp-tailed grouse are NOT 'prairie chickens'.

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Sharp-tailed grouse hens have neat patterns but not much colour.

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Sharp-tailed grouse furiously stomp their furry feet during their dance.

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Sharp-tailed grouse males stare each other down then brawl.

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Sharp-tailed grouse brawls are quick and consist of warning calls and kicks.

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This coyote might have been domesticated. I mean look at that coat and those teeth!

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The beautiful black-necked stilt hangs out in dives like alkaline ponds and smelly wetlands.

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This American avocet is showing off it's mating season plumage.

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Captive great-horned owl

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Captive barn owl

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Captive American kestrel

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Captive hybrid falcon

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Captive harris hawk

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Captive bald eagle

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Captive great-grey owl

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Captive great-horned owl

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Captive peregrine falcon

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Captive turkey vulture. Super cool bird.

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Captive bald eagle

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Captive barn owl

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Orange-crowned warblers rarely show the crown which they're named for.

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Tree swallows chase after flying insects with acrobatic twists and turns.

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Common yellowthroat

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Yellow-rumped warbler

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Pacific wrens are TINY brown wrens with a song much larger than themselves.

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Chestnut-backed chickadees are seldom seen is Alberta but show up once in a while.

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We had a bit of trouble separating song sparrows from fox sparrows on the Island.

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Black-chinned hummingbird

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Bewick's wrens are master vocalists belting out a string of short whistles, warbles, burrs, and trills.

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White-crowned sparrow

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Spotted towhees have a two-footed backwards-scratching hop for uncovering seeds.

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Pine siskins get through cold nights by ramping up their metabolic rates.

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Female wood ducks aren't as striking as the males but are still a cool looking duck.

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There are 5 wood ducks in this picture. Can you spot them?

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Mule deer have much larger ears than whitetail deer.

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Osprey have specialized talons for catching fish.

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We hadn't seen any tree swallows then one day there were dozens.

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Male house finch

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Male American wigeon

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The female northern shoveler blends in very well.

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The red-winged blackbird is a familiar sight atop cattails.

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We came by two flickers doing some kind of weird dance.

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Great blue herons are the largest of the North American herons.

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Common grackles are blackbirds that look like they've been slightly stretched.

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American white pelicans are one of the largest birds in North America.

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Tree sparrows nest on the ground.

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Up close northern harriers have an owlish face.

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Ring-necked pheasants are large chicken-like birds.

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A western meadowlark’s song can brighten anyone’s day.

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Male yellow-rumped warblers tend to forage higher in trees than females do.

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The northern shrike is a predatory songbird and is quite rare.

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Grey partridge hens produce some of the largest clutches of any bird species.

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Ferruginous hawks are the largest North American hawk.

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Towsend's solitaire was a cool sighting.

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Ferruginous hawks wear pants (i.e. they have feathered legs).

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Merlins are small fierce falcons that use surprise attacks to bring down songbirds.

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European starlings were brought to North America by Shakespeare enthusiasts.

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The double-crested cormorant is a prehistoric-looking fishing bird.

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Seconds before I took this photo the ruby-crowned kinglet had it's full red plumage up.

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The Bird Nerds think magpies are one of the most aesthetic local birds.

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Male mallards don’t quack; they make a quieter rasping sound.

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Wood Ducks live in low forests, marshes, and beaver ponds.

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American robins can be found stalking earthworms on the ground.

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Swimming low, just grazing the surface, is a courtship display.

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Commong goldeneye tend to forage in fairly shallow waters.

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Canada geese like places with unobstructed views to see approaching predators.

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Beavers use their tails to slap the water as a warning of danger.

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Killdeer will fake a broken wing to distract predators.

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Blue jays are beautiful but most of their calls sound awful.

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The snowshoe hare changes colour with the seasons.

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American tree sparrows are poorly named ground birds.

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Beavers are second only to humans in their ability to manipulate their environment.

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Dark-eyed juncos are a type of sparrow.

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Chipmunks are the smallest members of the squirrel family.

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Canada geese are found in every Canadian province at one time of the year or another.

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Canada geese honk, bark, cackle, and sometimes hiss.

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Some migratory Canada geese are not going as far south in the winter as they used to.

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Northern flickers use a drumming technique to attract a mate.

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Hairys are thought to have declined from historical levels in many areas.

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Nuthatches sometimes steal nest lining material from other birds.

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The pine grosbeak is known to mimic the calls and songs of other species.

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Blue jays often look and sound very angry.

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Bald eagles build enormous nests high in the treetops.

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Male European starlings build the nests, usually in a cavity.

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Starlings turn from spotted and white to glossy and dark.

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Chickadees always hang out with us while birding in Inglewood.

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There are 267 million to 1.4 billion house finches in North America.

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In many legends ravens forecast death.

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The loud croak of ravens signal that something has disturbed the bird.

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Alberta has whitetail deer and mule deer.

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Chickadees are great for photography practice.

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Snowy owls are the largest (by weight) owl in North American.

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Snowies are more adept than other owls at daytime hunting.

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Merlins pursue and capture their prey in flight.

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Great horned owls are about the only predator that hunt skunks.

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Ravens are one of the smartest animals in the world.

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Coyotes move silently by walking on their tiptoes to avoid predators.

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Barred owls are the only owl in Alberta that have black eyes.

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The red squirrel is native to Alberta.

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The Bird Nerds both agree that pine grosbeak have a great song.

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Redpolls can survive colder temperatures better than any songbird.

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Mountain chickadees have a scolding chick-a-dee call.

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A yearling is like a fawn but doesn't have spots.

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The white stripe over the eye identifies mountain chickadees from all other chickadees.

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Hairy woodpeckers wield a much longer bill than downy woodepeckers.

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Young chickadees sometimes move large distances, but these movements are irregular and are called 'irruptions'.

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On a roughly 2-year cycle, redpolls come far south in winter and occasionally reach the central or southern United States.

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Most people in North America get to see common redpolls only in the winter.

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Downy woodpeckers are the most likely woodpecker species to visit a backyard bird feeder.

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A large, unwary finch, pine grosbeak make periodic winter irruptions into southern Canada and northern United States.

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Downy woodpeckers are small versions of the classic woodpecker body plan.

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Black-billed magpies' primary vocalizations are a harsh ascending call and a raspy chatter.

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The northern flicker prefers to find food on the ground.

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The pine grosbeak's call varies geographically but can sound like 'tee-tee-tew'.

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Male redpolls have a pale red vest on the chest and upper flanks.

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Pine grosbeak are the largest and rarest of the 'winter finches'.

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This squirrel was gnawing away on a pine-cone.

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The rising and falling flight style differentiates the downy from many woodpeckers.

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The tameness and slow moving behavior of the pine grosbeak gave rise to local name in Newfoundland of 'mope'.

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Winter flocks of pine grosbeak may stay near a tree with abundant fruit until all of it is consumed.

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The downy woodpecker eats foods that larger woodpeckers cannot reach such as insects living on or in the stems of weeds.

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These regal birds aren't really bald.

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Young bald eagles attain adult plumage in about five years.

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Birds fluff up their feathers to keep warm and also when they relax for sleep.

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Downy Woodpeckers often hangout with groups of chickadees and nuthatches.

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Although the great grey owl is the tallest American owl it's not the toughest.

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The mallard is the ancestor of nearly all domestic duck breeds.

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The black-billed magpie frequently picks ticks from the backs of large mammals.

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The killdeer is usually the first shorebird a person will spot.

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Unless you’re in the arctic, don’t look for tundra swans in the summer.

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Brown creepers hitch upward in a spiral around tree trunks and limbs.

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The largest nuthatch, white-breasted nuthatches are still a small bird.

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Black-capped chickadees seldom remain at feeders except to grab a seed to eat elsewhere.

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