EDMONTON CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
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  • Home
  • Participate
  • Zone Maps
  • How to Count
  • Winter Birds
  • Send in your numbers!
  • Results #123
  • Captains Resources

 

Edmonton's Winter Birds

​What can we expect to see?
What's  uncommon or a winter rarity?

​As the seasons change, so do some of our birds.
Please view the photo gallery below which contains information on many  of the winter birds seen regularly in Edmonton.   We also suggest using  a field guide    such as   Birds of Alberta   by Chris Fisher and John Acorn (Slightly outdated   but still very useful.) or Cornell's  online  guide All About Birds   which has a feature to compare similar species.   Remember,   you may not be able to identify every bird. The more you watch birds, the more skilled you become. If you see something   very unusual, try to get a photo and  let your zone  captain know.   
Our   ABC List ​      has the species recorded for the Edmonton Christmas Count sorted by   ​frequency as: A expected, B difficult to find,  C rare.   The list is updated at 5 year intervals.   
Identification Gallery of common winter species: hover or click to enlarge photo and read ID details.
Small birds group:
Similar species but not as commonly seen:
Check the photos of winter or immature birds:    White-throated   Sparrow,  Hoary Redpoll, Purple  Finch,   ​American Goldfinch

The woodpecker group:
Similar species but not as commonly seen:  American Three-toed Woodpecker,  Black-backed Woodpecker

This group of winter finches is present some years:
Mature males are reddish, females and immature males  are a range of rusty brown, orange-yellow or greenish yellow.

More winter birds:
Similar species but not as commonly seen:
A few of our summer waxwing may over-winter here. Note Cedars have pale under-tail feathers:   Cedar Waxwing
Is it a raven or a crow?
It's more likely to be a raven!  American Crows   may over-winter in Edmonton in small numbers but   Common Ravens are now present in larger numbers as they learn the advantages of wintering in an urban area. Check the bill shape/size and the tail shape  if  the bird is in flight.   How to tell a raven from a crow.
Ready for a bigger challenge?
​The following birds are our most common winter raptors.   These birds are fast-flying, often offering only brief looks. They  are difficult to identify, even for  experienced birders.   Plumage and proportion differences  are subtle. 
  • Adults, except for Merlin  females, are grey/blue on the back with brown pattern on the belly.
  • All immatures  (and female Merlin) are   brown overall, plain on  the back (may show white as feathers grow in), patterned on the belly.
  • Size differences are not particularly helpful as it's difficult to judge in the field and  there is  size variance in the same species as females are larger than males.   (Small male Cooper's  may  be the same size as large female Sharp-shinned.)​  
We  have provided  some ID tips, remember to click on the photo for details.  We also suggest   Cornell's  AllAboutBirds .

​If you are keen to learn more about Edmonton area birds, and identifying them (along with  other nature topics) , you may wish to  join the Edmonton Nature Club's  email discussion group:    ​ENCnaturetalk
Picture
Quiz bird - photo by Steve Knight

Banner photo: Northern Shrike by A. Carter
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