Hi everyone! Our next summer 2025 event recap is another Red-headed Woodpecker Blitz, this time at the Shoal Lakes IBA in the Interlake region! This event took place on July 19, and we had 15 participants helping us search for this charismatic species at risk. Check out our post on the Oak Lake RHWO Blitz for more information about the identification and habitat requirements for the Red-headed Woodpecker.
Participants split into five groups, each assigned to a section of the IBA. Within their sections, groups followed mapped-out routes, getting out of their vehicles to search more thoroughly in areas of suitable RHWO habitat. We also had an option for groups to follow a playback protocol, with the necessary permits from the provincial government. Each group kept a record of all the birds they saw along their routes, paying close attention to the RHWO. In total, 40 Red-headed Woodpeckers were counted, which I believe is a new blitz record!! At the end of the blitz, all groups met up to share their findings at Fry-Days in Teulon.
A map of our survey areas is below, as you can see, we extended beyond the IBA boundaries where there was potential habitat suitable for RHWO.
Jo, Betsy and Jan were in Group 1, searching the western section of the IBA. This group had an excellent morning of birding, spotting a whopping 61 different species, including 14 individual Red-headed Woodpeckers! The diversity of habitats in and around this IBA allows for some very diverse bird sightings in a short distance, as demonstrated by this group’s observations. They saw raptors, waterfowl, woodpeckers, flycatchers, sparrows, swallows and more! Other highlights from this group included 12 Barn Swallows and 4 Sandhill Cranes.
Katharine, Carol and Gary were in Group 2, covering the southwest section of the IBA, east of Highway 6 and along the west shore of East Shoal Lake, collectively sighting 5 RHWO. This trio also saw 3 Great Egrets, a Double-Crested Cormorant, and 2 Bobolinks!
Eda, Graham, Amy, Marissa made up Group 3, surveying the area between the east shore of East Shoal Lake and Highway 322. Although this group didn’t observe any Red-headed Woodpeckers, they were treated to a close encounter with a pair of Sandhill Cranes.
Bonnie and Gwyn were in Group 4, and they travelled south on Highway 416 along the east shore of North Shoal Lake, then surveyed between North and East Shoal Lakes on Highway 415. They spotted 3 RHWO during their survey, as well as a total of 29 Great Egrets!
Group 5 put up our largest RHWO count, sighting 14 within the IBA, an additional 3 seen on the way to lunch, and a final one spotted later that afternoon for a total of 18. Great work Garry, Rudolf and Gene! This group also saw the most species of the day with a total of 73! Like Group 1, Group 5 had many different habitat types within their survey area in the northern end of the IBA, giving them opportunities to see many different types of birds.
The final count of the 2025 Shoal Lakes Red-headed Woodpecker Blitz came to 40 RHWO, as I said above, a new potential program record! In total, our excellent group of birders observed 1753 individuals of 102 different species. A table summarizing all the observations is included below. Thank you again to our volunteers for an incredible event! This event was made possible by funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Fund.
Although we are still very much in winter mode, writing up these event summaries is getting me excited for the seasons to come. I’ll be starting to plan our 2026 Summer Events shortly, so if you’re interested in receiving updates about future events, send me an email at iba@naturemanitoba.ca!
– Mackenzie
| Species | Count |
| Alder Flycatcher | 3 |
| American Bittern | 4 |
| American Coot | 24 |
| American Crow | 11 |
| American Goldfinch | 63 |
| American Kestrel | 41 |
| American Robin | 74 |
| American White Pelican | 44 |
| Bald Eagle | 3 |
| Baltimore Oriole | 12 |
| Barn Swallow | 27 |
| Barn Swallow (American) | 27 |
| Black Tern | 2 |
| Black-and-white Warbler | 1 |
| Black-billed Magpie | 13 |
| Black-capped Chickadee | 7 |
| Blue Jay | 12 |
| Blue-winged Teal | 8 |
| Bobolink | 4 |
| Brewer’s Blackbird | 9 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 1 |
| Brown Thrasher | 5 |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | 8 |
| Canada Goose | 53 |
| Canvasback | 5 |
| Cedar Waxwing | 39 |
| Chipping Sparrow | 1 |
| Clay-colored Sparrow | 46 |
| Common Goldeneye | 1 |
| Common Grackle | 15 |
| Common Raven | 31 |
| Common Yellowthroat | 45 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 1 |
| Double-crested Cormorant | 9 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 1 |
| Eastern Bluebird | 9 |
| Eastern Kingbird | 73 |
| Eastern Phoebe | 8 |
| Eastern Towhee | 2 |
| Eastern Wood-Pewee | 7 |
| European Starling | 26 |
| Forster’s Tern | 11 |
| Franklin’s Gull | 94 |
| Gadwall | 6 |
| Gray Catbird | 11 |
| Great Blue Heron | 5 |
| Great Crested Flycatcher | 4 |
| Great Egret | 32 |
| Greater Yellowlegs | 16 |
| Green-winged Teal | 8 |
| Hairy Woodpecker | 1 |
| Hooded Merganser | 1 |
| Horned Lark | 1 |
| House Sparrow | 9 |
| Killdeer | 5 |
| Least Flycatcher | 53 |
| LeConte’s Sparrow | 2 |
| Lesser Yellowlegs | 3 |
| Mallard | 47 |
| Marsh Wren | 31 |
| Merlin | 4 |
| Mourning Dove | 58 |
| Northern Flicker | 16 |
| Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) | 16 |
| Northern Harrier | 7 |
| Northern House Wren | 19 |
| Northern Pintail | 2 |
| Northern Shoveler | 4 |
| Osprey | 1 |
| Pied-billed Grebe | 6 |
| Pileated Woodpecker | 1 |
| Purple Finch | 1 |
| Purple Martin | 1 |
| Red-eyed Vireo | 25 |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | 40 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 15 |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 72 |
| Ring-billed Gull | 7 |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | 2 |
| Sandhill Crane | 29 |
| Savannah Sparrow | 14 |
| Sedge Wren | 25 |
| Song Sparrow | 66 |
| Sora | 1 |
| Spotted Sandpiper | 1 |
| Swamp Sparrow | 19 |
| Tree Swallow | 15 |
| Turkey Vulture | 12 |
| Veery | 8 |
| Vesper Sparrow | 1 |
| Warbling Vireo | 25 |
| Western Grebe | 30 |
| Western Kingbird | 2 |
| Western Meadowlark | 45 |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 1 |
| White-throated Sparrow | 1 |
| Wilson’s Snipe | 4 |
| Wood Duck | 1 |
| Yellow Warbler | 22 |
| Yellow Warbler (Northern) | 5 |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | 9 |
| Yellow-headed Blackbird | 5 |
| Species Total | 102 |
| Grand Total | 1753 |