On Sunday, June 7^th, we embarked on our first bird blitz of the season. The IBA team and our group of fantastic volunteers headed to the Southwestern Manitoba Mixed-Grass Prairie IBA. This post will recap our intentions and results of the event, and is jam-packed with amazing photographs captured during our morning of birding!  

As suggested by its name, the Southwestern Manitoba Mixed-Grass Prairie IBA is situated in the southwestern-most corner of the province. The area borders Saskatchewan to the west and North Dakota to the south. It is largely considered to be the last remaining stronghold of native mixed-grass prairie in Manitoba, as most of this habitat has now been converted to other land use types.  

Although we identified and counted numerous bird species present in the IBA while blitzing, our primary goal was to find our eight grassland Target Species. On this list were the Baird’s Sparrow, Bobolink, Burrowing Owl, Chestnut-collared Longspur, Ferruginous Hawk, Grasshopper Sparrow, Loggerhead Shrike, and Sprague’s Pipit. These birds depend on native grassland habitat for their survival – with its disappearance has come a steep decline in their population numbers, and they are all now of conservation concern both provincially and federally.  

On the evening prior to the blitz, participants spent the night in Melita and other surrounding areas. In fact, we came to realize that Melita has a keen awareness of its reputation for being the “Grassland Bird Capital of Manitoba”. The beloved banana statue also proudly displays a Blue Jay named Breezy who represents the town’s IBA status! 

Birding began at 5:30 AM on Sunday morning (… you know what they say about the early bird getting the worm!). The event had the most participants in recent history, with 21 volunteers and three program staff braving the weather for the sake of the birds. And on the note of weather: our morning began stormy. Caution was encouraged as the safety of volunteers was paramount – but as the morning progressed, conditions improved significantly. Participants were divided into seven groups, with each assigned to a designated area within the IBA to cover.  

Group 1 

Group 1 consisted of Colette, Katharine S., Lewis and Ken. Their area covered the northeast section of the IBA containing the town of Melita, the Broomhill WMA, and the Gerald W. Malaher WMA. The team had a successful morning of birding, having seen three Target Species! This included Bobolinks, Grasshopper Sparrows, and a Loggerhead Shrike. As well, they documented and photographed some other standout species (see photos below), including the only Pie-billed Grebe seen throughout the entire morning! 

Group 2 

Jackie and Devon teamed up to form Group 2. They covered the central eastern portion of the IBA, south of Melita. The Pierson WMA fell within the boundaries of their section. The pair checked off an impressive six Target Species: a Baird’s Sparrow, Bobolinks, a Chestnut-collared Longspur, Ferruginous Hawks, a Grasshopper Sparrow, and a Sprague’s Pipit. Out of all the groups, they observed the highest number of Ferruginous Hawks (two)! Jackie and Devon also had a very exciting observation of three Lark Buntings – a species rarely seen up until recently, but that has historically been known to breed in southwestern Manitoba. While not a Target Species for this blitz, the Lark Bunting is listed as Threatened under Canada’s Species at Risk Act.   

Group 3 

Mackenzie, Brooke and Gibson made up Group 3. Their designated area spanned across the southeastern edge of the IBA, which included the town of Lyleton. Along their route, the group was treated to a beautiful farmland landscape – and even made a couple bovine friends along the way! In terms of Target Species, they found a Grasshopper Sparrow and Bobolinks. Amongst their other highlights, one species stands out: the Dickcissel! It was the only individual of this species observed during the blitz. Their sporadic occurrence in Manitoba made the sighting all the more special.

Group 4 

Group 4 was made up of Colin, Carter, Lucas, and Jaxx. Their zone was the southwest corner of the IBA, which also contained the Frank W. Boyd WMA. They had the highest counts of two Target Species – a remarkable 26 Bobolinks and three Loggerhead Shrikes – and saw many Grasshopper Sparrows, as well. The group was also treated to a Great Horned Owl observation, which was the only owl species documented during the entire blitz! Other highlights include Bank Swallows, a Great Blue Heron, and a Red-headed Woodpecker. Although not a Target Species for this specific blitz, Red-headed Woodpeckers are Threatened in Manitoba, and Endangered across Canada. 

Group 5 

This group comprised Luc, Carson, Marvin, and Duane. Their area covered the western edge of the IBA. Of the Target Species, Group 5 had sightings of Baird’s Sparrows, Bobolinks, Grasshopper Sparrows, and Sprague’s Pipits. This group also had the only Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Phoebe and Great Crested Flycatcher observations of the blitz. Overall, they recorded an impressive array of species (see photos below)! 

Group 6 

Emily, Matthew, and Gillian formed Group 6. They were assigned to the northwest corner of the IBA and had the Mixed-grass Prairie Preserve within it – a protected area of critical habitat for our Target Species. Group 6 counted the second-highest number of individual birds during the blitz and observed the most Target Species! They found Baird’s Sparrows, Bobolinks, Chestnut-collared Longspurs, a Ferruginous Hawk, Grasshopper Sparrows, Loggerhead Shrikes, and a Sprague’s Pipit. Group 6 tied with Group 5 for the highest number of Baird’s Sparrows observed (two). They also counted the most Chestnut-collared Longspurs (18) and Grasshopper Sparrows (25) out of all the groups. The group encountered many other songbirds, waterfowl, and shorebird species, as well! 

Group 7 

Last, but certainly not least: Group 7 consisted of Kris, Kathryn H., and David. Group 7 covered the centermost portion of the IBA, which included the town of Pierson. Overall, they counted the highest number of individual birds: a whopping 1231! They just narrowly had the highest overall count – Group 6 was only one bird shy of making it a tie, with a total of 1230 birds counted. They also had the most observations of Sprague’s Pipit (four) out of all the groups and checked the Grasshopper Sparrow and Bobolink off the Target Species list, as well. Among their many sightings, others of note included the only Eastern Towhee of the blitz, a Great Blue Heron, a lone Snow Goose, and a Lesser Yellowlegs.  

Once birding concluded around noon and the sun began to shine, groups all met up in Melita. Everybody was treated to a delicious lunch at Chicken Chef, courtesy of the IBA Program. We spent time exchanging stories, sightings, and photos before heading to our respective destinations – Winnipeg for some, Brandon for others, and many other towns in between.  

Our grand total of birds observed was 6517 individuals across 114 species – wow! We want to sincerely thank everyone who participated in and contributed to this event. As an organization rooted in citizen science, we are powered by the dedication and care you bring to this work. 

Are you interested in joining us for our next blitz? Head to the “Upcoming Events” tab on our website for more information or email Mackenzie at iba@naturemanitoba.ca. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more bird content! We hope to see you at our next event. 

– Brooke (IBA Program Assistant)

Species (*denotes a target species)	Sum of Count
American Avocet	4
American Bittern	4
American Coot	2
American Crow	4
American Goldfinch	74
American Kestrel	5
American Robin	105
American White Pelican	1
American Wigeon	3
Baird’s Sparrow*	5
Baltimore Oriole	16
Bank Swallow	6
Barn Swallow	102
Black Tern	63
Black-billed Magpie	13
Blackbird sp.	24
Blue-winged Teal	75
Bobolink *	64
Brewer’s Blackbird	83
Brown Thrasher	15
Brown-headed Cowbird	593
Cackling/Canada Goose	1
Canada Goose	494
Canvasback	18
Cedar Waxwing	12
Chestnut-collared Longspur *	20
Chipping Sparrow	3
Clay-colored Sparrow	120
Cliff Swallow	116
Common Grackle	202
Common Nighthawk	2
Common Raven	20
Common Yellowthroat	40
Cooper’s Hawk	2
Dickcissel	1
Double-crested Cormorant	11
Eastern Bluebird	1
Eastern Kingbird	327
Eastern Phoebe	1
Eastern Towhee	1
Eastern Warbling Vireo	24
Eurasian Collared-Dove	1
European Starling	33
Ferruginous Hawk *	3
Franklin’s Gull	138
Gadwall	52
Grasshopper Sparrow *	70
Gray Catbird	15
Gray Partridge	27
Great Blue Heron	2
Great Crested Flycatcher	1
Great Horned Owl	1
Green-winged Teal	22
Green-winged Teal (American)	3
Hairy Woodpecker	1
Hooded Merganser	1
Horned Lark	50
House Sparrow	60
Killdeer	84
Lark Bunting	3
Lark Sparrow	3
Least Flycatcher	66
LeConte’s Sparrow	14
Lesser Yellowlegs	4
Loggerhead Shrike *	6
Mallard	85
Marbled Godwit	15
Marsh Wren	2
Merlin	3
Mourning Dove	308
Nelson’s Sparrow	1
new world sparrow sp.	1
Northern Flicker	7
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)	1
Northern Harrier	10
Northern House Wren	55
Northern Pintail	14
Northern Shoveler	32
Northern Yellow Warbler	87
Orchard Oriole	9
Pied-billed Grebe	1
Purple Martin	6
Red-eyed Vireo	2
Redhead	16
Red-headed Woodpecker	2
Red-tailed Hawk	24
Red-winged Blackbird	1357
Ring-necked Duck	1
Ring-necked Pheasant	44
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)	104
Sandhill Crane	1
Savannah Sparrow	61
Say’s Phoebe	4
Sedge Wren	14
Semipalmated Sandpiper	2
Sharp-tailed Grouse	24
Snow Goose	3
Song Sparrow	28
Sora	6
Spotted Sandpiper	2
Spotted Towhee	1
Sprague’s Pipit *	8
Swainson’s Hawk	22
Tree Swallow	70
Turkey Vulture	9
Upland Sandpiper	34
Vesper Sparrow	79
Western Kingbird	62
Western Meadowlark	328
Wild Turkey	1
Willet	31
Willow Flycatcher	2
Wilson’s Phalarope	34
Wilson’s Snipe	18
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	1
Yellow-headed Blackbird	148
Grand Total	6517
Total Species	114