Following the success of our recent Oak Lake/Plum Lakes Area Blitz, we rode that momentum and enthusiasm all the way into our most recent blitz on July 18^th in the Interlake Region. Once again, our target species was the beautiful Red-headed Woodpecker (RHWO) – a Threatened species under Manitoba’s Endangered Species and Ecosystems Act, and federally Endangered under the Species at Risk Act.  

An unmistakable bird, the Red-headed Woodpecker has a striking crimson head, a solid white belly, and a black back with white patches on the wings. It’s one of the easiest (and most exciting!) IDs to make in the field. As Gibson had described in our previous event recap, RHWOs nest within tree cavities they excavate. Their preferred habitat is in aspen and oak woodlands with minimal shrubby understorey – they also seek out areas with snags or dead tree limbs. The landscape within the Interlake region checks these boxes, making it prime RHWO habitat!

In previous years, blitzing occurred within the boundaries of the North, West, and East Shoal Lakes IBA. However, this year, the IBA team chose to expand our blitz east of the Shoal Lakes to gain further insight into the occurrence of RHWOs in the broader region. A total of 18 participants – 15 volunteers and three IBA staff – joined us in our search for RHWOs. In the usual fashion, blitzers were organized into six groups spanning the southern Interlake region. Each was assigned to a designated section to explore. Gibson outlined the protocol followed for RHWO blitzes, so please read his recap (linked in first paragraph) for the details! Birding began around 8:00 AM and wrapped up by 12:30 PM. Afterwards, the IBA Program treated participants to a delicious lunch at Fry-Days in Teulon.

In total, an impressive 98 different bird species were recorded by participants! The real excitement, however, is that our record for the most RHWOs counted was officially broken during this blitz! DRUM ROLL, PLEASE… An incredible 77 Red-headed Woodpeckers were counted, far surpassing last year’s record of 40. This is truly remarkable: the blitz area very well may have the highest population density of RHWOs across Canada. The southern Interlake region has certainly proven to be a remaining stronghold of Red-headed Woodpeckers – a hopeful sign that their population may be stabilizing in this area that provides them with ample suitable habitat.  

Let’s have a look at the highlights from each group: 

Group 1 

Gwen, Bonnie, and Peter comprised Group 1. Their blitzing zone covered the northeastern corner of the region, containing the towns of Winnipeg Beach, Sandy Hook, Husavik, Gimli, and Fraserwood. They counted six Red-headed Woodpeckers! Group 1 also encountered a Barn Swallow (another federal Species at Risk) during their search for RHWOs. Other standouts included a Lincoln’s Sparrow, two Ospreys, and two Sharp-shinned Hawks. They were the only group to catch glimpses of these species – very exciting! Overall, Group 1 identified and counted 93 individual birds.

Group 2 

Group 2’s members were Jo, Katharine, Robert and Parker. Covering the southeast corner of the blitz region, their zone encompassed the towns of Dunnottar, Petersfield, and Clandeboyne. The Rockwood National Wildlife Area also fell within the boundaries of their zone. I’ve fondly dubbed Group 2 as the “Woodpecker Wonders” – not only did they count five RHWOs, but they also listed an additional five woodpecker species to their checklist! These included two Downy Woodpeckers, four Hairy Woodpeckers, three Northern Flickers, five Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, and a single Pileated Woodpecker (the largest species in Manitoba)! Additionally, they were the only group to spot both a single Pectoral Sandpiper and three Solitary Sandpipers, amongst many other neat sightings. Hooray for the Woodpecker Wonders!  

Group 3 

Paul, Rachel, and Christian teamed up to form Group 3, and they explored the southwest corner of the blitz area. Within their zone were the towns of Balmoral and Gunton. They were lucky to spot two RHWOs! Of the 158 total birds counted, they also had exciting sightings of 20 Barn Swallows, three Sandhill Cranes, and a Bobolink (Species at Risk). Their Bobolink was one of only three seen throughout the entire blitz! Although all groups reported numerous encounters with raptors, Group 3 were the only ones to spot a Broad-winged Hawk. They also saw the most American White Pelicans, having counted 30. Overall, Group 3 recorded a solid array of species! 

Group 4 

In Group 4 was Enid, Eda, and Nancy. Assigned to the central portion of the blitz area, their zone included the Inwood WMA and bordered the Shoal Lakes IBA to the west. Group 4 had the third highest RHWO count of the morning – 17 individuals! Isn’t it extraordinary how that’s somehow only a bronze medal!? These ladies also had the second highest count of Western Meadowlarks (25) and took the gold for most Northern Flickers (4). Other highlights included four Barn Swallows, a single Great Blue Heron, and three Sandhill Cranes. What a fantastic lineup! 

Group 5 

Group 5 – the IBA staff team – included Mackenzie (Program Coordinator), Brooke and Gibson (Program Assistants). We covered the northcentral portion of the blitz region, which included the town of Inwood, the Sandridge WMA, and a large portion of the Clematis WMA. Speaking from my personal experience, I can say that we were completely overwhelmed by the number of RHWOs we were fortunate enough to witness: a whopping 28! To our best knowledge, this sets a record for the most Red-headed Woodpeckers counted by a single group during a blitz. Throughout our search, we encountered individual adults, pairs, and a family unit – complete with two parents and two juveniles. A very special experience for us all! In addition to the RHWOs, we also spotted an American Bittern in flight, seven Barn Swallows, three Northern Harriers, and various other species for a total of 176 birds counted.

Group 6 

Last but certainly not least, Garry and Rudolf formed Group 6. They searched for RHWOs in the northwest corner of the blitz area. Technically, their zone was the only one to actually venture into the Shoal Lakes IBA – the northern tip. They also had a smaller portion of the Clematis WMA within their zone, as it is spread over multiple sections of land throughout the Interlake region. Group 6 produced the highest count of birds overall, with 887 recorded! Within that number, 19 were RHWOs – the second highest count of the day. They also had the highest numbers of American Kestrels (25), Barn Swallows (30), Wilson’s Snipe (18) and Bobolinks (2). Garry and Rudolf were also the only participants to spot Chestnut-sided Warblers (3), a single Eastern Wood-Pewee, Greater Yellowlegs (2), and Hermit Thrushes (4). If that weren’t enough, the pair also saw the most diversity of waterfowl and waterbirds! A fantastic turnout for Group 6. Lastly, Garry and Rudolf had an interesting encounter with a Killdeer, who was showing them a distraction display – a clever tactic used to divert attention away from the nest by faking an injury.  

… That brings us to a grand total of 1777 birds seen during our Interlake Blitz, with 77 Red-headed Woodpeckers found! Check out the table below for a complete breakdown of all species accounted for throughout the blitz. A very big congratulations is in order for all our volunteers who participated in this monumental, record-breaking count! Our next event is being held on August 5^th at Delta Marsh. We’re anticipating some great birding, and we’d love nothing more than for you to join us. Head over to the “Upcoming Events” tab on our website or follow us on our social media accounts for further details.  

Instagram: @manitobaiba | Facebook: Manitoba Important Bird Areas Program 

Until next time, happy birding! 

– Brooke (Program Assistant) 

	Group Number
Common Name	1	2	3	4	5	6	Grand Total
American Bittern					1		1
American Coot (Red-shielded)						4	4
American Crow	11	1		27	9	10	58
American Goldfinch		16	3	5	1	16	41
American Kestrel	11	7	1	4	7	25	55
American Robin	4	12	6	7	4	16	49
American White Pelican		3	30		1	4	38
Bald Eagle						3	3
Baltimore Oriole		1				5	6
Barn Swallow *	1		20	4	7		32
Barn Swallow (American) *		8				30	38
Black Tern					2	20	22
Black-billed Magpie	1	3	6	4		16	30
Black-capped Chickadee	1	2	1			1	5
Blue Jay	1	8		2			11
Blue-winged Teal		1					1
Bobolink *			1			2	3
Brewer’s Blackbird	1	18	4		5	19	47
Broad-winged Hawk			1				1
Brown Thrasher			1		1	3	5
Brown-headed Cowbird		2				3	5
Canada Goose				5	4	4	13
Canvasback						11	11
Cedar Waxwing	8	8	4	6	1	10	37
Chestnut-sided Warbler						3	3
Chipping Sparrow		3				1	4
Clay-colored Sparrow	8	10	1	2		40	61
Common Goldeneye						3	3
Common Grackle	4	2	2			8	16
Common Raven		3	1		6	45	55
Common Yellowthroat	4	3	1	2		33	43
Double-crested Cormorant						5	5
Downy Woodpecker		2	2				4
Eastern Bluebird		3	1			5	9
Eastern Kingbird		8	8	11	5	13	45
Eastern Phoebe		1	2			2	5
Eastern Warbling Vireo		2		1		9	12
Eastern Wood-Pewee						1	1
European Starling						45	45
Forster’s Tern						4	4
Franklin’s Gull	1	3			19	14	37
Gray Catbird		6	1		2	12	21
Great Blue Heron				1			1
Great Crested Flycatcher	1	2				1	4
Greater Yellowlegs						2	2
Green-winged Teal (American)						2	2
Hairy Woodpecker		4					4
Hermit Thrush						4	4
House Finch		1					1
House Sparrow					5	3	8
Killdeer		1				5	6
Least Flycatcher		4	1	2	2	9	18
Lincoln’s Sparrow	1						1
Mallard		2				3	5
Marsh Wren						15	15
Merlin	2	3	1			2	8
Mourning Dove	5	19	5	3	3	13	48
new world sparrow sp.					5		5
Northern Flicker		3		4	3		10
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)						17	17
Northern Harrier					3	4	7
Northern House Wren	3	4		1		14	22
Northern Shoveler		1				1	2
Northern Yellow Warbler	1	5	3	1		20	30
Orange-crowned Warbler						2	2
Osprey	2						2
Pectoral Sandpiper		1					1
Pied-billed Grebe						5	5
Pileated Woodpecker		1				1	2
Red-eyed Vireo	1	9	3	2		17	32
Red-headed Woodpecker *	6	5	2	17	28	19	77
Red-tailed Hawk	1	3	1		1	9	15
Red-winged Blackbird		5	20	41	35	97	198
Ring-necked Duck						1	1
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)	1	3			3	8	15
Rose-breasted Grosbeak						2	2
Sandhill Crane			3	3		4	10
Savannah Sparrow		5	1	1	2	12	21
Sedge Wren			1			9	10
Sharp-shinned Hawk	2						2
Sharp-tailed Grouse						3	3
Solitary Sandpiper		3					3
Song Sparrow	4	8	10	4	3	50	79
Sora		1	1	1	1	4	8
Swamp Sparrow						4	4
Tree Swallow		6			2		8
Turkey Vulture		6				1	7
Veery		2				1	3
Vesper Sparrow		3	1				4
Western Grebe						17	17
Western Kingbird	2	3					5
Western Meadowlark	4	7	6	25	5	31	78
White-breasted Nuthatch		1					1
White-throated Sparrow	1				1	2	4
Wild Turkey						1	1
Wilson’s Snipe		3		8		18	29
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker		5	2			1	8
Yellow-headed Blackbird				3		5	8
Yellow-throated Vireo						3	3
Grand Total	93	265	157	198	177	887	1777