Hi folks! I’m back with our last blitz recap of the summer 2025 season! Almost time to start planning for this year’s events and I can’t wait! Our last Blitz of the season was on August 28^th at the Oak Hammock Marsh IBA. Oak Hammock likely needs no introduction, being a site that has long been popular with birders for its proximity to the City of Winnipeg and its many accessible walking trails, but I’m going to give one anyway. I have my master’s in ecological restoration, so I can’t resist a good restoration success story. 

When settlers first arrived in southern Manitoba, they came upon a vast marsh that stretched from what is now the north Perimeter Highway all the way to present-day Teulon. Over time, all this water was drained, and the land was converted to agriculture, leaving almost no trace of the wetland that once defined the area. That was until the 1960’s and 70’s, when the Provincial government began buying private lands to restore a small section of the original marsh. Though only a fraction of its original size (from approx. 47,000 hectares to its current size of 3600 hectares), the marsh restoration has been a huge success. Oak Hammock Marsh was designated as a provincial Wildlife Management Area in 1973 and received designation as a Ramsar wetland of international importance in 1987. Due to its importance for migrating shorebirds and waterfowl, Oak Hammock was also designated as an Important Bird Area in 1999. Today, Oak Hammock is home to the national headquarters of Ducks Unlimited Canada, and the newly renovated Harry J. Enns Wetland Discovery Centre, and remains an important stopover site for migrating birds. 

On a personal note, my first visit to Oak Hammock Marsh was in 2022, when I was working as a Conservation Technician with Native Plant Solutions. On my first visit to the site, I was armed with a flaming drip torch, helping with a prescribed burn to rejuvenate the tallgrass prairie plants right next to the Wetland Discovery Centre entrance. It was a visit I won’t soon forget, and I’m very much looking forward to returning to conduct blitzes this summer. 

How’s that for a segue! The August 28 blitz at Oak Hammock Marsh was another general bird blitz, and we asked volunteers to record any and all birds that they spotted while out on their routes. For this blitz, we had four groups of volunteers that split up throughout the IBA according to the map below. Each group started birding at 7:30 am and wrapped up by 11:30 to meet for lunch at the Wetland Discovery Centre Café. 

It was a beautiful, misty morning on the marsh. Once the sun broke through the mist, it revealed dew-covered fields sparkling with many, many spider webs. A perfect start to a morning of birding! Thank you to Katharine for the gorgeous photos capturing the mood of the morning! 

A misty start to the morning. Photo by Katharine. 

Dew sparkling on a field of spider webs. Photo by Katharine. 

Our first group was made up of Marissa, Amaia and Kiefer. They started by traveling north up Road 13 E. The most notable observation on the first leg of this journey was a total of 150 Sandhill Cranes seen flying overhead and standing in the roadside fields. A total of 80 Mallards were spotted along this route, and several species of sparrow including Chipping Sparrow (1), Swamp Sparrow (1), and Savannah Sparrow (11). Next, the group ambled along the Perimeter Dyke Trail to reach the North Observation Mound. On this short section of trail, the group observed 22 different species, including 17 Barn Swallows and 6 Bobolinks, both species at risk.  

Sandhill Cranes flying overhead. Photo by Marissa. 

Our next group consisted of Jo, Jan, Betsy and Katharine. They began birding on Road 13 E, south of group 1, near the Artesian Spring. Along this route, group 2 also recorded 150 Sandhill Cranes with the note that they were heard to the northwest. Given that group 1 also observed 150 cranes, I’m going to assume that these were likely the same birds, as the sound of the Sandhill Crane’s unique call can carry very long distances. This group also observed 2 Wilson’s Snipes and 8 Savannah Sparrows on this route.  

Sandhill Cranes taking off from a field. Photo by Marissa. 

Group 2 then spent some time walking through the tallgrass prairie area near the intersection of Road 13 E and Road 79 N. They were rewarded with several prairie species including 3 Sharp-tailed Grouse, 3 Bobolinks, and a Western Meadowlark. To finish their morning, group 2 traveled south on Route 220, passing the Lure Crop, where they saw an additional 14 Sandhill Cranes. Along this route they also observed 8 Barn Swallows, another Bobolink, another Wilson’s Snipe and a Downy Woodpecker. A diverse crowd for such a small area! 

A grumpy-looking Barn Swallow. Photo by Marissa. 

Next up was group 3, consisting of Emily, Matthew, Graham and Joanne. This group hit the trails, covering the area to the northeast of the Wetland Discovery Centre. While our first two groups tended to have a mix of wetland and grassland habitats, as they drove along the edge of the marsh with crops to their west, groups 3 and 4 were firmly in the marsh, which shows in the species assemblages they observed.  

A Northern Harrier finding its next meal in the wetland vegetation. Photo by Marissa. 

Group 3 started around the Wetland Discovery Centre, birding along the Killdeer and Jackrabbit Trails. On this first leg, the group observed 37 species, including a large flock of geese made up of 600 Canada Geese and 100 Snow Geese; five different species of shorebird (Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher, Lesser Yellowlegs, Greater Yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper and Pectoral Sandpiper); Barn Swallows (25) and Cliff Swallows (3), and a total of 350 Red-winged Blackbirds.  

Greater Yellowlegs spied through the cattails. Photo by Marissa. 

The group then made their way along the aptly named Wren Trail, where they observed 7 Sedge Wrens. The waterfowl was abundant on this section of their route, with 125 Mallards, as well as more Canada Geese (43), Northern Shovelers (2), a Gadwall (1), and Northern Pintails (10). They also added Wilson’s Snipe (9) and White-rumped Sandpiper (4) to their shorebird list and saw 13 Bobolinks.  

Wilson’s Snipe. Photo by Marissa. 

Next, the group walked along the (again aptly named) Teal Trail, where they observed both the Green-winged and Blue-winged Teal. From the lookout, the group spied five Trumpeter Swans, an Endangered species under the provincial Endangered Species and Ecosystems Act. Group 3 finished their assigned routes by following the Coot and Cattail Trails, where they observed many of the same species already identified, with the addition of four species of gulls including Bonaparte’s (2), Franklin’s (53), Ring-billed (21) and the American Herring Gull (2). 

Pectoral Sandpiper. Photo by Marissa. 

Our fourth and final group was made up of Bonnie, Gwen, and Paul, covering the trails to the southwest of the Wetland Discovery Centre. Bonnie, one of our seasoned shorebird surveyors, led the way along the International Shorebird Survey (ISS) Routes. They started along the ISS Route 1, which covers the Duck Pond Trail, and the Observation Blind, then north along the Lagoon Trail. On this first route, the shorebirds were out and about, with 12 Killdeer, 36 Wilson’s Snipe, 13 Lesser Yellowlegs, 3 Greater Yellowlegs, and 1 Least Sandpiper spotted. This was in addition to another Trumpeter Swan, 46 Mallards, and many other species of waterfowl. Despite all that, the highlight of this route had to have been the approximately 15,000 Red-winged Blackbirds spotted in migration. Wow!  

A cloud of Red-winged Blackbirds over the marsh. Photo by Marissa. 

Red-winged Blackbirds. Photo by Marissa. 

The final route for this group was ISS Route 2, taking the birders along Toad Road and the Blackbird Trail, before doubling back and following the Willow Trail back to the Wetland Discovery Centre. On this route the group observed 4 more Trumpeter Swans, 11 American White Pelicans, a Sharp-shinned Hawk, 24 Barn Swallows, and a Bobolink.  

American White Pelicans. Photo by Marissa. 

A Merlin posing in the willows. Photo by Marissa. 

A Common Grackle showing off his iridescent blue head while perching on a fence post. Photo by Marissa.

Overall, it was a successful morning of birding, with 17,649 individual birds from 83 different species observed. A full table of observations is included below. As always, a huge thank you to everyone who joined us for this blitz, we truly couldn’t run without our volunteers. You’re awesome! This event was also made possible through funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Program. Thank you! 

And with that, I am done recapping our 2025 IBA Bird Blitzes. Thank you for following along! I’ll be back with one more recap of our habitat stewardship events that took place in August and September, and then it’ll be into full-time planning mode for the summer. Make sure to follow along to stay informed on our upcoming events. If you’d like to join our mailing list to stay up to date, send me an email at iba@naturemanitoba.ca! 

-Mackenzie 

Species	Sum of Count
American Bittern	1
American Crow	1
American Goldfinch	32
American Herring Gull	3
American Kestrel	2
American Redstart	5
American Robin	1
American White Pelican	19
Bald Eagle	2
Barn Swallow	86
Blackpoll Warbler	1
Blue Jay	2
Blue-winged Teal	38
Bobolink	24
Bonaparte’s Gull	2
Brewer’s Blackbird	2
Brown-headed Cowbird	8
Buteo sp.	1
Canada Goose	745
Cedar Waxwing	1
Chipping Sparrow	2
Clay-colored Sparrow	9
Cliff Swallow	3
Common Goldeneye	3
Common Grackle	5
Common Raven	12
Common Yellowthroat	46
Cooper’s Hawk	1
Double-crested Cormorant	11
Downy Woodpecker	2
Eastern Kingbird	9
Franklin’s Gull	58
Gadwall	4
Gray Catbird	10
Great Blue Heron	1
Greater Yellowlegs	5
Green-winged Teal	5
Killdeer	12
Least Flycatcher	1
Least Sandpiper	2
Lesser Scaup	11
Lesser Yellowlegs	16
Lincoln’s Sparrow	2
Mallard	302
Marsh Wren	5
Merlin	10
Mourning Dove	14
Nelson’s Sparrow	1
Northern Harrier	7
Northern House Wren	1
Northern Pintail	12
Northern Shoveler	9
Northern Yellow Warbler	11
Palm Warbler	2
Pectoral Sandpiper	4
Pied-billed Grebe	8
Red-breasted Nuthatch	3
Red-eyed Vireo	2
Red-tailed Hawk	2
Red-winged Blackbird	15424
Ring-billed Gull	28
Ring-necked Duck	1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	1
Ruddy Duck	1
Sandhill Crane	330
Savannah Sparrow	39
Sedge Wren	11
Sharp-shinned Hawk	1
Sharp-tailed Grouse	3
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher	5
Snow Goose	100
Song Sparrow	6
Sora	3
Swainson’s Thrush	1
Swamp Sparrow	22
Tennessee Warbler	1
Tree Swallow	3
Trumpeter Swan	10
Vesper Sparrow	1
Western Meadowlark	4
White-rumped Sandpiper	4
White-throated Sparrow	2
Wilson’s Snipe	49
Grand Total	17649
Total Species	83

Hello! We’re back with another 2025 summer event recap, this time at the Delta Marsh IBA! Unlike our previous 2025 events, which focused on certain target species, this was a general blitz to help us determine what birds were using the IBA on the day of the blitz. The goal was to ID as many birds as we could to get a full picture of what was going on in the area! 

Delta Marsh is an interesting site, providing many different habitat types depending on where you are in the IBA. The beaches on Lake Manitoba provide habitat for shorebirds; the wetlands are hotspots for waterfowl, and the upland deciduous forests provide habitat for forest species such as warblers, sparrows and woodpeckers. The wetlands also provide areas for insects to breed, providing a food source for aerial insectivores such as Barn Swallows, Bank Swallows, Cliff Swallows, Tree Swallows and Purple Martins.  

The Delta Marsh Blitz took place on August 6, and as usual, we split our participants into groups to cover the whole IBA. For this blitz, we had five groups of volunteers. Each group’s assigned area is highlighted in the map below. Due to some last-minute group shuffling, you’ll notice that Group 2 is missing on the map. To keep things consistent, I’ll refer to each group by their area as listed on the map. Each group began birding between 7-8:30 am and wrapped up by 12:30 pm to meet up for a group lunch at the Delta Beach Campground.  

Our first group consisted of Marissa, Amy, and Connie, and they covered the westernmost portion of the IBA. They began by travelling north on Road 44W from Route 227, where they saw a large variety of birds, including several species of shorebirds (Killdeer, Wilson’s Phalarope, Greater Yellowlegs and peeps), 6 Red-tailed Hawks, 50 swallows (a mix of Bank Swallows and Barn Swallows, both listed as Threatened under the federal Species at Risk Act) and lots of blackbirds. This group saw 60 Yellow-headed Blackbirds, 17 Red-winged Blackbirds, 80 Brewer’s Blackbirds, and 20 Common Grackles. Next, the group travelled north along Route 242 until they reached Lynch’s Point Campground. On this leg they saw an Eastern Wood-Pewee, a SARA species of Special Concern.  While zigzagging south down Road 45 W to Road 43 W, Group 1 saw their largest numbers of birds of the morning, with 400 Franklin’s Gulls, and large groups of four swallow species. They saw 50 Bank Swallows, 100 Tree Swallows, 50 Barn Swallows, and 200 Cliff Swallows. Group 1 finished the morning travelling down Route 227, where they saw an additional 25 Barn Swallows, and 17 Mourning Doves, bringing their total MODO’s to 49 for the day.  

 Yellow-headed Blackbirds. Photo by Marissa.

A perfect spot to enjoy a meal. Merlin photo by Marissa. 

Moving eastward, our next group was Group 3, consisting of Jo, Bonnie, and Gwen. Group 3 covered the area east of the Portage Diversion to Route 240. This trio started the morning by heading north on Route 240 to Delta Beach, crossing through agricultural land and wetlands before arriving at the beach on the south shore of Lake Manitoba. The variety of habitat types presented a large variety of birds, including gulls, hawks, flycatchers, swallows, and blackbirds. Once they arrived at Delta Beach, this group put their shorebird identification skills to the test, observing 15 different species! The highlight was a group of 52 Hudsonian Godwits, likely stopping over on their long fall migration to South America. Group 3’s final route was along the Portage Diversion dike, again passing through a variety of habitats like agricultural land, wetlands, and shrubby riparian areas. Along this route, the group observed waterfowl like Wood Ducks and Mallards, a Great Blue Heron, 7 Red-tailed Hawks, an Eastern Wood-Pewee, Barn and Cliff Swallows, and 161 Yellow-headed Blackbirds.  

Moody skies over Lake Manitoba. Photo by Marissa. 

Carol, Eliza, Gary, and Katharine were in Group 4, covering the middle of the IBA from Route 240 to Road 32 W. The group started the day by traveling up and down Road 32 W, where they encountered 65 Barn Swallows, 11 Purple Martins, and 4 Northern Harriers. The birding continued down Roads 76 N and 33 W, where the group saw flycatchers (Eastern Wood-Pewee, Least Flycatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird), four species of swallows perched on the wires next the road with some sparrows joining in, the ever-present blackbirds, and a coyote stalking through the grass! For the rest of the morning, Group 4 travelled along Roads 33 W, 35 W and Route 227, continuing to see a similar species assemblage at each of their stops. 

Northern Harrier on the lookout for breakfast. Photo by Carol.

An unexpected visitor to the IBA Blitz! Photo by Carol.

Alain, Pranav and Eda made up Group 5, covering the southeastern portion of the IBA. They started their day heading west on Road 77 N, where they encountered a few shorebirds, an American Bittern, an Eastern Bluebird, and several species of Sparrow. The trio continued along Road 78 N, where they saw the majority of their reported species for the day, including 40 Barn Swallows, 3 buffy nondescript birds with big black eyes that they deduced to be Sprague’s Pipits, and 45 Bobolink. Wow! This group finished off their morning at the Portage la Prairie Regional Landfill, observing 500 Ring-billed Gulls enjoying the food that the dump had to offer.  

Swallows perched on roadside wires. Photo by Marissa. 

Last but not least were Rudolf and Garry in Group 6, covering the northeast section of the IBA. Rudolf and Garry started the day on Route 240, winding through the marshes north of St. Ambroise. They observed several species of shorebirds, including 48 Least Sandpiper, as well as 52 Pelicans, and a family of 5 Northern Harriers. Over 250 swallows were spotted in this area, including Bank Swallows, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, and Purple Martins. Heading slightly south through St. Ambroise, the group began seeing woodpeckers galore, with 3 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, a Downy, a Hairy, 7 Northern Flickers and 2 Red-headed Woodpeckers!! In the same region they spotted flycatchers, vireos, swallows, sparrows and blackbirds, among others. From there, the group traveled along Road 83 North towards Clandeboye Bay, where they saw 4 Bobolink and promptly got stuck in the mud! They were able to get out, but it was a close call. Thankfully, Rudolf and Garry were able to carry on towards Waterhen Bay, where they recorded many species of waterfowl including 40 Mallards, 28 Western Grebes, and 123 Pelicans. The final route of the Blitz for these two took them down Road 82 N and route 430, where they encountered 23 Cedar Waxwings, and 38 Barn Swallows.  

Large groups of swooping swallows were a common sight for most groups on this blitz. Photo by Marissa. 

Overall, it was a great morning of birding, with a total of 122 species identified and 6155 individuals. A full species list is included below. A huge thank you to all our volunteers who made it out for this event; it wouldn’t have been possible without you! This event was also made possible by funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Fund. As always, if you’re interested in participating in similar events in the future, send me an email at iba@naturemanitoba.ca! 

-Mackenzie 

Our incredible Delta Marsh volunteers! Photo by Marissa.

Species	Sum of Count
Alder Flycatcher	1
American Bittern	2
American Crow	35
American Goldfinch	53
American Herring Gull	18
American Kestrel	25
American Robin	39
American White Pelican	207
Baird’s Sandpiper	7
Bald Eagle	13
Baltimore Oriole	3
Bank Swallow	77
Barn Swallow	239
Barn Swallow (American)	83
Black Tern	21
Black-and-white Warbler	1
Black-billed Magpie	20
Black-capped Chickadee	4
Blue Jay	7
Blue-winged Teal	1
Bobolink	49
Bonaparte’s Gull	4
Brewer’s Blackbird	205
Broad-winged Hawk	1
Brown Thrasher	1
Brown-headed Cowbird	29
Canada Goose	120
Canvasback	1
Cedar Waxwing	77
Chipping Sparrow	7
Clay-colored Sparrow	40
Cliff Swallow	220
Common Grackle	157
Common Raven	9
Common Tern	1
Common Yellowthroat	3
Double-crested Cormorant	4
Downy Woodpecker	1
Eastern Bluebird	6
Eastern Kingbird	290
Eastern Phoebe	5
Eastern Wood-Pewee	4
European Starling	72
Forster’s Tern	58
Franklin’s Gull	489
Gadwall	5
Gray Catbird	15
Great Blue Heron	3
Great Crested Flycatcher	3
Greater Yellowlegs	14
Hairy Woodpecker	3
Hooded Merganser	5
Horned Lark	1
House Sparrow	4
Hudsonian Godwit	53
Killdeer	25
Lark Sparrow	2
Least Flycatcher	11
Least Sandpiper	164
LeConte’s Sparrow	1
Lesser Yellowlegs	30
Long-billed Dowitcher	1
Mallard	71
Marbled Godwit	27
Marsh Wren	1
Merlin	6
Merlin (Prairie)	1
Mourning Dove	217
Nelson’s Sparrow	1
new world sparrow sp.	60
Northern Flicker	1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)	8
Northern Harrier	21
Northern House Wren	5
Orchard Oriole	2
Pectoral Sandpiper	7
peep sp.	40
Pied-billed Grebe	4
Pine Siskin	1
Purple Finch	2
Purple Martin	87
Red-eyed Vireo	6
Redhead	1
Red-headed Woodpecker	2
Red-necked Phalarope	9
Red-tailed Hawk	52
Red-winged Blackbird	365
Ring-billed Gull	693
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)	15
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	4
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	1
Ruddy Turnstone	1
Sanderling	4
Savannah Sparrow	42
Sedge Wren	3
Semipalmated Plover	51
Semipalmated Sandpiper	22
Short-billed Dowitcher	6
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher	1
Song Sparrow	26
Spotted Sandpiper	6
Sprague’s Pipit	3
Stilt Sandpiper	5
swallow sp.	240
Tree Swallow	172
Turkey Vulture	3
Veery	1
Vesper Sparrow	13
Warbling Vireo	10
Western Grebe	29
Western Kingbird	20
Western Meadowlark	23
White-breasted Nuthatch	1
White-throated Sparrow	3
Willet	1
Wilson’s Phalarope	4
Wilson’s Snipe	2
Wood Duck	3
Yellow Warbler	21
Yellow Warbler (Northern)	32
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	3
Yellow-headed Blackbird	645
Grand Total	6155
Species Total	122

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

Those of you who have been following us for a while will notice that this year’s Shorebird Data looks a little different than usual. For the past several years, we’ve asked volunteers to follow the International Shorebird Survey (ISS) protocol, which involves travelling along pre-determined routes at four target IBA’s to look for shorebirds. This method has been challenging for us, mostly due to the large fluctuations in water levels from year to year. Sometimes the routes become inaccessible due to high water; sometimes the areas of suitable shorebird habitat have dried up. An area with high quality shorebird habitat one year might look completely different the next year, and the ISS protocol doesn’t take that kind of variability into account. 

So, this year we decided to take a different approach, asking volunteers to share shorebird observations with us outside the constraints of the ISS routes, and even outside of IBA boundaries. This data will help us determine where the important shorebird areas are in the province, and will be used to help us figure out our next steps for shorebird surveys. 

With that preamble over, let’s get to the data! I’ve still split the data into two seasons, spring (April 1 – June 15, 2025) and fall (July 11 – October 25, 2025), and we’ll look at the same four IBA’s as in previous years: Whitewater Lake, Shoal Lakes, Oak Lake/Plum Lakes and Oak Hammock Marsh. At the end of the post, I’ll include a short discussion of the other areas that had high numbers of shorebirds outside of those four IBA’s. 

Whitewater Lake 

Whitewater Lake had the highest numbers of shorebirds reported, as well as the highest species richness. In the spring, the most abundant species was the Semipalmated Sandpiper, while in the fall there were large numbers of Long-billed Dowitchers and American Avocets. These numbers are based on 39 eBird checklists in the spring, and 35 checklists in the fall, for a total of 74 checklists. Huge thank you to all who shared their Whitewater Lake eBird checklists with us, including Gillian, Colin, Sandy, Emily, Matthew, Carson, Glennis, Gene, John, Bonnie, Greg, Gwen, Amy, Kristopher, Renee, Megan, Pranav, Garry, Rudolf, Anita, Bill, Jackie, Mike, Cameron, and Tim. 

Species	Fall Count	Spring Count	Total
American Avocet	885	164	1049
American Golden-Plover	198	0	198
Baird’s Sandpiper	38	66	104
Black-bellied Plover	212	5	217
Dunlin	0	75	75
Greater Yellowlegs	81	6	87
Hudsonian Godwit	1	16	17
Hudsonian Whimbrel	0	4	4
Killdeer	276	52	328
Least Sandpiper	151	167	318
Lesser Yellowlegs	80	90	170
Lesser/Greater Yellowlegs	25	0	25
Long-billed Dowitcher	1080	0	1080
Marbled Godwit	29	43	72
Pectoral Sandpiper	22	25	47
peep sp.	225	7	232
Red-necked Phalarope	246	250	496
Ruddy Turnstone	0	92	92
Sanderling	11	40	51
Semipalmated Plover	86	4	90
Semipalmated Sandpiper	203	498	701
shorebird sp.	500	0	500
Short-billed Dowitcher	58	1	59
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher	205	0	205
Solitary Sandpiper	5	0	5
Spotted Sandpiper	8	2	10
Stilt Sandpiper	44	43	87
Upland Sandpiper	13	12	25
White-rumped Sandpiper	28	71	99
Willet	23	65	88
Wilson’s Phalarope	135	80	215
Wilson’s Snipe	0	1	1
Number of Species	28	26	32
Grand Total	4868	1879	6747

Shoal Lakes 

The North, West and East Shoal Lakes hosted 13 species of shorebirds over the spring and fall seasons, with 10 in the spring and 9 in the fall. Dominant species at the Shoal Lakes included Wilson’s Phalarope and Willets in the spring, and Greater Yellowlegs in the fall. These counts were based on 11 spring checklists, and 13 fall checklists, for a total of 24 checklists. Thanks to John, Tim, Walfried, Cam, Chris, Bonnie, Gwen, Peter, Paul, Betsy, Jan, Jo, Garry, Gene, Rudolf, and Robert for sharing your eBird checklists with us! 

Species	Fall Count	Spring Count	Total
American Avocet	0	1	1
Greater Yellowlegs	71	1	72
Killdeer	5	8	13
Least Sandpiper	0	4	4
Lesser Yellowlegs	7	0	7
Long-billed Dowitcher	30	0	30
Marbled Godwit	1	6	7
peep sp.	0	4	4
Spotted Sandpiper	1	2	3
Stilt Sandpiper	1	0	1
Willet	0	11	11
Wilson’s Phalarope	1	18	19
Wilson’s Snipe	11	2	13
Number of Species	9	10	13
Grand Total	128	57	185

Oak Lake/Plum Lakes 

The Oak Lake/Plum Lakes IBA had the lowest species richness of the four target sites, and relatively low species counts in both the spring and fall. The one outlier was the large numbers of Wilson’s Phalaropes observed in the spring. These numbers are based on 9 spring checklists, and 5 fall checklists, for a total of 14 checklists. Thank you to Matthew, Bonnie, Greg, Gwen, Glennis, Sandy, Gene, John, Simone, Anita, Bill, Gillian, Jackie, and Mike for sharing your observations with us! 

Species	Fall Count	Spring Count	Total
Baird’s Sandpiper	0	1	1
Greater Yellowlegs	1	1	2
Killdeer	6	5	11
Least Sandpiper	0	1	1
Lesser Yellowlegs	1	0	1
shorebird sp.	14	0	14
Upland Sandpiper	4	4	8
Willet	0	2	2
Wilson’s Phalarope	0	104	104
Wilson’s Snipe	15	4	19
Number of Species	6	8	10
Grand Total	41	122	163

Oak Hammock Marsh 

Our final target site was Oak Hammock Marsh, which had a higher overall species richness than Oak Lake/Plum Lakes and the Shoal Lakes, although not as high as Whitewater Lake. The most abundant spring species were Killdeer and Marbled Godwit, and the most abundant fall species was Wilson’s Snipe. These numbers are based on 10 surveys in each of the spring and fall seasons. Thank you to Bonnie, Gwen, Garry, Aynsley, John, Tami, Emily, Graham, Matthew, Joanne, Paul, Betsy, Jan, Jo, Katharine, Tim and Linnea for sharing your checklists with us! 

Species	Fall Count	Spring Count	Total
American Avocet	0	1	1
Baird’s Sandpiper	0	1	1
Greater Yellowlegs	26	5	31
Hudsonian Godwit	0	1	1
Killdeer	21	19	40
Least Sandpiper	10	3	13
Lesser Yellowlegs	16	4	20
Long-billed Dowitcher	5	0	5
Marbled Godwit	0	11	11
Pectoral Sandpiper	7	6	13
Sanderling	5	0	5
Semipalmated Plover	1	0	1
Short-billed Dowitcher	9	0	9
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher	6	0	6
Spotted Sandpiper	2	0	2
White-rumped Sandpiper	5	2	7
Willet	0	5	5
Wilson’s Phalarope	1	0	1
Wilson’s Snipe	52	2	54
Number of Species	14	12	19
Grand Total	166	60	226

Other Important Sites 

This is where we’re going to stray a little bit from the usual format of these roundup posts. This year we asked for all of your shorebird observations, outside of the ISS routes, and even outside of IBA boundaries. Similar to the data above, I only used the observations from April 1 – June 15 for spring observations and July 11 – October 25 for fall. There were shorebird observations in the period between these two ranges, but to stay consistent with the figures above, we’re going to exclude that data for now. 

The figures below take into account all of the shorebird observations that were shared with us on eBird for the fall and spring seasons. Areas outside of IBA’s that were obvious groups, such as the Chain Lakes, Elton Road Wetland, and the Alexander-Griswold Marsh complex, were grouped together. Other observations were grouped by geographic areas into “Other Southwest”, “Other South Central”, and “Other Southeast”.  

In terms of species richness, the site with the highest number of species overall was Whitewater Lake, followed closely by Delta Marsh. Interestingly, the next three highest values were not found in IBA’s, but in the “Other South Central” category (which includes the Pilot Mound area, and the southern Interlake), the Chain Lakes, and the Elton Road Wetland.  

We see similar results looking at the overall shorebird counts for 2025. The site with the highest count by far was Whitewater Lake, followed again by Delta Marsh. The next highest were the Chain Lakes and the Alexander-Griswold Marsh areas.  

The map below takes this data one step further, showing the density of observations as a heat map. Yellow and red areas are those with high numbers of observations, while the lighter blue areas only have a few observations. We can see from the map that the Southwest had the highest density of points, concentrated around the Whitewater Lake IBA, the Southwestern Manitoba Mixed-Grass Prairie IBA and the wetlands surrounding Brandon. The other region that stands out on the map is Delta Marsh IBA.  

Overall, we can say that southern Manitoba has many different areas that host shorebirds throughout their spring and fall migrations, both within and outside of IBA boundaries. Once again, a huge thank you to everyone who shared their eBird checklists with us, we wouldn’t be able to do this work without our incredibly talented network of volunteer citizen scientists!! If you’re interested in participating in our shorebird surveys, send us an email at iba@naturemanitoba.ca! 

-Mackenzie

Our final 2025 Conservation Champion Spotlight is Sean Smith!

Sean is a third-generation dairy producer in the Clanwilliam area. He and his father Steven own and operate Clanman Jerseys Ltd. 

Sean and his dad are passionate about working with the land, and coming up with creative ways to run their operations while keeping sustainability at the forefront. In a phone conversation last summer, Sean put part of their ethos simply: “Don’t push bush or drain wetlands”. Soil health and biodiversity are important considerations that go into how they manage their grazing livestock and other operations.  

The property hosts a diverse array of habitats, from wetland complexes to fields to forested riverbeds. A survey of the property turned up many Bobolinks, a grassland bird species listed as Threatened in Canada. Near the wetlands, groups of Black Terns can be seen foraging along the water’s surface.  The property is also home to several Red-headed Woodpeckers, a species at risk which has very specific habitat requirements – forested areas with little to no understory vegetation and with dead or dying trees in which to excavate their nesting cavities. The property has also been the site of a Sharp-tailed Grouse lek for over 40 years.  

Innovative producers like Sean Smith and co. provide essential habitat for many species and inspiration for other conservation-minded landowners. 

Thanks Sean for being a Conservation Champion!  

To find out more about our Conservation Champions program and how you can get involved, check out the “Grassland Conservation Champions Program” tab on our website, or email Mackenzie at iba@naturemanitoba.ca. If you are a landowner with grassland bird habitat on your property, we’d love to hear from you!

Hi everyone! The next event we’d like to highlight from summer 2025 is the Red-headed Woodpecker (RHWO) Blitz that took place in the Oak Lake/Plum Lakes IBA on July 5.  

This was our 5^th annual RHWO Blitz in this IBA, and we had 6 groups of volunteers split up to gather important data on this Threatened species. The Red-headed Woodpecker is one that’s hard to miss while out birding, with its vibrant red head and black and white body. This bird nests in cavities in dead or dying aspen or oak trees, and prefers sparse forests with little to no understory vegetation. Due to habitat loss, the Red-headed Woodpecker is facing steep population declines, and is listed as Threatened under both the provincial Endangered Species Act and the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA).  If you’re curious to learn more about this Threatened bird species, you can read the write-up we put together at the following link: https://www.naturemanitoba.ca/red-headed-woodpecker 

Volunteers drove along designated survey routes to look for Red-headed Woodpeckers, stopping in areas with suitable habitat: stands of aspen, oak, or cottonwood, with standing dead trees and sparse understories. There was an option to follow a playback protocol (under a provincial government permit), at these areas of suitable habitat. All groups began birding around 8:30 am and finished up in time for a picnic lunch at Oak Lake Provincial Park at 12:30. Although the focus was on RHWO, all species of birds observed were recorded and are listed in the table at the bottom of this post. A map showing each group’s survey area is below. 

Group 1 consisted of Gillian and Gwyn, who covered the area north of Highway 1 and northeast of Highway 254. They spotted a total of 6 Red-headed Woodpeckers, including a group of 3 that were seen together. In addition to the RHWO, Gillian and Gwyn also spotted an Eastern Wood-Pewee, a COSEWIC and SARA species of Special Concern.  

Group 2 was made up of Linda and Colette who surveyed the area south of Highway 1, west of Highway 254 and along the north end of Oak Lake. They saw a total of 3 Red-headed Woodpeckers, an Eastern Wood-Pewee, and a White-faced Ibis. 

Tom and Renee were in group 3, and they monitored the east side of Oak Lake. The two of them saw 6 Red-headed Woodpeckers, 3 along Road 48 North. They also saw a pair of Northern Shovelers with 7 ducklings in tow.  

Katharine and Alanna were in group 4, covering the south end of Oak Lake; Highway 543 between Road 134W and Road 138W; Road 138W and Road 137W. They had a very exciting morning, spotting 10 adult Red-headed Woodpeckers, in addition to hearing juveniles calling, a huge success! Katharine and Alanna also saw two Bobolink and a colony of 35 Bank Swallows. The Swallows were seen flying through the air and entering/exiting holes in piles of sandy soil. Both Bank Swallows and Bobolink are federally listed as Threatened species, so these were also great finds!  

Group 5 was made up Leah, Kristopher and Glennis. The three of them covered the southeastern portion of the IBA, spotting 2 Red-headed Woodpeckers. They also spotted two large groups of Franklin’s Gulls, one group with a minimum estimate of 342 individuals, and another with 72 individuals, AND another large group of 34 Bank Swallows.  

Marissa flew solo in group 6 covering the south-west portion of the IBA. She was unable to spot any Red-headed Woodpeckers, although she did she a Grasshopper Sparrow, an Eastern Wood-Pewee, and another large group of 200 Franklin’s Gulls. 

Our final count of the 2025 Oak Lake Blitz came to 24 RHWO. To compare to previous years, this wasn’t as high as last year’s program record of 45 individuals, but it was comparable with 2023 (25 RHWO), and higher than both 2022 (13 RWHO) and 2021 (16 RHWO). Although our focus was on RHWO, we saw a total of 84 different species, and 2,218 individual birds. Once again, a huge thank you to everyone who joined us for this blitz, your dedication and commitment to helping us survey Species at Risk is unmatched! 

This event was made possible by funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Fund. 

If you are interested in volunteering for future blitz events, please email iba@naturemanitoba.ca for more information. 

Species	Count
American Coot	33
American Crow	16
American Goldfinch	48
American Kestrel	12
American Redstart	1
American Robin	44
Baltimore Oriole	5
Bank Swallow	34
Barn Swallow	13
Black Tern	43
Black-and-white Warbler	1
Black-billed Magpie	18
Black-capped Chickadee	3
Blue Jay	1
Blue-winged Teal	6
Bobolink	6
Brewer’s Blackbird	38
Brown Thrasher	1
Brown-headed Cowbird	23
Canada Goose	26
Cedar Waxwing	15
Chipping Sparrow	2
Clay-colored Sparrow	28
Common Grackle	18
Common Nighthawk	1
Common Raven	7
Common Yellowthroat	24
Cooper’s Hawk	1
Downy Woodpecker	1
Eastern Bluebird	12
Eastern Kingbird	36
Eastern Phoebe	6
Eastern Wood-Pewee	5
European Starling	10
Franklin’s Gull	816
Gadwall	3
Grasshopper Sparrow	3
Gray Catbird	11
Great Crested Flycatcher	6
Horned Lark	2
House Finch	2
House Sparrow	2
Killdeer	9
Lark Sparrow	23
Least Flycatcher	55
Mallard	5
Marsh Wren	9
Merlin	1
Mourning Dove	59
Nelson’s Sparrow	1
Northern Flicker	17
Northern Harrier	2
Northern House Wren	32
Northern Shoveler	5
Purple Martin	7
Red-eyed Vireo	9
Red-headed Woodpecker	24
Red-tailed Hawk	12
Red-winged Blackbird	206
Ring-billed Gull	7
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)	7
Savannah Sparrow	38
Sedge Wren	11
Song Sparrow	24
Sora	3
Swainson’s Hawk	5
Swamp Sparrow	1
Tree Swallow	72
Turkey Vulture	4
Upland Sandpiper	7
Vesper Sparrow	22
Virginia Rail	2
Warbling Vireo	23
Western Kingbird	11
Western Meadowlark	71
White-faced Ibis	3
Wild Turkey	1
Wilson’s Snipe	3
Yellow Warbler	28
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	4
Yellow-headed Blackbird	6
Lesser Yellowlegs	3
Stilt Sandpiper	1
Willow Flycatcher	2
Total species	84
Total individuals	2218

Our next 2025 Conservation Champion that we’d like to highlight is Jacques Saquet!

Jacques is an avid naturalist and farmer who manages a herd of 60 bison near Laurier, Manitoba. In 2019, Jacques and his spouse Claudette bought a quarter section of land with the intention of moving bison there in the future. Nestled to the east of the Riding Mountain escarpment, this quarter section includes around 130 acres of grassland that had not been cultivated for more than 50 years, as well as areas of mature hardwood forest and young aspen forest.  

Since acquiring the quarter section, Jacques has been working hard to prepare the land for the arrival of the bison. Jacques is currently working on building fencing to create over ten different paddocks. These paddocks will allow him to manage where the bison graze, which will help maximize plant diversity and soil health.  

Each spring, 20-40 sharp-tailed grouse gather on this grassland for their annual courtship displays (a “lek” site). To protect these important grouse dancing grounds, Jacques plans to keep the paddock with the lek free of bison until after the courtship displays are over.  

When Jacques accompanied Marissa for a bird survey on the property in June 2024, their start was delayed due to a cow elk and calf in the area! Knowing that this area is important for elk, Jacques plans to make sure the fence he is building will be low enough for adult elk to jump over, and the bottom high enough for the young to crawl under.  

The forested sections of the property provide habitat for a variety of birds, including Red-headed Woodpeckers (a species at risk). In the open areas of the property, an array of species including Savannah Sparrows, LeConte’s Sparrows, and Bobolinks can be seen flying around and perching atop shrubs. Once the bison are added to the landscape, their grazing will play an important role in helping to restore and maintain this grassland habitat. 

Thanks Jacques, for being a wonderful steward of bird habitat!    

Throughout the winter I’m planning to post recaps from our 2025 events, to help us dream of warmer days and get excited for what’s to come in 2026!

The first of these recaps will cover the Grassland Bird Blitz, which took place on June 7th in the Southwestern Manitoba Mixed-Grass Prairie IBA. The IBA was split into 6 sections, with each section monitored by a group of birders. The map below shows the boundaries of each section. Each group started between 5:00 and 6:30 am, with all groups wrapping up by noon. Each group recorded all the birds they saw, and paid special attention to the eight target species below: 

• Sprague’s Pipit 
• Chestnut-collared Longspur
• Baird’s Sparrow
• Ferruginous Hawk
• Loggerhead Shrike
• Grasshopper Sparrow
• Burrowing Owl
• Bobolink

Marissa and Liam were in Group 1, and they covered the northeast portion of the IBA. They saw five of the eight target species, including Sprague’s Pipit, Chestnut-collared Longspur, Grasshopper Sparrow, Bobolink, and Loggerhead Shrike. 

Group 2 consisted of Gillian, Jianping and Luc, and they covered the northwest portion of the IBA. This group had the most observations of Species at Risk, with 35 individuals of six different species including Sprague’s Pipit, Chestnut-collared Longspur, Grasshopper Sparrow, Loggerhead Shrike, Ferruginous Hawk, and Baird’s Sparrow. 

Jackie and Leanne were in Group 3 and covered the southwest portion of the IBA. They observed five of our target species including Loggerhead Shrike, Chestnut-collared Longspur, Grasshopper Sparrow (10 individuals!), Baird’s Sparrow and Bobolink. They also observed a Sharp-tailed Grouse lek. 

Carson and Marvin covered the central portion of the IBA in Group 4, and they observed two of our target species, including Bobolink and Grasshopper Sparrow. In addition to this, Carson and Marvin also observed a Red-headed Woodpecker. Not one of our target species for this blitz, but still a Species at Risk in Manitoba! 

Katharine, Carol and Brian were in Group 5, and they covered the southeast portion of the IBA. This group observed Ferruginous Hawks, Baird’s Sparrow, Chestnut-collared Longspur, Sprague’s Pipit, Bobolink, and Grasshopper Sparrow. Notably, the Ferruginous Hawk was observed sitting on a large stick nest in the top of a tree. 

Our final group was Colin and his son, and they covered the east-central portion of the IBA. This group saw two of our target species at risk, the Chestnut-collared Longspur and the Bobolink. 

Once all groups were finished for the day, everyone met up at the Chicken Chef in Melita for a group lunch and to share their adventures from the morning. Huge thank you to our volunteers, Colin, Katharine, Carol, Brian, Carson, Marvin, Jackie, Leanne, Gillian, Jianping, Luc and Liam for joining our Grassland Blitz, and thank you to Carol, Gillian and Marissa for sharing your photos! A full list of the species observed can be found in the table below.  

Species	Count
American Coot	2
American Crow	8
American Goldfinch	31
American Kestrel	4
American Redstart	2
American Robin	40
American Wigeon	2
Baird’s Sparrow	7
Bald Eagle	2
Baltimore Oriole	12
Bank Swallow	4
Barn Swallow	54
Barn Swallow (American)	15
Belted Kingfisher	2
Black Tern	72
Black-billed Magpie	17
Black-capped Chickadee	2
Blue-winged Teal	22
Bobolink	45
Brewer’s Blackbird	58
Brown Thrasher	8
Brown-headed Cowbird	397
Canada Goose	421
Canvasback	4
Cedar Waxwing	9
Chestnut-collared Longspur	26
Chipping Sparrow	3
Clay-colored Sparrow	69
Cliff Swallow	433
Common Grackle	69
Common Raven	32
Common Yellowthroat	24
Double-crested Cormorant	5
Eared Grebe	2
Eastern Kingbird	291
Eastern Wood-Pewee	1
European Starling	17
Ferruginous Hawk	4
Franklin’s Gull	531
Gadwall	12
Grasshopper Sparrow	42
Gray Catbird	9
Gray Partridge	10
Great Blue Heron	3
Great Crested Flycatcher	3
Green-winged Teal	2
Green-winged Teal (American)	12
Hairy Woodpecker	1
Horned Lark	27
House Sparrow	5
Killdeer	35
Lark Sparrow	6
Least Flycatcher	44
LeConte’s Sparrow	2
Loggerhead Shrike	4
Mallard	97
Marbled Godwit	14
Marsh Wren	3
Merlin	2
Mourning Dove	193
Northern Flicker	5
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)	2
Northern Harrier	11
Northern House Wren	24
Northern Pintail	9
Northern Shoveler	6
Orchard Oriole	11
Pied-billed Grebe	3
Red-eyed Vireo	3
Redhead	4
Red-headed Woodpecker	1
Red-tailed Hawk	25
Red-winged Blackbird	768
Ring-billed Gull	2
Ring-necked Pheasant	22
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)	50
Ruddy Duck	1
Savannah Sparrow	69
Say’s Phoebe	1
Sedge Wren	3
Semipalmated Plover	1
Semipalmated Sandpiper	15
Sharp-tailed Grouse	27
Song Sparrow	17
Sora	3
Spotted Sandpiper	1
Sprague’s Pipit	19
Swainson’s Hawk	21
Tree Swallow	48
Turkey Vulture	3
Upland Sandpiper	40
Vesper Sparrow	80
Warbling Vireo	22
Western Kingbird	75
Western Meadowlark	265
Willet	24
Wilson’s Phalarope	19
Wilson’s Snipe	13
Wood Duck	3
Yellow Warbler	51
Yellow Warbler (Northern)	6
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	1
Yellow-headed Blackbird	56
Yellow-throated Vireo	3
Grand Total	5106
Total Species	104

Throughout the winter we’ll be highlighting the folks who took part in our Grassland Conservation Champions Program in 2025. First up is Arron Nerbas!

Arron is a beef producer in Shellmouth, MB. He owns and operates Nerbas Bros Angus, alongside his brother and his parents. Located along the Manitoba escarpment by the Assiniboine River, their property includes a patchwork of different landscapes and elevations.  

The dry, flat pastures at the top of the escarpment provide important grassland habitat for the Sprague’s Pipit, a species at risk. Listed as a Threatened species both provincially and federally, the Sprague’s Pipit is a grassland specialist and requires very specific habitat like the native prairie provided by Arron’s property. Their lovely cascading flight song can be heard coming from the sky, as they perform their aerial display far above the grassland. These pastures also provide habitat for other grassland species such as the Grasshopper Sparrow and Short-eared Owl.  

As you move towards the river, the landscape shifts into rolling hills and aspen bluffs. In these areas, a variety of bird species can be found – Western Meadowlarks, Vesper Sparrows, Black-billed Cuckoos, and Northern Flickers just to name a few. Down in the river valley, the wetter terrain brings different species including Black Terns and Red-winged Blackbirds.  

Arron is enthusiastic about providing diverse habitat and managing his livestock in a way that supports the health of the land and promotes biodiversity. Arron hosts a podcast with Amy Hughes called Think Outside The Fence, which aims to inspire positive change in agriculture. 

Thank you to Arron for being a Conservation Champion!

Hi everyone! My name is Mackenzie Glover (she/her) and I’m very excited to start as the new coordinator for the Manitoba Important Bird Area (IBA) Program and the Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative (MCSI). I’m grateful to have had some overlap with Marissa before her last day as coordinator, she’s done so much for this program and I’m looking forward to picking up where she left off! I recently moved back home to Winnipeg, and I’m excited to continue to learn about Manitoba’s birds and make new connections with fellow nature lovers through this role. 

I first fell in love with the outdoors as a kid, spending summers at my family’s cabin in the Whiteshell. That love inspired me to pursue my BSc degree in Environmental Sciences with a focus on Forest Ecology at North Carolina State University, where I was also a varsity student-athlete. After graduating, I moved home to Winnipeg for a year and worked as a Conservation Technician with Native Plant Solutions, before moving out west to continue my education. I pursued an MSc in Ecological Restoration from Simon Fraser University and the British Columbia Institute of Technology, and completed my thesis in partnership with Native Plant Solutions, focusing on the native bees using their sites in Winnipeg.  

I first started working with birds after my MSc, when I worked for a small consulting company called Inlailawatash, based in North Vancouver and owned by the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. While there, I conducted nesting bird surveys and helped collect acoustic data for a research project on nocturnal birds and bats in the Indian River Watershed. My favourite days at Inlailawatash were the ones that started with an early morning bird survey! 

After 2 years with Inlailawatash, I decided it was time to move back home to Winnipeg to be closer to family. I’m very much looking forward to experiencing a real Winnipeg winter again, complete with cross country skiing, winter running, and skating on the Nestaweya River Trail. 

Although I’m relatively new to the world of birding, I’ve always had a deep appreciation for birds, with my favourite being the White-throated Sparrow. Their beautiful song is often heard on summer mornings at the lake, and I was delighted when I first heard it singing in the winter in North Carolina. As a homesick freshman, hearing their song instantly transported me back to summertime at my favourite place.

I’m excited to step into this role and I’m looking forward to meeting many of you at future IBA events!

Mackenzie