< BACK |
NEXT> |
Alberta Scenery Photo Tour
Alberta Wildlife: Birds
Of course, this is just a small sampling of Alberta wildlife. But it gives you a taste for what you might see if you visit.
Photo: Great Horned Owl
The Great Horned Owl was adopted as Alberta's provincial bird in 1977 and is one of Canada's most common birds of prey.
This owl hunts only at night and is most easily identified by its large size and feathery ear tufts (horns). Most Great Horned Owls mate for life laying 1 to 5 eggs each year well before the snow melts.
Find out more about the Great Horned Owl > (includes additional worksheets)
Photo: Black-Billed Magpie
© Leanne
Guenther, used with permission
Magpies, crows and ravens -- you're going to see a few!
The magpie is a member of the crow family (and is just
as annoying to farmers). There are still more people shooting them
with guns than with cameras here in Alberta although they are quite
pretty, especially when they are in flight. It lives in most of
western North America -- from Alaska to Oklahoma.
Photo: Bald Eagle
© Leanne
Guenther, used with permission
Although the Bald Eagle is the USA's national bird, most of it's breeding grounds are located in Canada, including most of Alberta.
The bald eagle is the only eagle exclusive to North America. They are Canada’s largest bird of prey and have no natural enemies.
Bald eagles choose one mate for life. To impress each other, males and females perform special courtship dances in the sky. This dance involves locking their talons together and cart-wheeling through the air.
When a bald eagle loses a feather on one wing, it will lose a feather on the other in order to keep its balance!
Bald Eagle information and coloring page
Photo: Canada Geese
© Leanne
Guenther, used with permission
One of my favorite spring and autumn memories ever since my early childhood was hearing the honk of the Canada Geese. I'd peer up at the sky and look for the telltale V-formation of the flock of geese returning to Canada for the summer or leaving for the winter. This spring, I couldn't help but smile when I noticed my daughters straining their necks in search of the geese.
Canada Goose Coloring Page (with information)
more about the Canada Goose >
Photo: Snowy Owls
You likely won't see an owl if you visit unless you take a visit to the zoo or you really focus on looking for one -- if you do see one in the wild, consider yourself very lucky. The Great Horned Owl is the province's official bird. We also have Snowy Owls, Burrowing Owls, Pygmy Owls and many more varieties.
source wiki commons - photo by Adamantios
Snowy owls are mainly white
with some black or dark brown markings. Since snowy owls are
found in colder climates, they have a thick layer of down
underneath their many layers of feathers to keep themselves warm
in even the most frigid temperatures.
Snowy owls nest in
the arctic during the time of year when it is daylight for most
of the day. Likely because of this, snowy owls are the only type
of owl that sleep at night and hunt during the day (all other
owls come out at night).
Snowy owls visit every province
of Canada during the winter - they tend to nest and breed
during summer in the more northern areas of the country.
Snowy Owls information and coloring page
Alberta provincial bird with labels worksheet
Alberta provincial bird coloring page
Of course, there are lots of other birds including blue jays, steller's jays, sparrows, chickadees, finches, robins, mallard ducks, hawks, osprey, falcons, pelicans and gulls.