Email: birdtours [at] sasktel.net
Phone: 306 [then] 652 [then] 5975
Table of Contents
Book your Duck Mountain Birding Adventure
Duck Mountain Park Birding Tour
Private Tours
Private Tour Dates Available: LATE MAY – AUGUST
Email requested dates to birdtours [at] sasktel.net
Public Group Tours
Upcoming Group Tours:
- June 4 – 6, 2024
- July 1 – 3, 2024
June 4 – 6 Duck Mountain Park Birding Tour starts in Saskatoon at 9 am meeting participants in Humboldt, Wadena and Canora. Participants departing Moose Jaw, Regina or Yorkton should meet tour at Canora.
Prince Albert participants may meet tour at Watson.
Estimated Return Driving Distance from Saskatoon: 950 km
The July 1 – 3 tour begins at Canora, Saskatchewan at 4 pm on July 1.
Escorted self-driving group tour
Duck Mountain Birding Tour Description
Join a private tour or a group tour with a small group of birders on a special 3-day / 2-night Duck Mountain Park Birding Tour. We will visit the best birding hotspots in this Saskatchewan park near the Manitoba border in western Canada. We will also make stops at the Quill Lakes.
Both novice and experienced bird watchers are welcome. A loaner pair of binoculars may be available if requested. The leader will bring a spotting scope to allow you to view birds under high magnification.
Some of the special birds we expect to see or hear on this Duck Mountain tour include Great Egret, Broad-winged Hawk, Barred Owl, Black-backed Woodpecker, Great Crested Flycatcher, Blue-headed Vireo, Winter Wren, Nashville Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Canada Warbler, Evening Grosbeak plus many other species of warblers, flycatchers, raptors and lake birds. With luck we might spot one of the following rare species that have previously occasionally been reported in this park including Trumpeter Swan, American Woodcock, Red-headed Woodpecker, Scarlet Tanager and Golden-winged Warbler.
See sidebar for a list of potential species. A checklist of Saskatchewan birds may be downloaded HERE.
The June 4 – 6 Duck Mountain Park Birding tour may be taken as the first part of our Saskatchewan Birding Hotspots Tour Series in 2024.
Your leader will be Stan Shadick with Saskatoon Custom Bird Tours.
Tax Receipt: The person paying for the tour will receive a tax receipt for 50% of the tour fee.
All tour proceeds support Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation charity.
Transportation: All participants will travel in their own personal or rented vehicle or arrange to carpool. If Covid is a concern, masks will be worn at birding stops.
RVs and vehicles pulling trailers are not feasible during group tours. Owners of trailers may join the tour after their trailer is parked in a park campground. RV owners will need to arrange to car pool in another smaller vehicle during a group tour or select the private tour option.
Accommodation Options. Both camping and cabin accommodation options are available at Duck Mountain Park. Suggestions will be sent to registered guests. Please book as soon as possible because rooms are limited.
Proposed Duck Mountain Park Birding Tour Itinerary
Weather conditions may result in changes to this planned itinerary.
Day 1
June 4 – 6 Duck Mountain Park Birding Tour departs Saskatoon at 9 am.
Participants may choose to join the tour at either Humboldt or Watson or Canora.
Some of our planned birding stops include the following sites.
- Quill Lakes north shore
- Fishing Lakes
- Overnight at a Duck Mountain Park cabin. Campers may wish to stay in a nearby campground.
- Optional late evening outing to listen for owls
The July 1 – 3 tour begins about 4 pm at Canora, Saskatchewan and continues to Duck Mountain Park for the evening.
DAY 2
We plan to spend the day birding the best hotspots near small lakes, hills and creeks in the southern portion of the heavily forested Duck Mountain Park.
- Overnight at a park cabin
DAY 3
We plan to bird in Duck Mountain park in the early morning and then drive back to Saskatoon. Some planned stops may include:
- Kamsack
- Good Spirit Provincial Park
- South shore Quill Lakes to look for egrets
Private Tour Fee
3-DAY Duck Mountain Park Private Tour Fee: CAD $2490 per vehicle (about US $1845, £1450) for a party of 1 – 4 persons travelling in a single vehicle.
Fee includes guiding services. Meals and accommodation and transportation are NOT included.
Trip begins in Saskatoon at 8 am and returns about 6 pm day 4.
**SAVE $700** if you cover leader’s transportation and accommodation costs by driving leader in your vehicle and providing him with a bedroom for his use in your private cabin or at a shared cabin at Madge Lake Rentals.
Tax Receipt. You will receipt a tax receipt for 50% of the Duck Mountain Tour fee.
CANCELLATION POLICY: Refunds less a $50 administration fee will be given if cancellation notice received 60 days before date of tour.
No refunds if cancellation notice received less than 60 days before date of tour unless another client takes your place.
Group Tour Fee
Public Duck Mountain Park Public Group Tour Fee: CAD $1990 per vehicle (about US $1475, £1160) for a party of 1 – 4 persons travelling in a single vehicle.
Fee includes guiding services. Meals and accommodation and transportation are NOT included.
June 4 – 6 Tour begins in Saskatoon at 9 am on day 1 and returns about 6 pm on day 3.
July 1 – 3 Tour begins at Canora, Saskatchewan at 4 pm on day 1 and returns to Saskatoon about 6 pm on day 3.
There is a minimum number and maximum number of parties on this group tour.
** SAVE $700 ** if you cover leader’s transportation and accommodation costs by driving leader in your vehicle and providing him with a bedroom for his use in your private cabin or a shared cabin at Madge Lake Rentals. This discount is only available on June 4 – 6, 2024 tour. For the July 1 – 3 tour, a similar discount may be available if you also book the June 29 – July 1, 2024 Carrot River Birding Tour.
Tax Receipt. You will receipt a tax receipt for 50% of the tour fee.
CANCELLATION POLICY: Refunds less a $50 administration fee will be given if cancellation notice received 60 days before date of tour.
No refunds if cancellation notice received less than 60 days before date of tour unless another client takes your place.
Reservation Request Form
Reservations: Complete the form below or email: birdtours@sasktel.net and provide names of clients, their addresses and requested type of tour and tour date.
Full payment due at time of booking. Payment instruction will be emailed to you after registration form is received. You may also phone Stan Shadick at 306-652-5975.
The number of participants accepted on this group tour is limited.
Questions: please email birdtours@sasktel.net or phone 306-652-5975 during evenings.
If you do not hear back from us within 24 hours, then please email: birdtours@sasktel.net or phone 306-652-5975.
Monthly Newsletter
Learn about special offers and new tours.
CLICK HERE to sign up for the monthly electronic Newsletter from Saskatoon Custom Bird Tours.
Duck Mountain Park Birding Tour Leader
Tour Guide: Stan Shadick. Click for more information about your tour guide.
Covid Safety Policy on Tours
- Your tour leader is fully vaccinated.
- Clients must normally drive themselves in their own personal or rented vehicle. The leader will normally drive in a separate vehicle. We will use cell phones to communicate between each other during the tour.
- This policy may change when public health orders change or when Covid case numbers decrease.
- Please contact us before booking tour if you have any special requests with regard to this policy. In certain cases if requested, leader may be willing to ride in client’s vehicle.
Gift Certificates Available
This Duck Mountain Birding tour makes an excellent birthday gift, anniversary gift, graduation gift, retirement gift, Mother’s Day gift, Father’s Day gift or special gift for a birder, birdwatcher or anyone interested in nature.
GIFT CERTIFICATES: Click here for information about purchasing a gift certificate for this tour or any of our other tours.
Some Potential Birds of Interest
- Trumpeter Swan
- Wood Duck
- Ruffed Grouse
- Common Loon
- Western Grebe
- American White Pelican
- Great Egret
- Black-crowned Night Heron
- Broad-winged Hawk
- Forster’s Tern
- Barred Owl
- Ruby-throated Hummingbird
- Black-backed Woodpecker
- Pileated Woodpecker
- Eastern Wood-Pewee
- Great Crested Flycatcher
- Blue-headed Vireo
- Canada Jay
- Winter Wren
- Golden-winged Warbler
- Nashville Warbler
- Chestnut-sided Warbler
- Magnolia Warbler
- Cape May Warbler
- Black-throated Green Warbler
- Blackburnian Warbler
- Mourning Warbler
- Canada Warbler
- Evening Grosbeak
How to get to Saskatoon
Air: Saskatoon International Airport (YXE) is served by Air Canada, Westjet and their U.S. partners United and Delta.
Air Canada Star Alliance partners also include Aegean, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels, Copa, Croatia, EgyptAir, Ethiopian, EVA, Lot, Lufthansa, SAS, Shenzhen, Singapore, South African, Swiss, TAP, Thai, Turkish, United.
Westjet international partners include AeroMexico, Air France, Air Transat, Azores, Cathay Pacific, China, China Eastern, China Southern, Delta, Emirates, Hainan, Hong Kong, Japan, KLM, Korean, LATAM, Philippine, Quantas, Virgin Atlantic, Xiamen.
Train: Saskatoon’s Train Station is served by Via Rail’s Canadian train serving Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Jasper and Vancouver.
Bus: Saskatoon – Edmonton and Saskatoon – Regina bus service
Car: Saskatoon is located on Canada’s Yellowhead cross-country highway plus 6 other major highways connecting with all cities in Canada and USA. If you drive, you do not need to rent a car for our tours.
Other Tours and Workshops:
Click here to see a complete list of our upcoming tours and workshops.
Multiple Tours Discount
Can’t decide which tour to take?
Check out our multiple tours discount described here.
TOP QUALITY BINOCULAR OFFER
Do you want a better pair of binoculars for birdwatching?
Great for viewing birds at tree top level.
CLICK HERE for information about the
Kite Optics 16X42 Image Stabilized Binoculars
