CANADA BIRDING TOURS – 40 Great Tours for Birdwatchers and Bird Photographers

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CLICK HERE for information about Owl Photography Workshops.

CANADA BIRDING TOURS

Where to go Birding in Canada?

Saskatchewan has many of the Best Canada Birding Hotspots

Make Saskatoon, Saskatchewan your First Destination for a Canada Birding Tour.

Many of the Best Birding hotspots for Canada Birding tours are located near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan is located in central Canada where two major North American bird flyways meet - Central Flyway and Mississippi Flyway. See both eastern and western North American birds at one destination!

Canada Birding Tours -
Central and Mississippi Flyways meet in Saskatchewan!

During the breeding season in June and July, a Canada Birding Tour to Saskatoon could find about 150 bird species within our nearby grassland, wetland and woodland habitats!  This bird list is augmented during the migration months of May,  August and September when boreal and arctic nesting warblers, flycatchers, vireos, geese and shorebirds become plentiful. Many rarities show up here in October.

Because Saskatoon is located in Canada's heartland, Canada birding tours offered here by Saskatoon Custom Bird Tours can see both eastern and western North American bird species on a single birding tour. Many of Canada's rarest birds are best seen in Saskatchewan, Canada. For example, we are the only province in Canada where both Eastern Whip-poor-will and Common Poorwill are regularly found. Saskatchewan's bird checklist includes over 380 species of birds of which over 300 species occur annually.
You may download a checklist of Saskatchewan birds HERE.

Visiting the Canadian Rockies?

You will find far more species of birds in the grassland, marshland and woodlands of Saskatchewan than in the mountains. We recommend you first travel to Saskatoon to go birding here and then visit the Rockies.

Wonder where to go birding near Saskatoon, Canada?

Saskatoon Custom Bird Tours offers private and group guided birding tours and bird photography tours out of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Check out our great selection of Canada Birding Tours.

Some of our special Canada birding tours include viewing:
Dancing Sharp-tailed Grouse (spring),
Prairie birds (summer),
Whooping Cranes (fall),
Snowy Owls (winter).

For more information about all of our regular Canada birding tours, photo tours and workshops, CLICK HERE.
Custom tours and bird ID workshops are also available.

Saskatoon Custom Bird Tours is owned by our local Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation charity and all proceeds support their work in caring for injured and orphaned wild birds with a goal of returning them to the wild.

Because our birding tour leader has been an active birdwatcher for over 5 decades, you can be assured he will find you the best birds during our Canada Birding Tours.

Our Canada birding tour gift certificates make excellent Christmas gifts, birthday gifts or anniversary birding gifts for birders interested in birds and nature.

2023 - 2024 Canada Birding Tours Schedule

CLICK THE FOLLOWING SASKATOON CUSTOM BIRD TOURS FOR DETAILS.
Dates of Group Tours are listed.
Private tours available on other dates.

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER

JANUARY - MARCH

APRIL- MAY

JUNE

July - August Birdwatching Tours and Bird Photography Tours

Private tours available on most dates.
Dates of any special group tours are noted.

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER

Multiple Tours Discount

Can't decide which tour to take?

Check out our multiple tours discount for Canada birding tours described here.

Canada Birding Tour Information Request Form

You may use the following form to request Canada birding tour suggestions during your proposed travel dates to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Alternatively, you may email birdtours@sasktel.net to request this information.

You may also list a landline or type NONE.

 

Let us show you the best birds during our Canada Birding Tours.

Monthly Newsletter

Learn about special offers and new tours.
CLICK HERE to sign up for the monthly electronic Newsletter from Saskatoon Custom Bird Tours.

2023 - 2024 Group Birdwatching Tours and Bird Photography Tours arranged by date

Group Tour dates are subject to change until they are booked.
Private tours are available on many other dates.
Click on tour title for more information.

November - December

January - March

April - May

June

List of Special Bird Species

Some of the birds that may be seen on certain of our Canada Birding Tours.

  • Greater White-fronted Goose
  • Snow Goose
  • Ross's Goose
  • Cackling Goose
  • Tundra Swan
  • Gadwall
  • Redhead
  • Ruddy Duck
  • Gray Partridge
  • Sharp-tailed Grouse - dancing in spring
  • Eared Grebe
  • Western Grebe
  • American White Pelican
  • Double-crested Cormorant
  • Great Egret
  • Black-crowned Night Heron
  • White-faced Ibis
  • Bald Eagle
  • Swainson's Hawk
  • Ferruginous Hawk
  • Rough-legged Hawk
  • Peregrine Falcon
  • Yellow Rail
  • Sandhill Crane
  • Whooping Crane
  • Piping Plover
  • Black-necked Stilt
  • American Avocet
  • Long-billed Curlew
  • Upland Sandpiper
  • Wilson's Phalarope
  • California Gull
  • Franklin's Gull
  • Forster's Tern
  • Snowy Owl - winter
  • Northern Hawk Owl - winter
  • Great Gray Owl - winter
  • Common Poorwill
  • Eastern Whip-poor-will
  • Red-naped Sapsucker
  • American Three-toed Woodpecker
  • Black-backed Woodpecker
  • Cordilleran Flycatcher
  • Dusky Flycatcher
  • Say's Phoebe
  • Western Kingbird
  • Loggerhead Shrike
  • Black-billed Magpie
  • Rock Wren
  • Pacific Wren
  • Mountain Bluebird
  • Sprague's Pipit
  • Chestnut-collared Longspur
  • Spotted Towhee
  • Clay-colored Sparrow
  • Brewer's Sparrow
  • Lark Bunting
  • Lark Sparrow
  • Baird's Sparrow
  • Nelson's Sparrow
  • Western Meadowlark
  • Yellow-headed Blackbird
  • Baltimore Oriole
  • Common Redpoll - winter
  • Hoary Redpoll - winter

Please ask about other bird species of interest to you.

Your Leader for Canada Birding Tours

TOUR GUIDE: Your guide has many years of experience finding and observing birds throughout Saskatchewan. For over 30 years, Stan Shadick has been a birding guide for nature tours around Saskatchewan and other parts of the country that have been organized by Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation, Nature Saskatchewan and the University of Saskatchewan Extension Division.

Stan is past president of Nature Saskatchewan as well as past president and current field trip chairman for the Saskatoon Nature Society. He is a co-editor of the reference publication “Birds of the Saskatoon Area” and contributed significantly to the recently published “Birds of Saskatchewan”. He was a regional coordinator for the Saskatchewan Breeding Bird Atlas project and helped with their bird identification workshops. He regularly contributes sightings to e-bird and currently holds the e-bird record for the most bird species seen in Saskatchewan.

Stan volunteers his time leading our Canada birding tours so that all proceeds benefit the work of Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation.

Stan Shadick - Tour Leader

Testimonials about our Canada Birding Tours 

CLICK to listen to Calgary Naturalist Brian Keating on CBC Calgary Radio giving an on-air review of a tour he booked with us.

Canadian Geographic Article. Click Here.

Global TV News Report: Click Here.

"I drove to Saskatoon and met Stan Shadick who arranged for me to observe lekking Sharp-tailed Grouse. Stan set up a blind for me, enabling me to take photos in the early morning hours (04:10 to 08:00, Wednesday, May 5). It was a birding thrill for the year. " (L. Corkum)

"Was in a private tour with Stan this spring. The best one I have ever had. Highly recommended!" (J. Deng)

That was such a great trip!  Thanks so much for the use of the blind and sharing your general knowledge and expertise. (J. Lee)

"We really appreciated your tour last Wednesday; [Our young grandson] loved it!! He also told us he learned alot.  I believe you have inspired him to continue his passion of birding.  Thanks again for the wonderful guiding! (D. Dear)

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.

Entering Canada

CLICK HERE for government regulations for entering Canada.
My recent fully vaccinated international clients tell me there are no significant delays at the border provided they have fully completed the ArriveCan app in advance.

Other Bird Photography Sessions

Duck Mountain Park Birding Tour

Beaver Creek Tour

Cypress Hills Tour

SE Saskatchewan Birding Tour