Where are Best Birdwatching tours for wheel-chair or low mobility clients near Saskatoon, Canada?

Special Birding Tours for Low Mobility / Wheel-chair clients

Low Mobility Birding — ©Birding For All Website

Saskatoon Custom Bird Tours offers special private birdwatching tours and bird photography tours out of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada for clients with low mobility OR who are confined to using a wheel-chair. Custom tours and zoom-based bird ID workshops also available.

Saskatoon is situated where two major North American bird flyways meet making it ideal for birdwatching tours. During the breeding season in June and July about 150 bird species occur within grassland, wetland and woodland habitats. This list is augmented during the migration months of May, August and September when boreal and arctic nesting warblers, flycatchers, vireos and shorebirds are plentiful.

Our Low Mobility birdwatching half-day tours and workshops are excellent Mother’s Day gifts; Father’s Day gifts; Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, graduation gifts, anniversary gifts and special gifts for birders, birdwatchers or anyone interested in birds and nature.

Tour Guide

Tour Guide: Stan Shadick.
Click for more information about your tour guide.

NOVEMBER – MARCH BIRDING TOURS FOR CLIENTS WITH LOW MOBILITY

Snowy Owl Tour (November – early March)
Chickadee Feeding Tour
Saskatoon Birdwatching Tour
Weir Birding Tour (November – August)

APRIL – MAY BIRDING TOURS FOR CLIENTS WITH LOW MOBILITY

Bird Song Identification Outdoor Workshops
Blackstrap Lake Birding and Bird Photography Tour
Dancing Grouse Tour
Donna Birkmaier and Hyde Parks Tour (April – September)
Ferry Birding Tour (May – August)
Grasslands National Park Birding Tours
Goose Lake Birding Driving Tours (April – Sep)
Night Sounds Driving Tour
Pike Lake Birding Tour (January – September)
Prairie Lakes Birding Tour
Quill Lakes Birding Tour
Radisson Lake Birding Tour
Signs of Spring Birding Driving Tour
Weir Birding Tour (November – August)
Wild Raptor Tour

JUNE – AUGUST BIRDING TOURS FOR CLIENTS WITH LOW MOBILITY

Blackstrap Lake Birding and Bird Photography Tour
Carrot River Whip-poor-will Quest
Special Group Tour: July 1 – 3, 2023
Chaplin Shorebirds Tour
Special Budget Group Tour: July 23, 2023
Chappell Marsh Birding and Hiking Tour – 2 hours
Chief Whitecap Birding and Hiking Tour – 3 hours
Custom Bird Photography Tour – 3 hours
Donna Birkmaier Park Tour – 3 hours
Ferry Birding Tour – 4 hours
Special Group Tours: July 4 and August 16
Goose Lake Birding Tour and Bird Photography Tour – 4+ hours
Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary Tour
Special Budget Group Tour: July 16, 2023
Pike Lake Birding Tour – 4 hours (January – August)
Prince Albert National Park Birding Tour
Special Budget Group Tour: June 24 – 26, 2023
Porter Lake Birding Tour – 3 hours
Prairie Lakes Birding Tour – 4 hours
Radisson Lake Birding Tour – 4 hours
Special Budget Group Tour: August 13, 2023
Saskatoon Evening Bird Walks – 1.5 hours
Saskatoon Shorebirds Tour – 3 hours
Souris River Birding Tour
Special Budget Group Tour: July 7 -9, 2023
Warbler Walking Tour – 3 hours (August – September)
Weir Birding Tour – (November – August)

Testimonials about our Birdwatching 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.

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)

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)

Gift Certificates Available Now

These Low Mobility tours makes an excellent birthday gift, anniversary gift, Christmas gift, graduation gift or special gift for a birder, birdwatcher or anyone interested in nature.

Click here for information about gift certificates for any of our 2023 Low Mobility birding and bird photography tours.

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.

Covid Safety Policy on Low Mobility Tours

Your tour leader is fully vaccinated.
Clients must normally drive themselves in their own personal or rented vehicle. The leader will usually drive in a separate vehicle. We will use cell phones to communicate between each other during the tour.
Please wear a mask and maintain physical 2 meter distancing when walking outside or viewing birds through the spotting scope that I will set up.
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 or drive client’s vehicle.

Complete List of Birding Tours

Scroll Down to view our full list of upcoming birding tours suitable for low mobility clients.
A complete list of all our birding and bird photography tours is found here.
All proceeds support the work of Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation.

Low Mobility Tour Suggestions Request Form

Send us your possible tour dates and we will get back to you with the best low mobility tour suggestions for that time period.

If you do not hear back from us within 24 hours, then please email: birdtours@sasktel.net or phone 306-652-5975.

♿ Whooping Crane and Sandhill Crane Viewing Tours

See Canada’s most majestic bird. In recent years, the grain fields near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada have become the best dependable viewing location in the world during fall migration to view rare Whooping Cranes, the tallest bird in North America. 1-day and 2-day tours available.

In 2018, we found a single flock in excess of 150 whoopers! During more recent tours we have observed several flocks totaling over 50 individuals. As local birders, we know the best historical places to take our birdwatching tours in search of these spectacular birds.

Driving Distance: 300 – 400 km per day.
Fees: from $490 per person or $590 for group of 2 – 4 persons in a single vehicle.

♿ Dancing Grouse Viewing and Photography Tours

Join our experienced local birding guide for a 3 or 4-hour early morning or late evening self-driving birdwatching tour to view the spectacle of dancing Sharp-tailed Grouse near Saskatoon. Listen to the excitement of the sounds and dance moves of Saskatchewan’s original dancers. Many of the traditional indigenous dances were inspired by this display. The birds are more active near sunrise than near sunset.

♿ This tour is ideal for low mobility clients because they may observe the action while sitting in their vehicle.

During the early morning photography half-day tour, you will drive onto a private pasture for a close-up view of the birds dancing near sunrise. You may view and photograph the performance from your high-clearance vehicle. One member of your group has the option of using our professional photography blind on site to obtain images of the dancing birds from a birds-eye level near the ground.
Total Driving Distance: 15 km from north end of Saskatoon.
Private Sunrise Bird Photography Tour Fee: $390 for your group of 1 – 4 persons in a single vehicle.

The evening driving tour will visit a location on a public road near sunset where you may view the birds as they arrive at their lek roughly 200 meters from the road. Binoculars recommended.
Total Driving Distance: 120 km from Saskatoon.
Private Sunset Bird Viewing Tour Fee: $290 for your group of 1 – 4 persons in a single vehicle.

♿ Signs of Spring Birding Tour

♪ Spring in the Prairies, Comes like a Surprise! ♫
(Connie Kaldor, Saskatchewan Song Writer)

Experience the sights and songs of birdlife during springtime on the prairies.

Join us for a 3-hour leisurely self-drive birdwatching half-day tour along back roads near Saskatoon to look for newly arriving birds as they return to our area.

♿ This tour is ideal for low-mobility clients because they may remain in their vehicle during this driving tour.

Total Driving Distance: 150 km
Fees: From $75 per person – $190 per group of 1 – 4 persons.

♿ Birding By Ear Workshops

Become a Better Birder. Expert birders identify most birds in any habitat using song identification. Some birds can only be safely identified by voice. You can learn to identify bird songs too!

Join in our spring series of sets of online plus optional outdoor workshop pairings designed to improve your skills at identification of common bird songs in Saskatoon’s parks. Our online workshops are arranged by habitat. Each series will focus on a small group of songbirds found in a given habitat at a particular time of year. For each set there will be one evening online session lasting about 1 hour followed by an optional 1-hour outdoor morning or evening field trip a day or 2 later.

Useful for birding anywhere from Alberta to Ontario and adjacent states.

Fees: $35 – $95 per person.

♿ Saskatoon Birdwatching Low Mobility Half-Day Tour

Visit the best bird-rich city parks with our experienced local guide looking for colourful songbirds such as woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees, jays, crossbills, finches and Bohemian Waxwings (winter). Sometimes we are treated to flocks of hundreds of flying waxwings fill Saskatoon’s living skies.

Visit best hangouts for ducks and geese during this birdwatching tour.

Optional visits to Wanuskewin Park, Zoo, Museum of Natural Sciences and Diefenbaker Canada Centre.

Half Day and Full Day Private Tours available for Low Mobility clients.

Driving Distance: 30 – 80 km
Fees: $190 – $340 per group of 1 – 4 persons in a single vehicle.

♿ Saskatoon Shorebirds Low Mobility Driving Tour

Shorebirds! 3 hour birdwatching tour from Saskatoon visiting the best shorebird habitats near Saskatoon.

Shorebirds often include Sanderling, Wilson’s Phalarope, Red-necked Phalarope, American Avocet, Marbled Godwit, Hudsonian Godwit, Stilt Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Baird’s Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Lesser Yellowlegs, Willet, Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer.

Driving Distance: 150 km
Fees: $240 per group of 1 – 4 persons in a single vehicle

♿ Prairie Lakes Birding Half-Day Tour

Ducks galore! Watch the mating antics of male ducks in spring or cute families of ducklings later in summer. Join our experienced local birding guide for a 4 hour self-driving birdwatching tour to visit some of the best bird-rich lakes in the Saskatoon region. Visit deep lakes for diving ducks and pelicans. Also visit shallow ponds for viewing dabbling ducks and grebes. Listen to the varied musical offerings of wetland sparrows, rails and other marsh songbirds.

♿ This tour is ideal for low-mobility clients because they may remain in their vehicle during this driving tour.

Driving Distance: 200 km
Fees: $290 per group of 1 – 4 persons in a single vehicle.

♿ Porter Lake Birding Tour

Guided Self-Drive Birdwatching Half-Day Tour

Experience the sights and sounds of nesting colonies of Black-crowned Night Herons, Double-crested Cormorants and Bank Swallows. View numerous ducks, grebes and prairie songbirds this 3-hour birdwatching tour.

During spring and summer months from April through early September over 120 species have been found at this location. Additional migrating songbirds may be seen in late May and late August / early September.

♿ This tour is ideal for low-mobility clients because they may remain in their vehicle during this driving tour.

Driving Distance: 50 km
Fees: $190 per group.

♿ Pike Lake Birding Tour

Guided Self-Drive Birdwatching Tour

Let our experienced birding guide show you the best bird-rich locations between Saskatoon and Pike Lake Provincial Park. During this Pike Lake birding half-day tour, we will walk some trails and visit a variety of bird habitats.

During spring and summer months from April through early September over 200 species have been found at this location. Additional migrating songbirds may be seen in late May and late August / early September.

♿ This tour may be suitable for low-mobility clients if they can use a wheel-chair over level trails and grass fields with some bumps.

Round-trip Driving Distance: 100 km
Fees: $290 per group.

♿ Goose Lake Birding Tour

Guided Self-Drive Birdwatching Tour

Goose Lake is a bird oasis that attracts large numbers of water birds including many species of ducks, geese, grebes, shorebirds, herons. Immense nesting colonies of Franklin’s Gulls and Eared Grebes nest here regularly. Prairie nesting shorebirds such as willets, American Avocets, Killdeer and Wilson’s Phalaropes are found throughout the spring and summer. Arctic-nesting plovers and sandpipers often appear in large numbers during May, July and August.

The surrounding pastures attract grassland birds including Western Meadowlarks, Sprague’s Pipit, Baird’s Sparrow. Sometimes, lucky birders might find Long-billed Curlew or Black-necked Stilts or White-faced Ibis or egrets or a Peregrine Falcon.

♿ This tour is ideal for low-mobility clients because they may remain in their vehicle during this driving tour.

Round-trip Driving Distance: 150 km
Fees: $290 per group.

♿ Donna Birkmaier Park Birding and Walking Tour

Enjoy a 3-hour guided birding hike through the bird-rich moist woodland habitat of Donna Birkmaier and Hyde Parks in Saskatoon, Canada. Your expert guide will identify the field marks of the wide variety of nesting and migratory songbirds and waterbirds.

During summer months from June through August over 80 species have been found at this location. Additional migrating songbirds may be seen in late May and late August / early September. Fees: $190 per group.

♿ This tour is ideal for low-mobility clients because the park trails are level and wide and suitable for wheel-chairs.

♿ Weir Birding Low Mobility Tour

Obtain close-up views of water birds swimming on the river near Saskatoon’s weir during a 2-hour birding tour. Then visit the riverbank trails where your guide will identify a variety of songbirds.

During summer months from June through August over 90 species have been found at this location. Other waterfowl seen during migration and winter seasons.

♿ This tour is ideal for low-mobility clients because they may use a wheel-chair on the wide and fairly level paved Meewasin trail that runs near the river.

Driving Distance: 2 km from downtown
Fees: $130 per group.

♿ Warbler Walking Tour

View the huge variety of colourful patterns of Saskatchewan’s warblers. Join Stan Shadick for a 3-hour birdwatching tour through the Forestry Farm park. We will walk and look for migrating warblers and other songbirds on this birdwatching tour. Your guide will help you find the field marks to identify them.

♿ This tour may be suitable for low-mobility clients who can operate a wheel-chair on wide level paths and level grassed areas at the Forestry Farm park which may have a few bumps.

Driving Distance: 10 km from downtown Saskatoon
Fees: $190 per group.

♿ Fall Warbler ID Workshops

Become a Better Birder. During fall migration, warblers occur in a wide variety of colourful plumage patterns. You can learn to use field marks to identify warblers too!

Join in our series of workshops designed to improve your skills at identification of warblers and vireos in the Canadian Prairies or anywhere east of the Rocky Mountains. Our workshops are arranged by migration date. Each series will focus on a small group of warblers and vireos found at a particular time of year. For each set there will be one evening online session lasting about 1.5 hour. A Bonus optional outdoor morning field trip is available to birders visiting or residing in Saskatoon. Some outdoor field trips are wheel-chair accessible.

Fees: $35 – $65 per person.

♿ Chickadee Feeding Tour

HALF Day Private and Group Tours. Let our experienced birding guide show you the best winter bird-rich locations near Saskatoon.

Chickadees will feed out of your hand! Marvel at the fearlessness of these tiny birds as they boldly fly to your hand for food. Sometimes nuthatches and downy woodpeckers will as well. Sunflower seeds provided. Very popular activity for kids and grand-parents!

Possible birds to be seen during this birdwatching tour include Ruffed Grouse, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Pileated Woodpecker, Great Horned Owl, Hairy Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, Blue Jay, Northern Shrike, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Bohemian Waxwing, Pine Grosbeak, Common Redpoll, Black-billed Magpie, Common Raven.

♿ This tour is ideal for low-mobility clients who can operate their wheel-chair over short level unplowed paths with some bumps.

Driving Distance: 90 km
Fees: $190 per groups of 1 – 4 persons in a single vehicle.

♿ Snowy Owl Tour

See the white ghosts of winter!

Join our experienced local birding guide for a drive through a rural farming district reputed by owl experts to have the highest concentration of wintering Snowy Owls in the world!

We may also choose to visit the best hangout for wintering ducks and geese and Bald Eagles in the province.

Other possible birds to be seen during our birdwatching tour include Golden Eagle, Gyrfalcon, Prairie Falcon, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Gray Partridge, Snow Bunting, Common Redpoll, Common Raven, Bohemian Waxwing, Black-billed Magpie.

♿ This tour is ideal for low-mobility clients because they may remain in their vehicle during this driving tour.

Half-Day Private Tours
Total Driving Distance: 150 km
Fees: $390 per group of 1 – 4 persons.

Full-Day Private Tours
Total Driving Distance: 400 km
Fees: $690 per group of 1 – 4 persons

♿ Sounds of the Night Tour

Experience the variety of nature’s sounds on a still dark night.

Join Stan Shadick as he leads a small group of nature enthusiasts on an April 15 night drive birdwatching tour along the backroads of Nisbet Forest near Duck Lake. During this half-day tour, we will make frequent stops near woods and ponds to listen for the hooting of Great Horned Owls and the whistles of Northern Saw-whet owls. We may also hear the drumming of a Ruffed Grouse or the whinny of a Wilson’s Snipe. Other sounds might include the duck-like calls of Wood Frogs, the comb-like call of Boreal Chorus Frogs or the howling of a pack of coyotes. Who knows what other sounds we might discover!

♿ This tour is ideal for low-mobility clients because they may remain in their vehicle during this driving tour. It requires a vehicle that is completely quiet when turned off so the client can hear out the open window.

Private tours also available on other dates.

Driving Distance: 90 – 280 km.

Private Tour Fees: From $190 per group of 1 – 4 persons in a single car.

April 15 Group Tour Fee: $95 per group of 1 – 4 persons in a single car.

♿ Custom Private Birding Tour

Want a guide for birding in other Saskatchewan localities?

Have a list of birds that you would like to see?

Hire Stan Shadick for your private Low Mobility escorted birdwatching tour. Rates are just $65 per hour and 60 cents per km.

Email your special requests to birdtours@sasktel.net and provide your name, contact information and preferred dates.

♿ This tour is ideal for low-mobility clients because they may remain in their vehicle during this driving tour.

Tour Guide: Stan Shadick. Click for more information about your tour guide.

Select Your Birdwatching Tour.

Where are Best Birdwatching tours for wheel-chair or low mobility clients near Saskatoon, Canada?

Special Birding Tours for Low Mobility / Wheel-chair clients

Tour Guide

NOVEMBER – MARCH BIRDING TOURS FOR CLIENTS WITH LOW MOBILITY

APRIL – MAY BIRDING TOURS FOR CLIENTS WITH LOW MOBILITY

JUNE – AUGUST BIRDING TOURS FOR CLIENTS WITH LOW MOBILITY

SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER BIRDING TOURS FOR CLIENTS WITH LOW MOBILITY

Monthly Newsletter

Testimonials about our Birdwatching Tours

Gift Certificates Available Now

Multiple Tours Discount

Questions?

How to get to Saskatoon

Entering Canada

Covid Safety Policy on Low Mobility Tours

Complete List of Birding Tours

Low Mobility Tour Suggestions Request Form

April and May

Day Tours designed for clients with low mobility

April and May

Half-Day Tours designed for clients with low mobility

April to May

Half-Day Tours designed for clients with low mobility

May 2023

2-hour online workshops available for clients with low mobility

April through November

Half-Day Tours

Full-Day Tours Designed for clients with low mobility

July – August

3-hour Tours

Mid-April to October

Half-Day Tours

designed for clients with low mobility

April to Early September

Half-Day Tour

designed for clients with low mobility

April to Early September

Half-Day Tour

designed for clients with low mobility

Late April to Early September

Half-Day Tour

designed for clients with low mobility

May to mid September Half-Day Tour designed for clients with low mobility

April to mid-September Half-Day Tour designed for clients with low mobility

August 20 – September 15 Half-Day Tour designed for clients with low mobility

May – August Half-Day Tours designed for clients with low mobility

Half-Day Tour designed for clients with low mobility

November 10 – December 13

November through April

Half-Day Tours designed for clients with low mobility

December, January, February and March.

Half-Day Tours

Full-Day Tour

Designed for clients with low mobility

March 25 – April 30

Half-Day Tours designed for clients with low mobility

♿ Custom Private Birding Tour

Year round Birdwatching Tours

Full-Day Tours
Designed for clients with low mobility

May to mid September
Half-Day Tour
designed for clients with low mobility

April to mid-September
Half-Day Tour
designed for clients with low mobility

August 20 – September 15
Half-Day Tour
designed for clients with low mobility

May – August
Half-Day Tours
designed for clients with low mobility

Half-Day Tour
designed for clients with low mobility

Half-Day Tours
designed for clients with low mobility

Half-Day Tours
designed for clients with low mobility