The Canadian Rocky Mountains offer spectacular scenery with mountains, alpine lakes and forests. You should see some elk and a few common birds. However, the diversity of bird species is rather limited in the Rocky Mountains. To see a much larger variety of Canadian birds, plan to join one of our many birding tours and bird photography tours in the neighbouring province of Saskatchewan, Canada which is home to birds from both eastern and western North America.

From the Canadian Rocky Mountain access cities of Calgary and Edmonton, you can easily drive to Saskatchewan in 1 day or you can take a short nonstop flight to Saskatoon with Westjet Airlines. You can easily fly home from Saskatoon after your Saskatchewan Birding Adventure.

Which is Canada’s Best Province for Birdwatching?

21 key reasons why Saskatchewan should be considered Canada’s top birdwatching province. Be sure to visit Saskatchewan before or after birding in Canada’s Rocky Mountains.

Eastern and Western Birds. Birds from both Eastern and Western North America migrate to Saskatchewan every year. You may find most Canadian birds in Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan is home to both Eastern and Western Kingbirds, Eastern and Western Wood-Pewees, Eastern and Mountain Bluebirds.
CLICK HERE for details of a tour to Saskatchewan’s Eastern Bird Hotspots.
CLICK HERE for details of a tour to Saskatchewan’s Western Bird Hotspots.
Many Bird Habitats. Saskatchewan bird habitats include Prairie Grasslands, Boreal Forests, Lakes, Mudflats, Parkland Woods, Subalpine Hills and Badlands.
CLICK HERE for details of over 40 Saskatchewan Birdwatching and Bird Photography Tours.
Whooping Cranes. North America’s most endangered and tallest bird can ONLY be regularly observed during every fall migration near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
CLICK HERE for Whooping Crane Tour details.
Burrowing Owls. The endangered Burrowing Owl can be regularly observed in Saskatchewan every year.
CLICK HERE for Burrowing Owl Viewing Tour details.
Piping Plovers. The endangered Piping Plover can be regularly observed in Saskatchewan every year.
CLICK HERE for Piping Plover Viewing Tour details.
Dancing Sharp-tailed Grouse. North America’s most spectacular courtship displays of Sharp-tailed Grouse may be closely viewed and photographed near Saskatoon every spring. They are Saskatchewan’s provincial bird.
CLICK HERE for Dancing Grouse Photography and Viewing Sessions details.
Baird’s Sparrows. This grassland songbird may be observed near Saskatoon and elsewhere in southern Saskatchewan.
CLICK HERE for Baird’s Sparrow Tour details.
Longspurs. Both Thick-billed Longspurs and Chestnut-collared nest regularly in Saskatchewan.
CLICK HERE for Longspur Tour details.
Loggerhead Shrikes. Saskatchewan is the centre of the distribution of this predatory songbird in Canada. CLICK HERE for Loggerhead Shrike Tour details.
Cordilleran Flycatchers. Canada’s best documented nesting location for this Western Flycatcher subspecies is in Saskatchewan. CLICK HERE for Cordilleran Flycatcher Tour details.
Pink-sided Juncos. Canada’s best locations to view the Pink-sided Junco subspecies of Dark-eyed Junco is in Saskatchewan. CLICK HERE for a tour to observe Pink-sided Juncos.
Nightjars. Saskatchewan is the only province in Canada with 3 species of Nightjars: Common Poorwill, Eastern Whip-poor-will and Common Nighthawk.
CLICK HERE for a tour to observe Common Poorwills and Common Nighthawks.
CLICK HERE for a tour to observe Eastern Whip-poor-wills and Common Nighthawks.
Sandhill Crane Photography. Saskatchewan has Canada’s highest numbers of migrating Sandhill Cranes.
CLICK HERE for a tour to observe and photograph Sandhill Cranes.
Snowy Owl Photography. Experts tell us that Saskatchewan has the world’s highest numbers of wintering Snowy Owls.
CLICK HERE for details of our Snowy Owl Viewing and Photography Tours.
Forest Owl Photography. Saskatoon Custom Bird Tours offers special tours to photograph Great Gray Owls, Northern Hawk Owls and Northern Pygmy Owls.
CLICK HERE for details of Forest Owl Photography Tours.
Shorebirds. Shallow mudflats and lake shorelines provides habitat for high numbers of migrating sandpipers, plovers and other shorebirds during May, July and August. Saskatchewan is also at the centre of the range for nesting Marbled Godwits and Wilson’s Phalaropes.
CLICK HERE for details of tour to Chaplin and Reed Lakes Important Bird Areas for shorebirds.
CLICK HERE for details of tours to Quill Lakes Important Bird Area for shorebirds.
Raptors. Saskatchewan is in the centre of the range of most Canadian buteos, accipiters, falcons, eagles and other raptors including Ferruginous Hawk and Swainson’s Hawk.
CLICK HERE for details of a tour to observe Swainson’s Hawks.
CLICK HERE for details of a tour to observe Ferruginous Hawks.
Geese. Hundreds of thousands of geese migrate through Saskatchewan every spring and fall including both Cackling and Ross’s Geese.
CLICK HERE for details of a spring tour to view migrating geese.
CLICK HERE for details of a fall tour to view migrating geese.
Pelicans. Saskatchewan is at the centre of the Canadian range for White Pelicans. They have the widest wingspan of any Canadian breeding bird.
CLICK HERE for details of a tour view and photograph concentrations of pelicans.
Warblers. Most of Canada’s species of Eastern Warblers may be observed on the following tours.
Click Title for details.
* Carrot River Birding Tour
* Duck Mountain Birding Tour
* Prince Albert National Park Birding Tour
Bird Sanctuaries. Canada’s first and oldest bird sanctuary was created in Saskatchewan.
CLICK HERE for details of tours to Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary.
CLICK HERE for details of tours to Redberry Lake Bird Sanctuary.

The neighbouring province of Saskatchewan is located just to the east of Alberta, home to Canada’s Rocky Mountains. Two major North American bird flyways meet in Saskatchewan. During the breeding season in June and July over 150 bird species occur 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 and shorebirds become plentiful.

BIRDING TOUR HOTSPOTS
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Birders – Join the Birdwatching Tours organized by Saskatoon Custom Bird Tours. These day trips, half-day trips and multi-day tours may be easily accessed from Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw, Swift Current or most other Saskatchewan communities.

Bring up to 4 people in your vehicle, the cost is the same so you may split the fees with your birding friends.

Transportation

Participants on these birding hotspot tours need to drive their own personal or rented vehicle. RVs are permitted on private tours but not on group tours. Vehicles pulling a trailer may join the tour after the trailer is parked at a campground.

Carpooling on group tours

If you would like to share the costs of a group spring birding tour with other interested birders, then complete the Carpooling Section of the Registration Request Form below or email the tour name, your name, phone number and email address to birdtours@sasktel.net

Multiple Tours Discount

Can’t decide which birding hotspot tour to take?

Check out our multiple tours discount described here.

TOUR SUGGESTIONS REQUEST FORM

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

Questions: Email birdtours@sasktel.net or phone 306-652-5975.

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

Can I bring my pet dog on these birding tours?

Dogs are permitted on private birding tours provided they are kept on a leash. Dogs should not be let out of the vehicle at birding stops. Dogs are not permitted on group tours.

How to get to Saskatoon after visiting Canada’s Rocky Mountains

Air: Saskatoon International Airport (YXE) is served by Flair, Porter, 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.

Where to stay in Saskatoon?

Contact Tourism Saskatoon to help plan your visit when joining these Spring Birding Tours offered by Saskatoon Custom Bird Tours.

Other Birding Hotspot Tour Options

Saskatchewan, Canada offers many great birding adventures.

Dancing Grouse Tour – Sharp-tailed Grouse Close-up
by Brian Henderson

Watch video of dancing Sharp-tailed Grouse. Our Dancing Grouse Tour is offered in April and May.

Click Here for information about the many other tours with Saskatoon Custom Bird Tours.

Other Bird Photography Sessions

Dancing Grouse Photography Sessions
April – May
Great Gray Owl and Northern Hawk Owl Photography Sessions
January – early March
Goose Lake Photography Tour
Pelican Photography and Viewing Tour
Special Group Tour: September 3
Sandhill Crane Photography Sessions
Sandhill Crane Photography Workshop
October 12 – 14, 2024
Snowy Owl Photography Sessions
January – March

Partial List of Potential Bird Species on Saskatchewan Birding Tours

Some of the special birds that we might encounter on our birding hotspot tours include the following species. Most of these birds are not easily found in Canada’s Rocky Mountains.

Trumpeter Swan
Wood Duck
Cinnamon Teal
Gray Partridge
Ruffed Grouse
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Clark’s Grebe
American White Pelican
Great Egret
Black-crowned Night Heron
White-faced Ibis
Bald Eagle
Golden Eagle
Broad-winged Hawk
Ferruginous Hawk
Merlin
Prairie Falcon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Piping Plover
American Avocet
Black-necked Stilt
Upland Sandpiper
Long-billed Curlew
Marbled Godwit
Red Knot
Baird’s Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Wilson’s Phalarope
Franklin’s Gull
Forster’s Tern
Common Poorwill
Eastern Whip-poor-will
Chimney Swift
Burrowing Owl
Short-eared Owl
Red-naped Sapsucker
Red-headed Woodpecker
American 3-toed Woodpecker
Black-backed Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Western Wood-Pewee
Willow Flycatcher
Dusky Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Say’s Phoebe
Western Kingbird
Yellow-throated Vireo
Violet-Green Swallow
Loggerhead Shrike
Canada Jay
Blue Jay
Black-billed Magpie
Common Raven
Boreal Chickadee
Rock Wren
Winter Wren
Pacific Wren
Sedge Wren
Mountain Bluebird
Eastern Bluebird
Sprague’s Pipit
Thick-billed Longspur
Chestnut-collared Longspur
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Audubon’s Warbler subspecies
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Canada Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Brewer’s Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Lark Bunting
Grasshopper Sparrow
Baird’s Sparrow
Nelson’s Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Pink-sided Junco subspecies
Western Tanager
Black-headed Grosbeak
Orchard Oriole
Red Crossbill
White-winged Crossbill

Great Post Canadian Rocky Mountain Birding Tours and Bird Photography Tours in 2024

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Join a Saskatchewan Birding Tour After Visiting Canada’s Rocky Mountains

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Saskatchewan – Canada’s Best Birdwatching Province