City Nature YYC

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City Nature YYC

Helping to promote nature, stewardship, citizen science, and parks in Calgary!

03/04/2026

Feels like a minute since sharing some posts but hoping to get back into it. Calgary's false spring seems to have tricked our willows into waking up a bit early while our fauna seem to be enjoying the reprieve. Or maybe spring is really almost here?

12/24/2025

Calgary Christmas Bird Count 2025 Results!
We had 265 Participants with 154 in the Field and 111 FWs. A total of 43,631 birds were counted, made up of 68 species. The record number of species ever counted was in 2003 and was 77 species. Our 15-year average for the number of species is 67. So we are happy to just beat the average!

We added one new bird to our cumulative number of species since our CBC began in 1952: Northern Mockingbird!

Other unusual species (defined as

12/05/2025

Christmas Bird Count 2025!!! The count is on December 14 and we still have plenty of space for late registrations to join the 74th annual Calgary CBC! Sign up today to be a feeder watcher or participate in the field. We are particularly looking for people with SOME birding experience to assist with filling up vacant field placements. But even if you're brand new to the joy of birding, we'd love to have you. Please find the registration form link in our bio and sign up today!

11/18/2025

Elbow River Redd Count 2025 Photo Recap. Citizen science and stewardship is alive and well in Calgary. Whether it be about water quality, fish, plants, birds, mammals, or air quality, there are no shortage of opportunities to get involved. Even on the snowiest and coldest of days, it's fun and easy to contribute to meaningful research. Thanks to all of the participants and for the opportunity (and a nice hot lunch)!

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10/22/2025

Hello Everyone,

I am pleased to announce that the 74th annual Calgary Christmas Bird Count (CBC YYC) will take place on Sunday December 14, 2025.

As you may know, this is one of the largest CBC’s in Alberta and Western Canada. In 2024, we had a total of 141 field participants and 163 feeder watchers. We had 71 species documented on count day and 39,446 individual birds counted. It’s a big job and takes an army of people to ensure its success each year. We hope you’ll join no matter your experience or birding skills. Each one of you plays an important role and the data we collect together helps us to understand long-term trends of our winter birds. Thousands of participants have been involved since 1952 and we'd love for you to be part of our "flock of 2025".

Also a quick note: The first is that this year, I am seeking a “shadow” assistant(s) to work with our team organizing the event. The reason for this is that I am hoping to hand off the CBC coordinator role to an inspired member of our community for the 2026 Calgary event. It’s possible I may be relocating in the new year which makes finding a suitable candidate important to continue the legacy of this event.

We have set up a Google Form which we kindly ask that everyone fills out so we have your correct information for our analysis and assigning people to field teams. This is a must if you plan to join us.

Please share the registration form widely with your network of neighbours, friends, family, and colleagues. If in the case you may be interested in taking on the coordinator role, there is an option on the form and provide a few details. We’ll be in touch right away so that we can loop you in on our planning for this year. We encourage anyone with an interest to apply!

Find the link to register in the bio. All birders and enthusiasts welcome!

Thanks so much and we can’t wait for you to join us!

📷 SSHA CBC in section W-3

06/12/2025

Just a few photos from the inaugural TREE PARTY!!! Thanks so much to and all of the other amazing groups that came together to put this awesome event on. Is there anything better than trees? Celebrating them only makes sense! Let's do everything we can to increase our urban canopy and protect our natural areas!

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05/17/2025

Hyper-edited photo to grab your attention! Lots of cool BIRDING community events coming up in the next few weeks!

Monday May 19: Victoria Big Day: if you've never taken part in a "Big Day", it's an event where you see how many species you can find in a single day. This event has been going for some 20 years or so in Calgary with the goal to find 100+ species within the Calgary municipal boundaries. There are still a few spots left if you'd like to come along for the entire day. Registration is required and it starts at 5:30am and runs ALL day! Of course, you can make the attempt yourself or with your close crew if you wish to try it out!

May 24-25 May Species Count: similar to the Christmas Bird Count but this circle is huge in comparison! The circle is 80km wide surrounding the Centre Street Bridge. The event began in 1976 and has around 50 sections that are covered by a birder or birders. Registration is also required for this but there are several areas that could use assistance. You may be paired up with one of the pros but you're sure to see some awesome stuff!

June 7-8: The annual Livingston Ranch Golf Course Bird Survey. The course is "certified bird-friendly" and requires an annual survey of all the birds on the property. It's just outside of Calgary at the Sibbald Creek turn off. This is not an easy course to walk and we are in need of some skilled birders (intermediate -advanced ID skills) to help cover the property. This area is fairly wild and you may encounter bears and traverse some challenging terrain. But there are some amazing birds and limber pines on the property. It starts around 5am and usually runs until 1pm or so. We are short about 6 people to properly cover the area.

For all of these events check out the Birds Calgary blog or send me a DM and I'll get you in touch with the organizers! We'd love to have you involved and even if you're not a pro, we could use your eyes, ears, and humor!

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05/06/2025

2025 Calgary City Nature Challenge Results!

Thank you to everyone who took part in the seventh annual Calgary City Nature Challenge! If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the years, it’s that nature is a pillar of our community. Our urban landscape not only supports a remarkable diversity of life, but also offers endless opportunities for people to explore, discover, and connect with the wonders of the natural world.

Calgary has always been a “City of Parks,” and throughout our local history, countless naturalists have found their inspiration right here at home.

Together, we’re not just observing nature — we’re helping to protect it for generations to come. Your observations matter. By contributing to citizen science, you’re also helping others appreciate, study, and conserve nature — both here in Calgary and around the world.

This event would not be possible without the support of your local (and often nearby) stewardship groups that care for and educate people on the importance of our natural areas. We ♥️ You and your work is never forgotten. Support them as they support us!

Thank you to the organizers at and for rallying the world to come together over nature!

Thank you all — and don’t let up! Spring is just ramping up, and although the City Nature Challenge is a great kickoff for the season, the observations you share year-round are what truly help build the living atlas we’re creating together.

2025 CNC Calgary Results

Global Rank (from 669 cities across 62 countries on 6 continents)
• Observations: 15,915 (47th)
• Species: 822 (178th) (927 total species but unconfirmed or captive)
• Observers: 339 (78th)

Canada Rank (from 39 urban areas)
• Observations: 15,915 (4th)
• Species: 822 (7th)
• Observers: 339 (6th)

There are still a few posts to come this week including some highlights of what our community found! Stay Tuned!

05/02/2025

CNC Day 1 Recap! A beautiful but windy day down at Frank Lake Conservation Area. A group of 12 keen birders ranging in experience and origin helped to document the amazing wildlife we encountered. It was a windy day and those foothill winds were strong. The birds, however, seemed right at home bopping in the waves and soaring all over. The pelicans were some of our favorites and the snow geese put on a show! After that, we took the long way back to Calgary and picked up a few other birds in the fields and tree stands. We also popped into the New Brighton Ponds and worked on some initial plant observations alongside the many birds starting visiting .ca incredible urban sanctuary. We missed the Purple Martins by one day but they were confirmed the following morning after probably riding those heavy winds over night. In the afternoon, hosted their Balzac Bioblitz and made some great observations along Nose Creek. We capped off the day we a local stroll through to investigate the Roxboro natural area. A long and busy day but wonderful nonetheless! Where were you observing on Day 1!?

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Calgary, AB

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https://linktr.ee/citynatureyyc

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