Moose Jaw Christmas Bird Count Sets Record with 31 Species Spotted in 2025

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MOOSE JAW — Volunteers with Nature Moose Jaw marked a milestone during the 2025 Christmas Bird Count, recording the highest number of bird species ever documented within the city’s official count area.

The annual winter survey took place on Jan. 4 after being postponed from its original Dec. 17, 2025, date due to weather conditions. A total of 12 participants took part, according to assistant bird count co-ordinator Jeff Mander, who organizes the count alongside Nature Moose Jaw president Rich Pickering.

The count area follows a standardized circle with a 24-kilometre diameter, centred at the intersection of Caribou Street and Main Street North. Volunteers were assigned specific zones to ensure full coverage without overlap.

Three participants monitored backyard bird feeders for a designated period, while the remaining volunteers worked individually or in teams to survey five assigned areas throughout Moose Jaw and the surrounding countryside.

This year’s count recorded 2,163 individual birds representing 31 species, setting a new local record since the Moose Jaw Christmas Bird Count began in 1958. The previous record was 30 species.

“This was a record for us in terms of the number of species counted,” Mander said. “Over the past five years, we’ve typically seen between 25 and 30 species. While the increase wasn’t dramatic, it is the highest total we’ve achieved.”

As in past years, the largest numbers came from common urban birds. Volunteers recorded 992 House Sparrows and 567 Rock Pigeons. Other frequently observed species included 191 Gray Partridge, 101 House Finches, 65 Black-capped Chickadees, and 33 Black-billed Magpies. Winter-resident species such as Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers were also noted, with 11 and seven individuals recorded, respectively.

Observers also counted 75 Eurasian Collared-Doves, a species that is often mistaken for Mourning Doves.

One of the most significant sightings was a Long-eared Owl photographed by Pickering. This marked the first time the species has ever been recorded during the Moose Jaw Christmas Bird Count. Although Long-eared Owls are known to breed in the region, they are rarely observed.

“They’re fairly secretive,” Mander said. “They prefer wooded areas and hunt at night, so during the day they’re usually roosting and hard to spot.”

Other unusual winter sightings included a lone American Robin near open water, a Red-winged Blackbird, a Common Grackle, and four Short-eared Owls. Ten Snowy Owls were also recorded, mostly in rural areas north of the city.

The count also reflected long-term changes in local bird populations. Volunteers recorded 26 Common Ravens, a species that was absent from the count about 12 years ago but has appeared consistently since and is now known to breed locally.

“Ravens are a good example of how things are changing,” Mander said. “We didn’t record any on the Christmas count 12 years ago, and now we see them every year.”

While the survey focuses on birds, volunteers also noted mammals observed incidentally during the count. Seven mammal species were recorded, totalling 79 individuals. These included 14 Coyotes, 17 Mule Deer, 38 Eastern Fox Squirrels, and one American Badger.

The results will be submitted to Nature Saskatchewan for publication in Blue Jay magazine and to Birds Canada’s continental Christmas Bird Count database, which contains more than 100 years of data.

“That database is an important research tool,” Mander said. “It provides strong scientific evidence for tracking bird populations and long-term trends.”