Nature’s finest spectacle now playing at an Alberta wetland near you!

A sure sign of autumn is the sound of birds overhead making their way south. Along their migration routes ducks and geese have staging areas where they rest and fuel up in preparation for the flight. In Alberta, many of these staging areas have been enhanced by Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and its conservation partners to improve habitat for waterfowl and increase viewing opportunities for people.

“Habitat conditions ranged from good to fair this year for nesting waterfowl in Alberta,” said Jonathon Thompson, a DUC biologist based in Edmonton. “Right now people will be seeing a lot of snow geese, white-fronted geese, mallards and pintails. Typically the large numbers of birds will be seen right through to mid October, then it starts to quiet down.”

Across Canada, waterfowl populations are up over last year. People in Alberta can expect a migration similar to last year’s.

The following are DUC recommended hot spots for migration viewing. They are located within a one to two hour drive from Alberta’s urban and rural centres and each one features public access to the wetland to see the birds. Some offer interpretive facilities as well. These areas are among the 1,700 wetland habitat conservation projects DUC has completed in Alberta:

Brooks

Kinbrook Marsh

Calgary

Frank Lake
Inglewood Bird Sanctuary

Camrose

Beaverhill Lake (Mundare Beach)
Beck
Mallow’s Lake

Edmonton

Big Lake

Grande Prairie

Wembley (Sunset) Lake
Kakut Lake
Stark-Patterson

McLennan

Kimiwan Lake Birdwalk

Peace River

Thomas (Dick Wald Memorial) Project

Red Deer

Stenhouse

Visit DUC’s Migration Station for quick migration facts.

For 65 Years, DUC has been conserving, restoring and managing wetlands and associated habitats for North America’s waterfowl. In addition to providing critical habitat to waterfowl and other wildlife, wetlands act as natural water filters that remove pollutants from drinking water.

Alberta

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