Green-winged Teal

The Green-winged Teal is North America's smallest dabbling Duck. They breed in our Park and are also known to be a fast flyer, reaching up to 70km/h. They are named for their green speculum as you can see in the picture. This Teal is a female, and the much larger duck is a Mallard.

An American Redstart Nest

This little "Momma" Redstart (very little, usually only standing 4-5 inches tall) is looking a somewhat grumpy after we had discovered her nest. She had 3 babies underneath her, which have since flown off!

When we revisited the nest the next day, The male and the female were just returning with some food for the young, so they must be doing well. 

For more info on this often misidentified warbler, visit here! 

Cedar Waxwing

The Cedar Waxwing is recognisable by its cream colour and crest that lies flat over the back of its head. Its tail is grey with a bright yellow tip and its wingtips are red and waxy. They are social birds and are often seen in flocks. They specialise in eating fruit which is why we often see them around the Sorbus aucuparia,more commonly known as mountain-ash and the Amelanchier, also known as serviceberry, saskatoon or wild pear in the park! Because they eat so many berries, they can occasionally become intoxicated or die from eating fermented berries.

Look for them especially along the trail parallel to the Trans Canada Highway, on the Northern part of the Park.

Downy Woodpecker

The Downy Woodpecker is a common year-round resident across Canada.

Generally, Woodpeckers don't sing songs, instead they drum on wood or metal, deliberately, and not for feeding. Although not found typically in wetlands, we occasionally have them in the Park.

Our other most commonly seen Woodpecker, the Hairy Woodpecker looks very much like the Downy. The most notable difference is their size. While the Downy is 16 cm, the Hairy is 24 cm. The Downy Woodpecker also has a much shorter bill in proportion to its head than the Hairy.

Both males can be  recognized by their bright red patch on the back of the head. For more information on the Downy Woodpecker, look at this link!

Also keep an eye out for Northern Flickers which are also seen in our Park!

Red-winged Blackbird

The Red-winged Blackbird is one of the most common birds in our Park. The male is glossy black with red and yellow shoulder patches. The females are mostly streaked brown, comparable to a giant dark sparrow.

Males are very territorial, sometimes spending more than a quarter of daylights hours defending their territory. They can even chase away much larger birds and animals than themselves, including humans. During breeding season, the males can often be seen high on a perch, singing. Click on this link for a video of a Red-winged Blackbird calling!

The dense cattails in our Waterfowl Park provide the Red-winged Blackbird with great nesting spots. The female will usually put her nest near the surface of the water in dense vegetation (such as cattails). For more information on the Red-winged Blackbird, click on this link!