BIRD AND
NATURE COUNTS
Christmas Bird Counts
Christmas Bird Counts are bird population surveys conducted throughout North America on any one day between December 14 and January 5 inclusive under the auspices of Birds Canada and the Audubon Society. They are carried out within a 24 km diameter circle that stays the same from year to year. Nature Regina hosts counts centered in Regina, as well as in Craven and Balgonie. More recently, a Buffalo Pound Provincial Park count has been added.
For over 70 years Nature Regina members have participated in the annual Christmas Bird Count. The Regina count is usually on a weekend day close to Boxing Day. We also encourage as many members as possible to participate by taking part of the day to record counts of birds at their bird feeders. You don’t need to leave home to help although the more the merrier on the field trips.
On the count day volunteers fan out across the count area to identify as many birds and mammals as possible. Volunteers usually go out in groups, although single-observer counts also occur. Each group is led by someone with strong bird identification skills, so even someone that doesn't know birds well can prove to be a valuable spotter. These counts can start in the morning around 8 a.m. and often finish in the late afternoon between 3:30-5:00 pm, although it is also possible to go out for a portion of the day.
Please watch for the notice in our November/December newsletter for dates and how to participate, or see our Events page.
Christmas Bird Counts for Kids
A Christmas Bird Count for Kids is held in Regina, usually in early January in Wascana Centre, and is hosted by Nature Saskatchewan with help from Nature Regina. This event allows children of all ages to learn about the birds that can survive our tough winters and lets the kids practice their bird ID skills. Volunteers are needed to help with the event.
If you wish to volunteer with Christmas Bird Counts or CBCs for Kids, please complete the Volunteer Sign-Up form.
City Nature Challenge
Started in 2016 as a competition between San Francisco and Los Angeles, the City Nature Challenge (CNC) has grown into an international event, motivating people around the world to find and document wildlife in their cities.
Run by the Community Science teams at the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the CNC is an annual four-day global bioblitz at the end of April, where cities are in collaboration-meets-friendly-competition to see not only what can be accomplished when we all work toward a common goal, but also which city can gather the most observations of nature, find the most species, and engage the most people in the event. 2025 marked the 10th Year Anniversary of the City Nature Challenge. Nature Regina has taken part in the event from 2021 until present - this year marks our 5th year!
For more information on the Canadian CNC,
visit the Canadian Wildlife Federation website.
For more information on the CNC, please see the CNC official website.
For more information on this year's event, please visit our iNaturalist Project, or find details about the event on our Events Page and keep an eye
on our social media for updates!
For more information on past CNC events that Nature Regina has
been apart of, see our iNaturalist projects here:
City Nature Challenge 2021: Regina and Area
City Nature Challenge 2022: Regina and Area
City Nature Challenge 2023: Regina and Area
City Nature Challenge 2024: City Nature Challenge 2024: Regina and Area
City Nature Challenge 2025: Regina and Area
Nature in the Community
As a volunteer with Nature Regina, there are opportunities to participate in a variety of other nature counts and activities happening in the Regina area. These may include:
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assist with BioBlitzes (an event that focuses on finding and identifying as many species as possible in a specific area over a short period of time)
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assist with plant inventories in a designated area
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participate in Citizen Science projects, e.g. Project FeederWatch
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participate in nature festivals, e.g., World Bird Migratory Day, in May
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assist teachers and other educators with nature interpretive activities, e.g., Friends of Wascana Marsh school days
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clean up and enhancement of nature park and other public areas in and around Regina
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assist the Royal Saskatchewan Museum with nature-oriented programs such as monarch butterfly rearing and release
Watch for these opportunities, advertised from time to time in our e-news, bimonthly newsletter and on our Events page.
