Saskatchewan Whooping Cranes with Canadian Geographic

Departing October 5, 2025
In October, sandhill cranes migrate by the thousands south across southern Saskatchewan, stopping at various localities to refuel before continuing their journey. With them are a handful of whooping cranes, coming south from breeding grounds in Wood Buffalo National Park in the Northwest Territories.
We have a good chance of finding whooping cranes on our birding tour as there is a fine network of field observers scouting the area for these legendary birds. Along with cranes, tens of thousands of snow geese and Canada geese, with lesser numbers of Ross’s, greater white-fronted and cackling geese, are pouring through, as well as other waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors and passerines, especially large flocks of lapland longspurs with snow buntings and possibly northern shrikes.
If time permits and we have seen whooping cranes well, we will venture to Prince Albert National Park and the boreal forest, where we will have chances for boreal specialties like spruce grouse, pileated, black-backed and American three-toed woodpecker, Canada jay, boreal chickadee, bohemian waxwing, and occasionally pine or evening grosbeak, or white-winged crossbill. We also have the possibility to see moose, elk and sometimes river otter.