Canada Guide
Alberta and the Rockies
Inglewood Bird Sanctuary
Address: 9th Avenue and 20A Street SE
Opening time: Dawn– dusk; Visitor centre: May– Sept daily 9am–5pm
Price: Free
Natural-history enthusiasts might want to visit the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, on the Bow River's forested flats. Some 230 species are present year-round – more during migratory cycles, around 266 species having been recorded across the sanctuary, a portion of land once owned by Colonel James Walker, one of Calgary's original North West Mounted Police. Some of the birds you might see include bald eagles, Swainson's hawks, ring-necked pheasants, warblers, grey partridges and great horned owls. Numerous duck, geese and other waterfowl are also present, and you may catch sight of muskrats, beavers, white-tailed and mule deer, foxes and long-tailed weasels. A visitor centre offers information, details of the year-round walking trails, and occasional natural history courses to guide nonexperts. To get here, follow 9th Avenue SE to Sanctuary Road and follow signs to the parking area on the river's south bank. On weekdays the #14 bus (East) turns off 9th Avenue at 17th Street SE, leaving you just a short walk from the Sanctuary.