Dinosaur Provincial Park
Last Review/Updated: May 10, 2002
© Alberta Government |
This World Heritage Site contains internationally famous dinosaur bone concentrations, Canada's largest protected badland areas, and a wide variety of wildlife, including over 140 bird species.
Explore the Cottonwood Flats Trail and campground to see mule deer, Canada geese, eastern and western kingbirds, rufous-sided towhees and northern orioles. Watch for belted kingfishers, great blue herons, great horned owls, brown thrashers and yellow-breasted chats near the Red Deer River.
Take a guided bus tour into the Nature Preserve or hike the Badlands Trail to see rock wrens, Say's phoebes, mountain bluebirds, prairie falcons and possibly a golden eagle or ferruginous hawk. On the prairie, look for Swainson's hawks, long-billed curlews, marbled godwits and horned larks.
In winter, watch for snow buntings, common redpolls and pronghorn. Waterfowl are abundant during spring and fall migrations. Following spring rains, listen for the rarely seen plains spadefoot toad. Bull snakes and prairie rattlesnakes are present here in summer. In May and June, blooming cactus and wildflowers are spectacular.
