06/17/2026
Recently I visited arguably one of the most important inland shorebird sites in the province and North America, Chaplin (located between Moose Jaw and Swift Current). During migration, it’s home to tens of thousands of staging shorebirds. This includes the stopover, though brief, of approximately half of the world’s Sanderling population and 30 other shorebird species often totalling up to 50,000-100,000.
Though I was late by a few weeks to catch the massive flocks, I was fortunate to see the following (in order of appearance):
✨Upland Sandpiper
✨Wilson’s Phalarope
✨American Avocet
✨Western Meadowlark
✨Northern Shoveler
✨Northern Pintail
✨Double-crested Cormorant
✨Swainson’s Hawk
✨Eared Grebe
✨Ruddy Turnstone
✨Willet
✨American Pelican
✨White-faced Ibis
Adjacent to Old Wives and Reed Lakes, this area (including Chaplin Lake) is recognized as a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) site of Hemispheric Importance which spans over 42,000 hectares.
The lake’s massive, shallow saline wetlands with an abundance of brine shrimp and aquatic invertebrates make it the perfect place to rest, feast and refuel for birds heading north to breed in the Canadian Arctic.
This essential habitat also serves as a critical stopover site for migrants such as Sanderlings, Red Knots and Baird’s Sandpipers.
Additionally, it’s a vital breeding ground for the endangered Piping Plover, Wilson’s Phalarope and American Avocet.
Other target birds include Marbled Godwit, Hudsonian Godwit, Stilt Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper and Red-necked Phalarope.
Have you been?
