Latest MBTCS News

The Lethbridge Christmas Bird Count 2024 brought together 80 dedicated participants who tallied an impressive 55 bird species and 31,020 individual birds across the city and surrounding areas. Highlights included new records for Western Meadowlark, American Dipper, and Northern Saw-whet Owl, along with high counts for Mallards, Downy Woodpeckers, and Northern Shrikes.

Discover how the Mountain Bluebird Trails Conservation Society (MBTCS) is enhancing conservation efforts for Mountain Bluebirds by integrating the NestWatch app into trail monitoring—empowering trail monitors and bird enthusiasts alike.

On September 16, 2024, the Mountain Bluebird Trails Conservation Society (MBTCS) Executive Committee gathered for their latest meeting, with important updates and decisions shaping the future of our efforts to protect and nurture bluebird populations.

On May 31, Ose Irete, CBC Journalist, took a walk with Jim Leitch, MBTCS President, on his Mountain Bluebird Nest Box Trail near Lethbridge. Take a look at the video for an understanding of what to expect when you become a Trail Monitor.

Thank you to all monitors for caring for the bluebird nest boxes. Our Trail Master is accepting requests for nest box renovation to be done after the 2024 nesting season.

We thank our current donors for their generosity and invite new supporters to join this vital cause. With your help, we can ensure that the skies of Southern Alberta will remain adorned with the Mountain Bluebird for years to come. Let's stand together for wildlife conservation; your support is more critical than ever.

Some times we have to deal with unwanted pests that find our nest boxes too irresistible. We are curious if you ever had an issue you wanted to share with others on the website?Here is a story from Jim Leitch, MBTCS president, that he shared back in 2016…

The Mountain Bluebird, facing threats from habitat destruction and invasive species, found a champion in Duncan Mackintosh and the budding community of conservationists he inspired. This marked the beginning of the Mountain Bluebird Trails, an initiative rooted deeply in community effort and ecological stewardship.

Spring has arrived, I think, but we certainly can't draw that conclusion if we use the weather as the determining factor. We know spring has arrived for sure when we hear about early sightings of the beautiful mountain bluebird. Some of those early sightings were in mid to late March this year. Most of our feathered friends arrive to begin their nesting process in April and early May.