Birdwatching in British Columbia

British Columbia, famed for its natural beauty, is located on the Pacific coast with Alaska to the north, the Rockies to the east, the state of Washington to the south, and offer some of the best, if not the best birding in Canada.
Off Vancouver and Queen Charlotte Islands you will find some terrific pelagic birdwatching especially in the fall season.
In the rain forest of the Pacific coast line such western species as Spotted Owl, Townsend’s Warbler, Steller’s Jay to name a few can be found. Costal inlets and shores are on the major flyway for numerous shorebirds and waterfowls.
In the interior plains and valleys such birds like Sparrows, Western Meadowlark, Mountain Bluebird nest and many waterfowl even Pelicans raise their young in the lakes found here.
To the north you will find boreal mountains with raptors such as Gyrfalcon plus Ptarmigan, Gray-crowned Rosy Finch to name just a few.
The lower mainland hold such birds as Anna’s Hummingbird, Western Tanager and many more.
With more than 490 species of birds recorded in BC it is no wonder you have a birders paradise here.
Numerous Birdingpals will make sure that your visit to this beautiful place will be a memorable one.

Check our personalized year round birdwatching tours in British Columbia for small groups

Local Birdingpal Contacts

Local Birdwatchers Using the Birdingpal resources you must agree to the following: If you contact a local Birdingpal and make arrangement to go birding, you should note it is common courtesy to make sure you show up for the appointment. If for any reason you are unable to do this, the least you must do is contacting the local Pal right away. Please note that most Birdingpals are serious birdwatchers. It is a privilege to contact them, and your message should reflect it. A local Pal does not get paid, but should he/she offer to take you out birding, using their own vehicle, it would be courteous to pay for the fuel. A lunch and/or a small gift would also be appropriate, something as simple as a souvenir of your country, or a pin from your local birding club.
		Initial	Last Name	Area	Available	Language
		M	Vooys	Abbotsford	Anytime	English/Dutch
		I live in the Fraser Valley, an hour east of Vancouver. Great birding at Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Iona Island and Boundary Bay. I have been birding since 2000 and have birded over much of the USA and Canada. I am aiming to see 700 ABA birds by 2012.
		D	Nicholson	Cranbrook	Anytime	English
		In terms of birding around Cranbrook, our local checklist has 260 species. Depending on the time of year a good total for a couple days of serious birding could be upwards of 140 birds. The area has birds typical of the southern interior cordilleran zone. During migration we get species that are boreal or arctic breeders in addition to the resident and local breeders. The area is also referred to as the Serengeti of North America because of the healthy populations of large mammals. One cannot help but see Whitetail, Mule Deer and Elk, and with some work Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat and Black Bear can be seen. I am an amateur naturalist, and in addition to local birds am also very familiar with local butterflies, moths and dragonflies.
		A	Murray	Delta	Anytime	English/some French
		Author of A Nature Guide to Boundary Bay. Keen birder, live near Boundary Bay, Fraser River Estuary, major Important Bird Area in Canada. Knowledge of many birding areas in BC.
		R	Rutledge	Duncan	Anytime	English/French
		I live on Vancouver Island, one hr. North of Victoria and 10 mins. from Somenos Marsh. For Raptor lovers we have a Raptor exhibit 10 mins. away as well. There are many sites to visit for water birds and woodlands birds as well.
		A	van Woerden	Fraser Valley	Anytime
		C	Phippen	Kamloops	Anytime	English
		My husband and I are biologists located in the City of Kamloops. The Kamloops area is rich with waterfowl, Curlew, Kingbirds, Catbirds, Orioles, Hummingbirds, many Grouse species, Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles, Osprey, a number of Hawk Species, Meadowlarks and any bird that enjoys dry, grassland habitat. There are a number of provincial parks nearby and fantastic bird viewing areas.
		G	Dreger	Kamloops	Anytime	English
		I am very knowledgeable about the rural areas near Kamloops. I enjoy wildlife photography and am involved with the birding atlas of BC. The area is forested uplands and grasslands with waterfowl, raptors and many songbirds.
		D	Chapman	Kamloops	Weekend	English
		Fairly avid birder willing to share the local knowledge gained over the last few years.
		R	Cannings	Kelowna	Anytime	English/French
		I have lived in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia for my entire life and love to show off its beauty. I especially enjoy searching for all of the valley's 12 breeding owl species.
		L	Redford	Likely	Anytime
		D	Chesterton	Maple Ridge (summer only)	Anytime	English
		Keen Photographer.
		G	Davidson	Nakusp	Anytime	English
		Nakusp is a small town in rural British Columbia on the shores of Arrow Lake. May and June are the best times to visit, August and September also quite good.
		J	Lee	Nanaimo, Vancouver Island	Anytime	English/Spanish
		I am a passionate lover of our wonderful nature. I have lived on Vancouver Island for 20 years, 16 years in Victoria, south island. Prior to that I have lived in various places in B.C. I began my birding with my first pheasant chick raised from egg in 1960! I am willing to exchange information with birders on BC. I am very interested in bird migration and conservation of habitats, especially oak landscapes, for neotropical migrants. Potential for birding: absolutely wonderful natural areas for birding, year round!
		R	Wege	Nelson	Anytime
		D	Sly	Nelson	Anytime	English some French/German
		Amateur birder who keeps in touch. Does the bird counts.
		N	Robins	Parksville/Oceanside/Nanaimo	Anytime	English
		I am a birder who leads bird walks twice a week with the Backyard Wildbird Store. I live in Parksville which is an area filled with seabirds from November to May. From May to November the forests in the area are alive with songbirds. Check the www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com for up to date sightings in the Parksville and area.
		G	Roy	Pender Island	Anytime	English/French
		Located in the Gulf islands in southern British Columbia. Noted for seabirds, Bald Eagles, Ospreys, Ducks etc.
		W	Brick	Port Alberni	Anytime	English
		A	Clements	Powell River	Anytime	English some Spanish
		We live in a rural area north of Vancouver on the Strait of Georgia in British Columbia. It is a wonderful birding area with many indigenous birds. It is especially rich in winter waterbirds. We are serious birders who have birded in Europe, Australia, Japan, Central and South America and throughout North America. We are members of our local naturalist club so we know many local birders.
		V	Knap	Richmond	Anytime	English Czek/Russian
		J	Hudson	Richmond	Anytime	English
		Nearby Vancouver Airport. Member of Nature Vancouver. Lead field trips for NV. Bird bander. Teach birdwatching classes. Welcoming beginners. Willing to show you around any of our excellent natural areas.
		L	Rockwell	Summerland	Anytime	English
		Birding for 35 years, warden for the Trout Creek Ecological Reserve in Summerland since 1982. Past president of the South Okanagan Naturalist Club. Participant in annual Christmas bird counts, owl and bird breeding surveys and the BC Breeding Bird Atlas. Studying a population of Gray Flycatchers for 18 years. Occasional wildlife technician for bird studies. Contributing nest records to the BC Nest Record Scheme since 1980. Conduct a Birding For Beginners course for local college and Parks and Recreation department. The Summerland area is approximately 50 km from Kelowna to the north and 15km from Penticton in the south. It is an area of dry forest and agriculture. Water birding is confined to the shores of Okanagan Lake,primarily during migration and the winter. Species in this area that may be of interest are: Western Screech Owl, Gray Flycatcher, Red-breasted, Pygmy and White-breasted Nuthatchs, Western Bluebird, Lewis's Woodpecker, Rock Wren, White-throated Swift, Western Tanager, Clarke's Nutcracker and Cassin's Finch. Summerland is less than an hours drive from exotics like Yellow-breasted Chat, Brewer's Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Chukar, Gray Partridge, Mountain Bluebird, Bobolink, Canyon Wren and William's Sapsucker.
		L	Pollard	Surrey	Anytime	English
		Close to Boundary Bay, one of the most important IBA's in Canada.
		G	Carlson	Surrey/Vancouver	Anytime	English/some Swedish/French
		I'm a professional biologist, who lives near the SW Coast of British Columbia, within driving distance to the rain forests and to the Boundary Bay IBA marine area and Reifel Bird Sanctuary.
		J	Bell	Terrace	Anytime	English
		Terrace is a couple hours south of the alaskan panhandle and part of the Pacific Flyway. A variety of songbirds stay here to breed, and we are only a 30 minute drive from the Kitimat River Estuary which is a major attraction to both breeding and migrating waterfowl. Terrace is an ideal staging point for birders as we are located in the middle of various converging habitats: coastal wetlands, rugged mountains, subalpine, old growth conifers and deciduous flats are all close by. A day's travel northward will take you to the Boreal region. In Prince Rupert you can take the Ferry to the Queen Charlotte Islands to see magnificent sea birds, and thereare adventure tours in Prince Rupert that offer birding, wild grizzly bear watching and world class fishing.
		C	Knox	Vancouver	Anytime
		B	Scott	Vancouver	Weekend
		G	Innes	Vancouver	Anytime	English
		D	Matthews	Vancouver	Anytime	English
		I am a Master bird bander (ringer) and birder in the Vancouver, BC, Canada area.
		B	Self	Vancouver	Anytime	English
		British by birth, I have birded North America for over 40 years and have travelled extensively to bird. The Vancouver checklist has over 400 species and the area is good at almost any time of the year. We are a shorebird mecca in Spring and Fall migration.
		S	Lindenberger	White Rock, Vancouver	Anytime	English/German Hebrew/Spanish
		We have some really fine birding areas near us, both in BC and we're right on the Washington border, so that's within reach.
		M	Habdas	Vancouver	Anytime	English
		I am an computer and photography instructor with the Vancouver School Board and an active member of the Vancouver Natural History Society birding section. Visit my website at www.birdsphotography.com.
		M	Boyd	Vancouver	Weekends	English some Spanish
		P	Kelly	Vancouver	Weekend	French/German English Written Arabic/ Turkish
		While I would be delighted to host visiting birders, I would need plenty of prior notice, would be unavailable between March and June inclusive and would be limited to Vancouver and the Lower Mainland (where I have almost thirty years birding experience), since I have a busy accounting practice.
		E	Padilla	Vancouver	Weekend	English/Filipino
		I like to see and identify lots of birds in Vancouver.
		L	Cowan	Vancouver	Anytime	English
		I am retired and would like to share my love of birds and local knowledge with other Birdingpal members. I have lead monthly bird walks for the areas largest club, Nature Vancouver, for 15+ years and have been an avid birder since 1989. I live in Pitt meadows which is about 20 km from Vancouver proper.
		E	Carol	Vancouver	Weekend	English/some French
		The Lower Mainland of BC is an amazing place to live for a birder. I am an "amateur intermediate" birder.
		E	Yoa	Vancouver	Weekend	English/Japanese Cantoneese
		I'm fairly new to birding, but have become gradually better at identifying the birds common the the area through photography. I love photographing them. I also enjoy visiting a pair of bald eagles that have a nest nearby on the weekends.
		C	Di Corrado	Vancouver	Weekend	"English/Spanish basic French
		Lived in Vancouver for 7 years, and travel extensively throughout BC, so have pretty good knowledge of provincial ranges and areas, or local birders, and I coordinate the BC Breeding Bird Atlas, so that really helps lay it out! I'm good with landbirds, seabirds, but less experienced with shorebirds. If I'm working in the field I could perhaps even meet with people if they would like to help with field surveys.
		W	Glavind	Vancouver (Summer only)	Anytime	English some Spanish
		Our winter residence is in Mazatlan, Mexico. Wally.
		K	La Plante	Vancouver (West)	Anytime
		L	Lee	Vancouver (West)	Anytime	English
		Avid birder and certified bird bander. Experience Northwestern birds up close by coming out and visiting our banding station. Lots of knowledge about our birding hotspots, bird calls and songs in the Lower Mainland.
		D	Spence	Victoria	Anytime	English/French
		Bed and Breakfast (Amore by the Sea) located on Albert Head Bird Sanctuary, just 20 minutes outside the city of Victoria. 'One of Victoria's best beaches.
		G	O'Neill	Victoria	Anytime	English/French
		E	Pellizzon	Victoria	Anytime	English
		I have been birding for 12 years and know some of the best spots for birds in my area.
		R	Schortinghuis	Victoria	Anytime	English
		I have been birding for 12 years. I organize and lead field trips for the Victoria Natural History Society so I know the area very well.
		J	Gatten	Victoria	Weekend	English
		Victoria is on the southern tip of Vancouver Island and offers a nice slice of Pacific Northwest birding. The main draw of the area, from a ABA birding standpoint, is the Sky Larks that have been established here for over a century.
		C	Prior	Victoria	Anytime	English
		I live in a city which is well placed for both Spring and Fall migrants as well as coastal species. I have lived in the U.K., Australia as well as the last 30 years in Canada. Most winters I travel extensively to wildlife reserves around the world.
		M	Cuthbert	White Rock	Anytime	English
		Naturalist and conservation volunteer near Vancouver BC and the Fraser River Estuary, top rated Important Bird Area in Canada and designated Site of Hemispheric Importance.
Professional Guides If you contact a professional Birdingpal guide you must be prepared to pay a fee for guiding services.
		Initial	Last Name	Area	Available	Language
		A	Dorst	Tofino	Anytime	English
		Adrian Dorst first arrived in Tofino in 1972 to conduct bird surveys in the newly-established Pacific Rim National Park for Canadian Wildlife Service. That summer job turned into full time residency with Adrian supporting himself with occasional bird surveys, a variety of short-term jobs, wood carving and freelance nature and wilderness photography. In 1976 he co-authored the book, Birds of Pacific Rim National Park, and in 1990 had his first photographic book, Clayoquot, On the Wild Side, published. This book, depicting the wild west coast of Vancouver Island and its wildlife, became a best seller. When the photography market slumped a decade ago, Adrian turned to guiding, both birding trips and more general interpretive nature hikes. After 4 decades of birding in Tofino, he has personally seen over 290 of the 330 species ever recorded here, and his knowledge of where to find them is second to no one. Expect a relaxed tour with many stories.
		D	Carsen	Victoria	Anytime	English
		Dannie Carsen has lived in Victoria since 1980 and been involved with the Victoria Natural History Society for almost 30 years. Dannie was the Christmas Bird Count leader for 3 years, and has led numerous trips for the VNHS. For several years, Dannie was also involved in organizing post-conference trips for the BC Field Ornithologists and enjoyed planning trips to the Peace River, Okanagan Valley, and Columbia Valley. In past years, Dannie spent considerable time around San Blas, Mexico helping with the International Birding Festival by collecting binoculars for local birders and leading river trips for local birders. Dannie knows the Saanich Peninsula birding hotspots and is able to get you from Victoria International Airport or the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal to the interesting local specialties found in farmer’s fields, parks and waterfront locations near Victoria. “Birding by Bike” tours are available for a biking big day (or half day) with bikes provided as required. Dannie can also provide “Birds and Wine” tours of the Saanich Peninsula and the Cowichan Valley which starts with 5 hours birding in the morning and finishes with 3 hours of winery and ciderhouse visits on southern Vancouver Island.

Local Information

	Name	Description
	Birder friendly lodging	British Columbia
	Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia	British Columbia
	Local weather	Yahoo
	Electronic maps	Google
	Field guides recommended by Birdingpals	British Columbia
	Find lowest prices for field guides, books, maps etc.	BookFinder4U
	Bird check list	Printable
	Neil Robins's guide to Vancouver Island	British Columbia
	Federation of BC Naturalists	Club
	Nature Vancouver	Club
	Victoria Natural History Society	Club
	Chilliwack Field Naturalists	Club
	Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve	Club
	South Okanagan Naturalists	Club
	Rocky Point Bird Observatory	Banding
	George C. Reifel	Migratory Bird Sanctuary
	Birding Hotspots around the world	Sites
	Meadowlark	Festival
	Brant Wildlife	Festival
	Boundary Bay	Sites
	Bird Guide	Sites
	Birdnotes.net	Birding
	Creston Valley	Sites
	Jeffrey Newman's	Cariboo region
	Bluewater Adventures	Pelagic

Last update 06/01/2012