Pacific Rim National Park Reserve of Canada

Birding

Items in a well-prepared birder's back pack
© Parks Canada

Birding, or bird watching, is a rewarding activity in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (PRNPR) at any time of the year. Whether you're strolling on Long Beach, paddling in the Broken Group Islands or hiking the West Coast Trail, you are likely to see or hear some of the many birds that live in or visit the park.

A variety of habitats equals a variety of birds

PRNPR shoreline with Great Blue Heron
© Parks Canada

PRNPR protects an amazing variety of habitats. Sandy beaches, quiet mud flats, wave-swept small islands, rocky shorelines, dense coniferous rainforest, bogs, meadows, rivers, and streams. The variety of habitats supports a great variety of bird life. 330 bird species have been recorded here, and 96 of those species are known to breed here!

Priority Number One

Migratory and resident birds depend on PRNPR for resting, feeding and breeding. Their main priority is to survive and continue the survival of their species. Parks Canada's number one priority is to maintain and improve the Ecological Integrity of our national parks for present and future generations. As a birder your number one priority is to make sure your bird watching doesn't have a negative impact on the birds! Read on for some tips to help you:

Birding Tips

Speak to Parks Canada staff for information about which bird species you are likely to see.
© Parks Canada

• Match your expectations to the time of year (season) and the place (habitat). That way you won't be disappointed if you don't see Harlequin Ducks in June, for example. If you're birding on the shore, the height of the tide may mean the difference between seeing lots of birds and seeing none.
• Speak to Parks Canada staff to find out about what species you're likely to see, recent sightings, wildlife warnings and area closures.
• Leave your pet at home, or, if you must bring your pet, keep it on a leash at all times. Birds are easily disturbed and disturbance can mean the difference between survival and death.
• Keep a low profile . Move slowly, speak quietly, and do what you can to avoid “flushing” birds (causing birds to take flight unnecessarily).
• 
  Pick up a bird checklist at Parks Canada Info Centres
  © Parks Canada
  Use binoculars and/or a spotting scope to observe birds at a distance. Use zoom lenses for photography.
• Avoid nesting areas. Avoid using recorded calls to attract birds.
• Be aware of your surroundings. PRNPR is home to large carnivores: cougars, wolves and bears. Since birding often involves standing still and being concealed, be aware that YOU may be being watched!
• Be prepared . Dress for the weather, and the habitat you're birding in. Know the tides if birding on the shore.
• Report rare, injured, or dead birds to Parks Canada staff.
• Pick up a bird checklist at Parks Canada Info centres, or at local businesses.
• Learn to identify a few local birds by call and song . The dense coastal temperate rainforest often makes it hard to identify birds by sight.
• Remember that a bird's survival is more important than your record sighting or photograph!

Year-round residents

Here are some of the bird species that can be seen and heard year-round in PRNPR. Many of these birds also breed here:

• Bald Eagle
• Common Raven
• Steller's Jay
• Chestnut-backed Chickadee
• Black Oystercatcher
• Great Blue Heron
• Belted Kingfisher
• Winter Wren
• Common Loon
• Pelagic Cormorant
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Killdeer
• Golden-crowned Kinglet

Bald Eagle - A PRNPR resident.
© Parks Canada

Black Oystercatcher
© Parks Canada

Spring (March-May): Many Migrations!

In spring, many birds are on the move. PRNPR is located on the Pacific Flyway—a super highway for migratory birds. The PRNPR area is critical feeding and resting habitat for many migratory birds. For resident birds and some migrants, the park is where they will look for mates and raise their young. Late April and early May mark the peak of the shorebird migration, when thousands of migrating shorebirds stop to rest and feed before continuing their journey north.

Look and listen for:

• Geese: Canada, Greater White-fronted, Brant
• Shorebirds: Western Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Plover
• Warblers: Yellow-rumped, Townsend's, Wilson's
• Rufous Hummingbird

Shorebirds
© Parks Canada

Rufous Hummingbird
© Parks Canada

Summer (June-August): The Young and the Restless.

Summer is the time to see juveniles (young birds). Some adult shorebirds have already begun to migrate south again. This is also the time of year to see many different species of gulls.

Gulls
© Parks Canada

Look and listen for:

• Shorebirds: many adults will still be in breeding plumage.
• Juvenile birds of many species.
• Gulls of many species.
• Osprey

Fall / Winter (September-February): Winter Visitors.

Fall and winter see the arrival of winter migrants, including waterfowl that journey from the cold interior regions to the balmy ice-free waters of the coast. Winter storms will occasionally bring sightings of rare migrating birds blown off course.

Trumpeter Swan
© Parks Canada

Look and listen for:

• Trumpeter Swans,
• Harlequin ducks
• Bufflehead
• Common and Barrow's Goldeneyes
• Rare migrants blown off-course by winter storms
• Snowy Owl