British Columbia Birding with Canadian Geographic
Departing June 13, 2025
From boreal forest to Pacific ocean, true desert to teeming rainforest, and from grasslands to alpine tundra, British Columbia has the most diverse set of habitats in North America and perhaps even the world. This ultimate tour of Canada’s westernmost province could in fact be the ultimate temperate birding and wildlife adventure!
We begin in B.C.’s northeast Peace River district where grasslands and boreal forest meet. Birds of both ecosystems abound, many of whose ranges extend just into the province here in this region. Examples are Canada warbler, Nelson’s sparrow, yellow rail and upland sandpiper.
From here we’ll fly to Vancouver, on the mighty Fraser River delta. This city’s position makes it a huge draw for birders from around the world who seek migrants, breeding birds and vagrants. Highlights here include exciting shorebird viewing in Boundary Bay, montane birds of the North Shore Mountains and seabirds and rainforest specialties of Stanley Park.
Vancouver Island awaits us after a two hour ferry ride. We’ll spend three days exploring birding hotspots near Victoria such as Swan Lake and Martindale Flats, and take a whale-watching tour to view orcas up close. We’ll visit the wild west coast near Tofino for a pelagic tour that opens up a world of possibilities for seabirds, and comb the beaches in hopes of whimbrels, eagles and perhaps even a wolf.
From here we’ll traverse inland to the famed Okanagan region, known not only for its vineyards but also for avian diversity. Areas such as Kilpoola Lake host common poorwills and perhaps even sage thrashers, while Vaseux Lake is a site where we could have our highest daily species totals for the trip.
Overall this unique British Columbia birding tour offers the chance to see an incredible array of birds — over 200 species — in addition to some of the world’s best wildlife viewing. British Columbia is a magnificent province that has much to offer the naturalist explorer, from wild Pacific coastline to alpine tundra, and from arid desert to lush rainforest and more.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Vancouver
Day 2: Vancouver
Day 3: Boundary Bay and on to Manning Park
Days 4 – 6: The Okanagan
Day 7: Departure
Meet your RCGS Ambassador
Carol Patterson
Carol Patterson is a travel writer and photographer whose work has appeared in National Geographic, Canadian Geographic, the Daily Beast, USA Today, and the Calgary Herald, among others. A former tourism product development consultant, Carol has spoken at conferences and workshops in North America, Bhutan, Borneo, Botswana, China, Iceland, Norway, Scotland and the Faroe Islands, and written nine books, including The Business of Ecotourism.
Carol was an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary in the geography department, teaching classes in adventure travel and sustainability. She was named a Global Calgary Woman of Vision in 2008. She has also won several awards for her writing and photography from the Travel Media Association of Canada.
Carol has long ties with the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo. She used her private pilot’s license in 1985 to create the Calgary Zoo’s Flying Zoo program, her first step in leaving behind a job as a professional accountant to become an everyday explorer. She is a past Chairman of the Board of Trustees and was also a board member for Watchable Wildlife Inc., a U.S. non-profit established in the 1990s to promote wildlife viewing tourism in North America.