Ultimate British Columbia: Coast & Grasslands

• Relatively easy and productive birding among the most scenically impressive areas of the province.
• Up to 200 species of birds; including many warblers, a dozen shorebirds, six wrens, five vireos, four hummingbirds, and many others.
• Spectacular mammal viewing with a great chance at black bears, orcas, grey whale, sea otter, elk, marmots and many more goodies.
• Visiting some renowned tourist hotspots and travelling off the beaten path too!
• Two spectacular boat trips.
• The chance to relax in the evenings over west coast cuisine and wine selection.

Tour Overview

From the temperate rainforest of the Pacific ocean to the grassland and desert areas of the Okanagan, we visit a diverse set of habitats on this birding tour of British Columbia.

We begin in 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 in addition to some fantastic 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.