BC Bird Trail

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BC Bird Trail

Whether you’re a seasoned birder or just taking off, the BC Bird Trail is your guide to explore birding, conservation, and community in British Columbia.

Situated on the Pacific Flyway, British Columbia is home to a vast array of North America’s best birdwatching opportunities. The BC Bird Trail is your guide to explore birding, conservation and community in the province. As an online resource and trip-planning tool, The BC Bird Trail connects locals and tourists with all there is to know about bird watching destinations and activities across Briti

sh Columbia. Funded in part by Destination BC, Tourism Richmond, Birds Canada, Indigenous Tourism BC, and more – the informative local travel website and self-guided itineraries can be found online at BCBirdTrail.ca

23/01/2025

🐦️😃 We're so glad to share another edition of our series! In this profile, we speak with Anne Murray, a keen lifelong , nature writer, conservationist, and member of the . Anne is also the author of the books “Nature Guide to Boundary Bay” and “Tracing Our Past”.
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🪶 Read the blog at the link in our bio to learn more about Anne and birding in and the : https://bcbirdtrail.ca/field-notes/bc-birders-profile-series-anne-murray-delta/
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📸 Photo 2 courtesy Anne Murray and Glen Bodie.
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22/01/2025

🗒️ This week we've discussed some basics: What is Birding? and Identifying Birds by Sight. But what about ID'ing the birds you can't see?⁠
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🎶🐦️ Recognizing birds by their calls takes some practice. It’s a skill you can learn and develop, and you’ll be surprised that you may already know some common BC bird sounds.⁠
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👉️ Read our blog "Birding 101: Identifying Birds By Their Songs and Calls" for some tips and resources you can use to ID birds by sound: https://bcbirdtrail.ca/field-notes/birding-101-identifying-birds-by-their-sounds/
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21/01/2025

🤔 How are your bird ID skills?
🗒️Continuing with the theme of ✨️, we wanted to share another blog that might help some beginner out there: 'Identifying Birds by Sight'.
🪶Bird ID can be complicated, we make mistakes sometimes too! It can seem daunting for new birders, but, you can probably already ID a few birds without even thinking about it!

👉️ Check out our blog post for some helpful tips you can use to improve your skills: https://bcbirdtrail.ca/field-notes/identifying-birds-by-sight/
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20/01/2025

🍾 The start of a new year is a great time to pick up a new hobby. If you've been thinking about starting your journey, now is the perfect time! 🐦️
🌲 In many parts of BC, there is still plenty of bird activity, but if you're in an area where bird activity winds down in the winter ❄️ you can still start working on your birding skills.
🗒️ In our Birding 101 Blog Series, we break down birding basics for you, so you can improve your skills, or just get started.

👉️ Check out our first blog of the series, Birding 101: What Is Birding?: https://bcbirdtrail.ca/field-notes/birding-101-what-is-birding/

17/01/2025

Did you know ⁉️ that woodpeckers don’t actually sing songs? When you hear the iconic pecking sound it isn’t a symptom of their feeding habits, but their version of a 'song'.

This is a 🪵🐦 You can find them right now along the Okanagan and Sea to Sky BC Bird Trails.

🔎 Compared to their eastern siblings, Downy Woodpeckers in the west have a generally darker hue and fewer white splotches on their tail feathers. Be careful not to confuse them for their larger look-alike, the Hairy Woodpecker; Downy Woodpeckers have a shorter beak.

📸 Photo by Dariusz Grosa

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16/01/2025

🌊🌲🪶 Rugged shoreline, dense forest, and a peaceful sheltered harbour create the community of Ucluelet, or 'Ukee'. Ecosystems full of life provide the perfect landing ground for countless species of birds. ⁠Keep reading for our idea of a perfect day of in !

☕ Start your day at local favourite, The Foggy Bean Coffee Company. Try their artisan coffees made with locally roasted beans. Enjoy in the warm atmosphere of the cafe, or take it to go and explore the surrounding harbour.

⛵The calm waters of the Ucluelet Harbour are a great spot to go birding. Several species of birds can be found here, including brown pelicans, ancient murrelets, and trumpeter swans.

🌲 Next, take a stroll on the Wild Pacific Trail, which offers great birding for all levels. With sections of boardwalks and mostly flat terrain, the trail is family-friendly and can be split up into smaller sections.

🍺 For lunch, head back into town to Ucluelet Brewing Company. It’s a must-visit for craft beer lovers. They offer a rotating selection of handcrafted beers and snack menu, with comforting bites like house-made soft pretzels and home-made chilli.

🏖 After lunch, check out your next birding spot, Terrace Beach. This secluded, sandy beach is a haven for migratory birds. You can spot oystercatchers, turnstones, mergansers and many species of shorebirds.

🥗 Treat yourself to an award winning dining experience at Pluvio. Known for its seasonal menu using locally sourced ingredients, Pluvio showcases the best of Canadian cuisine.

🐦️ We hope you enjoyed this day of birding in ! If you’re looking for more birding hot spots in Ucluelet, check out the full itinerary here: https://bcbirdtrail.ca/trails/ucluelet/

📸 Photos courtesy Tourism Ucluelet

15/01/2025

A little hummingbird on one of those rare Vancouver days with a sprinkle of snow ❄️ Thanks for tagging us, Matt!

Who has some wintery bird snaps?! We love sharing your photos, so make sure to tag them with or @ bcbirdtrail on Instagram 🐦️

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📷 Photo Credit: Instagram user mjtphoto.org_

09/01/2025

🌲🐦️ Looking for an immersive, nature-filled adventure on your next trip to Squamish? We’re thrilled to announce the first-ever BC Bird Trail Scavenger Hunt in collaboration with Squamish

🪶 Explore stunning birding locations, play our bird bingo, answer trivia questions, and discover the vibrant wildlife that makes this region special. You could win an awesome BC Bird Trail prize pack!

👉️ Read our blog post for instructions on how you can participate in this scavenger hunt, and how to win our prize package: https://bcbirdtrail.ca/field-notes/squamish-scavenger-hunt/

*Contest runs until January 14, 2025*
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07/01/2025

🌲🏝🪶 Encompassing a rich tapestry of coastal, forested, and shoreline habitats, the are a haven for . Each island offers its own distinct charm. Keep reading for our idea of a perfect day of on !

☕ Start your journey at . It's the perfect spot for a quick and easy breakfast. Grab a coffee, fresh baked good or sandwich to enjoy in the cozy cafe or on the go.

🦉 For your first birding spot, head to Roe Lake, which offers an inland wetland environment. Of the 100 + species spotted here, some highlights include the Great Horned Owl, Pacific Slope Flycatcher and American Coot.

🦅 Next, check out Roesland, formerly a pioneer homestead and now a scenic seaside park. Keep your eyes peeled for sightings of eagles, shore birds, sea stars in the intertidal zones, and playful harbour seals in the surrounding waters.

🥪 Before heading out to the next birding destination, stop by Southridge Country Store to stock up on some goodies. Craft the perfect picnic with their selection of local artisanal foods.

🦆 Next, check out Hope Bay, an important overwintering site for waterfowl. 134 species have been observed in the area, including Marbled Murrelets, Pied-billed Grebes and the charismatic Belted Kingfisher.

Wrap up the perfect day of birding with a delicious meal from HUB Pender Island, B.C. . This oceanfront restaurant offers modern vegetarian Mediterranean cuisine and has a small design shop with unique homewares and gifts.

🐦️ We hope you enjoyed this day of birding on ! If you’re looking for more birding locations in the Southern Gulf Islands, check out the full itinerary here: https://bcbirdtrail.ca/trails/southern-gulf-islands/

06/01/2025

💫🍾 The start of a new year is a great time to set some goals or challenges you wish to accomplish. Many are starting to plan their , are you? 🤔

⭐️ A Big Year is a personal goal birders set to encourage them to explore and seek out birds. ⁠Typically the goal is to see as many species of birds as possible in a year, but there are also usually some self-introduced parameters.🪶

🗒️Check out our blog and get started on your Big Year: https://bcbirdtrail.ca/field-notes/big-year/

🦤 What's on your bucket list for 2025?⁠
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02/01/2025

Sometimes referred to as the ‘pint-sized’ owl, Northern Saw-whet owls are named for their repetitive whistle that sounds like a saw being whetted (aka sharpened). 🪚

🔭 These lil guys are pretty common in BC but can be difficult to spot due to their highly nocturnal behaviour. During the day, look for them in dark, sheltered spots while they’re resting. They seem to prefer older forests that are thick with douglas fir and cedar trees.

📍 If you’re in looking for Northern Saw-whet owls along the try the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta.

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Photo credit: Shutterstock

20/12/2024

🤔 Are you participating in North America’s longest-running Citizen Science project this year?
🎄🐦️ The Christmas Bird Count takes place between December 14th and January 5th, and occurs all over the continent!

🗒️ The Christmas Bird Count is very important to conservation research. The information collected becomes one of the world’s largest sets of wildlife survey data!

👉️ Find out when a Christmas Bird Count is happening in your area here: https://bcbirdtrail.ca/field-notes/christmas-bird-count-preview/

📸 Photo by on Instagram. Tag us in your bird photos or use for a chance to be featured!
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16/12/2024

🦅🍂The Season of the Wild has returned!
Celebrate the beauty and biodiversity of the . ⁠
Taking place from October 2024 until January 2025, explore the trails and waterways to immerse yourself in this ecologically rich ecosystem and witness the abundant wildlife that flocks to the region. ⁠
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🪶Throughout the season, several exciting events and tours are scheduled to help you discover the mesmerizing world of spawning salmon, majestic Bald Eagles, and the prehistoric Sturgeon.⁠
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👉️ Learn more about Season of the Wild: https://tourismharrison.com/event-directory/season-of-the-wild/
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📸 Image Credit:
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13/12/2024

What do these two shorebirds have in common❓

Both Dunlins (first photo) and Surfbirds (second photo) breed in the high north and spend their non-breeding months (that’s wintertime for us) along the shores of the Pacific coastline. 🌊

🌎 While Dunlins can be found in the winter on both the east and west coasts of North America, Surfbirds are only found along the rocky shores of the west coast.

fun 🆒 fact 👉 Surfbirds have the longest and narrowest winter range of any North American breeding bird. In winter, they can be found from Alaska all the way down to Chile - that’s almost 17,500 km! But they never stray far from the ocean, you’ll only find them within a few meters of the shore. [source: allaboutbirds.org]

🗒️ read our Field Notes blog, Winter Birding in BC, for more seasonal tips

📷️ Photo credit: Dunlin by Shayne Kaye, Surfbird by Soly Moses.

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11/12/2024

🐦 Here's a feisty bird to look for this winter: the .

Northern shrikes are incredible predatory songbirds known as “butcher birds”, and are an exciting rarer winter sight in the Columbia Valley or the .

🐁 Their carnivorous habits make them pretty unique in the bird world. The tiny predators use their notched bill to hunt for insects, rodents and small birds. They're even known to save their meals for later by impaling them on thorns or wedging them into branches!

⚠️ Not to be confused with Loggerhead shrikes, which are smaller and darker than Northern shrikes.

👉 Read our blog, Winter Birding in BC, for more seasonal tips. https://bcbirdtrail.ca/field-notes/bc-birding-in-winter/

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Photo credit: Shutterstock

09/12/2024

@🪶Looking for some new birding hotspots in the South Fraser? Check out the Itinerary on the South Fraser Bird Trail! The heart of the Pacific Flyway, Richmond’s diverse ecosystems are home to a plethora of .🐦️

🌊 Be sure to stop by Garry Point Park, a large waterfront park where the West and South D**e Trails meet. It's common to spot a variety of raptors, shorebirds, and waterfowl in this area.

👉️Read the full itinerary here: https://bcbirdtrail.ca/trails/south-fraser/richmond/

🎒 Need some extra birding equipment? Rent a Birdwatching ExplorePACK from the Richmond Public Library ()!
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, BC

06/12/2024

Embrace the elements and you might be treated to a glimpse of a short-eared owl! 🦉

☀️ Unlike most owls, they’re active and hunt during the day. The best times to look for them are at dawn and dusk, which, with the sun rising just before 8 AM at this time of the year, makes them much easier to enjoy.

👀 Find some farmlands or fields and keep an eye low to the ground. are often seen sitting on the ground or flying low as they hunt for prey. (Psst... the has some good spots with fields and farmlands).

👉️ Read our blog post, Winter Birding in BC, for more seasonal tips and birds to watch out for. You know where to find it!

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04/12/2024

🌲🦅 Play our Birdwatching Bingo, part of the Scavenger Hunt in collaboration with !

🏆️ Download the Squamish Scavenger Hunt PDF to participate, and you could win an awesome BC Bird Trail prize pack!

👉️ Read our blog post to learn more about the contest, how to enter, and details on the prize package: https://bcbirdtrail.ca/field-notes/squamish-scavenger-hunt/

*Contest runs until January 14, 2025*
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🌲🏝🪶 Encompassing a rich tapestry of coastal, forested, and shoreline habitats, the #SouthernGulfIslands are a haven for #birders. Each island offers its own distinct charm. Keep reading for our idea of a perfect day of #birding on #PenderIsland! ☕ Start your journey at @vanillaleafbakerycafe. It's the perfect spot for a quick and easy breakfast. Grab a coffee, fresh baked good or sandwich to enjoy in the cozy cafe or on the go. 🦉 For your first birding spot, head to Roe Lake, which offers an inland wetland environment. Of the 100 + species spotted here, some highlights include the Great Horned Owl, Pacific Slope Flycatcher and American Coot. 🦅 Next, check out Roesland, formerly a pioneer homestead and now a scenic seaside park. Keep your eyes peeled for sightings of eagles, shore birds, sea stars in the intertidal zones, and playful harbour seals in the surrounding waters. 🥪 Before heading out to the next birding destination, stop by Southridge Country Store to stock up on some goodies. Craft the perfect picnic with their selection of local artisanal foods. 🦆 Next, check out Hope Bay, an important overwintering site for waterfowl. 134 species have been observed in the area, including Marbled Murrelets, Pied-billed Grebes and the charismatic Belted Kingfisher. Wrap up the perfect day of birding with a delicious meal from HUB Pender Island, B.C. . This oceanfront restaurant offers modern vegetarian Mediterranean cuisine and has a small design shop with unique homewares and gifts. 🐦️ We hope you enjoyed this day of birding on #Pender! If you’re looking for more birding locations in the Southern Gulf Islands, check out the full itinerary here: https://bcbirdtrail.ca/trails/southern-gulf-islands/ #BCBirdTrail #LookUpStayGrounded #IndigenousBC #ExploreBC #HelloBC #BirdWatching

🪶 Here's a clip from the second installment of our Stories from the BC Bird Trail documentary series. 🦅 We spoke with Dilan Praat, an environmental educator about associative nesting between Great Blue Herons and Bald Eagles at the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve in #Chilliwack. This fascinating phenomenon sees Herons nesting close to their main predator, the Bald Eagle to benefit from their protection. 👉️Learn more about associative nesting and the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve by checking out the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRLcj4CKwng&t=9s&ab_channel=TheBCBirdTrail @GBHNR @tourism.chilliwack - #ShareChilliwack #InStólō #ProtectingThisGift #LookUpStayGrounded #GreatBlueHerons #ExploreBC #BCBirdTrail #Birding #BirdWatching #Conservation #TravelBC #HabitatRestoration #WetLands #TheFraserValley

🪶 Introducing, the new Okanagan Bird Trail! Home to diverse ecosystems and habitats such as wetlands, deserts and grasslands, the Okanagan offers a fantastic bird-watching experience. The region’s unique climate attracts both migratory and resident birds. Explore birding itineraries in Osoyoos, Vernon and Kelowna. 👉️Check out the Okanagan Bird Trail now at: https://bcbirdtrail.ca/trails/okanagan/ #BCBirdTrail #LookUpStayGrounded #IndigenousBC #ExploreBC #HelloBC #Birding #BirdWatching #Birders #vernonbc #ExploreKelowna #OsoyoosBC @CityofVernon @TourismKelowna @DestinationOsoyoos

🌲🐦️ Named “BC’s Best Community 2021” by Maclean’s Magazine, Langford has plenty of opportunities for #birding. When visiting #Langford, be sure to check out Langford Lake, Glen Lake, and Florence Lakes. These lakes are home to a wide variety of waterfowl throughout the year, including mergansers, grebes, goldeneyes, and plenty of species of ducks.🦆 👉️ Check out the Langford Bird Trail Outpost to learn more about birding in Langford: https://bcbirdtrail.ca/field-notes/9-bc-birds-to-see-this-summer/ - #BCBirdTrail #LookUpStayGrounded #ExploreBC #BCNice #ExploreLangford⁣

🤗 Love this moment with Jody Allair, the Director of Community Engagement at @birds.canada, from our documentary series #StoriesFromtheBCBirdTrail 🪶 🦅 In the third installment of our Stories from the BC Bird Trail documentary series, we attended The #WingsOvertheRockies Nature Festival, where we spoke with event organizers and birding experts about this important event. 👉️ Watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuR4QIgpsEE& - #RadiumHotSprings #TravelCV #ShareInvermere #BCBirds #BCBirding #birds #birding #birders #birdwatching #BirdsCanada #BCBirdTrail #LookUpStayGrounded

🦅🏔️ The Wings Over the Rockies Nature Festival in Radium & Invermere started Monday and runs until Sunday! There are tons of fascinating events taking place all week long, from guided birding walks and hikes to social gatherings and seminars. 👉️ Check out the full calendar of events and get your tickets here: https://wingsovertherockies.org/all-events/ - #ColumbiaValley #RadiumHotSprings #TravelCV #ShareInvermere #BCBirdTrail #LookUpStayGrounded #IndigenousBC #ExploreBC #HelloBC #Birding #BirdWatching #Birders

🏔️🦅 Tickets for The Wings Over the Rockies Nature Festival are now LIVE! 🪶 There will be over 100 events during the 7-day festival, covering all things nature in the #ColumbiaValley. This year's theme is "Wings 'Way Over' the Rockies - The BIG Picture. 🎟️ Get your tickets now at: ⁠ https://WingsOvertheRockies.org/⁠ 📹️ This video is from our mini-documentary Stories from the BC Bird Trail Vol. 3, you can watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuR4QIgpsEE - #BCBirdTrail #LookUpStayGrounded #IndigenousBC #ExploreBC #HelloBC #Birding #BirdWatching #Birders #RadiumHotSprings #TravelCV #ShareInvermere #Radium #Invermere #WingsOvertheRockies #NatureFestival

🏔🦅 Experience the Wings Over the Rockies Nature Festival with us in our latest Stories from the BC Bird Trail video. We speak with fellow birders, event organizers, and experts to learn about the unique ecosystems in the Columbia Valley, and wildlife that call it home. This week-long festival explores the intricate relationship between wildlife, landscapes and people with over 100 dynamic and engaging events. 🪶 The Wings Over the Rockies Nature Festival returns this May 6th through 12th. Visit https://wingsovertherockies.org/ for the full events calendar (available March 28th), and to purchase your tickets (on sale April 9th). 🐦 Discover more stories like this along the Columbia Valley Bird Trail: https://bcbirdtrail.ca/trails/columbia-valley/ 🎥 You can also watch this video on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@bcbirdtrail #BCBirdTrail #LookUpStayGrounded #IndigenousBC #ExploreBC #HelloBC #Birding #BirdWatching #Birders #RadiumHotSprings #TravelCV #ShareInvermere #Radium #Invermere #ColumbiaValley #WingsOvertheRockies #NatureFestival

🐦️ COMING SOON: Stories from the BC Bird Trail Vol. 3 - Wings Over the Rockies Nature Festival 🏔️Experience the Wings Over the Rockies Nature Festival with us, and learn how this important event educates the public about birds, wildlife, and natural habitats in the Columbia Valley. 🪶The Wings Over the Rockies Nature Festival returns this May! Stay tuned for the event calendar release on March 28th. 👉️AND keep an eye on our socials for the release of our third installment of Stories from the BC Bird Trail, on March 18th. - Learn more about the Wings Over the Rockies Nature Festival: https://travelcolumbiavalley.com/event/2024-wings-over-the-rockies-nature-festival/ #BCBirdTrail #LookUpStayGrounded #IndigenousBC #ExploreBC #HelloBC #Birding #BirdWatching #Birders #RadiumHotSprings #TravelCV #ShareInvermere #Radium #Invermere #ColumbiaValley #WingsOvertheRockies #NatureFestival

☀️ Cowichan takes its name from “Quw’utsun,” the name given to the valley by its original inhabitants, the Quw’utsun people. It is rooted in the Hul’q’umi’num word “shquw’utsun” which when directly translated means “to warm one’s back in the sun". 🪶During the winter in the Cowichan area, you can spot plenty of seabirds, like loons, scoters, and auks, and buffleheads. Near fresh water, you can also spot graceful trumpeter swans. 🗒️Check out the BC Bird Trail website for birding hot spots in the Cowichan area, explore other trails, or read our field notes blogs. 👉️https://bcbirdtrail.ca/trails/central-vancouver-island/cowichan/ #BCBirdTrail #LookUpStayGrounded #IndigenousBC #ExploreBC #HelloBC #Birding #BirdWatching #Birders #ExploreCowichan

🪶Here's another video from our first edition of Stories from the BC Bird Trail launched in February of 2022, where we share 3 stories of #birding, #conservation, and community.⁠ ⁠⁠ 🦆 In this video, Kris Cu, a Conservation Engagement & Outreach Worker at Birds Canada leads a Filipino bird walk through Blackie Spit in #Surrey, and speaks to how community birding events help increase diversity and representation in the birding community! 📹️Watch the full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSiG7H86A1s Watch all 3 stories here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db5Y3jmQ3Wk View Kris's work here: https://www.instagram.com/kris.cu/?hl=en #BCBirdTrail #LookUpStayGrounded #IndigenousBC #ExploreBC #HelloBC #BirdWatching #Birders #TrueSurrey #DiscoverSurreyBC

🪶Here's another video from our first edition of Stories from the BC Bird Trail launched in February of 2022, where we share 3 stories of #birding, #conservation, and community. ⁠ 🐤This story takes us to the Iona Island Bird Observatory in #Richmond. Biologist Quinn McCallum explains the importance of the #birdbanding project run by the team at @WildResearch and the insights it provides into the habits of #migratorybirds throughout BC’s #lowermainland.⁠ ⁠ 📹️Watch the full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpXE9rsiY94 #BCBirdTrail #LookUpStayGrounded #IndigenousBC #ExploreBC #HelloBC #Birding #BirdWatching #Birders #RichmondMoments #BirdBanding #Conservation⁠ #WildResearch

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Look Up, Stay Grounded

As an online resource and trip-planning tool, The BC Bird Trail connects locals and tourists with all there is to know about bird watching destinations and activities across British Columbia. Funded in part by Destination BC, Tourism Richmond, Birds Canada, Indigenous Tourism BC, and more – the informative local travel website and self-guided itineraries can be found online at BCBirdTrail.ca