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Nature’s finest spectacle now playing at a B.C. wetland near you!

A sure sign of autumn is the sound of birds overhead making their way south. Along their migration routes ducks and geese have staging areas where they rest and fuel up in preparation for the flight. In British Columbia, many of these staging areas have been enhanced by Ducks Unlimited Canada and its conservation partners to improve habitat for waterfowl and increase viewing opportunities for people.

“Habitat conditions varied from excellent to poor this year for nesting waterfowl in British Columbia,” said Darryl Kroeker, Pacific Region Biologist. “On BC’s coast the conditions were excellent and in the north they were good. However, in the interior conditions ranged from fair to poor as we experienced an extremely dry summer.”

Across Canada, waterfowl populations are up over last year. Migration is just starting to take wing in British Columbia.

“Right now people will be seeing a lot of different waterfowl with ducks from Alaska, Russia, the Prairies and the Arctic islands traveling through BC,” Kroeker said. “Typically the large numbers of birds will be seen now through to November. Significant numbers of waterfowl will winter in the Thompson and Okanagan Valleys and along the coast.”

The following are DUC recommended hot spots for migration viewing. Each location features a trail to the wetland to see the birds. These areas are among the 440 wetland habitat conservation projects DUC has completed in British Columbia:

Lower Mainland

Vancouver Island

  • Saanich—Rithet’s Bog

Visit DUC’s Migration Station for quick migration facts.

For 65 Years, DUC has been conserving, restoring and managing wetlands and associated habitats for North America’s waterfowl. In addition to providing critical habitat to waterfowl and other wildlife, wetlands act as natural water filters that remove pollutants from drinking water.

 
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