Birding
Monthly Bird Walks
Alta Lake Bird Walk:
On the first Saturday of each month, bird walks start at the bottom of Lorimer Road (across from the Catholic Church at 6299 Lorimer Rd.) at the Valley Trail. The walk is along the Valley Trail to Rainbow Park, covering many types of habitat. This walk is free for members and by donation to non-members and open to anyone interested in birds. You'll be joined by birding experts who compile a detailed inventory list on year-round bird activity. In summer the start time is 7 am and in the winter it is 8 or 9 am (visit our home page for the current start time).
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Green Lake Bird Walk: (SUMMER ONLY - CURRENTLY ON HOLD)
We’ve added a second bird walk at Green Lake on the 3rd Saturday of each month to highlight the wonderful diversity of birds in the area, and also in response to unauthorized cutting of bird habitat (riparian vegetation) and off-leash dogs disturbing nesting shorebirds. Meet at the small parking lot by the highway and the River of Golden Dreams (across from Meadow Park), accessed via Golden Bear Pl. The walk is along the Valley Trail to the Fitzsimmons Delta. In summer the start time is 7 am and in the winter it is 8 or 9 am (visit our home page for the current start time).
Whistler Birding Guide 2018
This guide is here to help you start birding in Whistler. It includes four popular spots and what birds you'll likely find there depending on the season. The four locations are:
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Alta Lake - Lorimer Road to Rainbow Park
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Green Lake - including Nicklaus North Golf Course and the Fitzsimmons Delta
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Whistler Blackcomb Alpine and sub-alpine
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Shadow Lake and the adjacent Soo River
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Download the Whistler Birding Guide 2018
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Christmas Bird Count
2021-2022 CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
A dedicated team of 14 people went out into their sectors to search and identify birds by species and numbers within the 24 km circle around Whistler and on both Blackcomb and Whistler mountains.
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The actual number of birds was down from previous years, but the number of species counted on DECEMBER 14 and during the count week (CW) was documented as 48 species for Birds Canada and Audubon.
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A big surprise was 2 pair of Anna’s Hummingbirds decided to stay around on some warmed feeders this year. Hats off to the dedicated people that care for their feeders and take on the responsibility of regular winter feeding for the hummingbirds.
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Hopefully, next year we will be able to open and expand our volunteer groups to include more Whistler newcomers to join in next year’s Christmas Bird count on December 14, 2022.
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Thanks to all who granted permission to access into their areas and to Whistler Municipality for supporting us.
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Click here to download the 2021-2022 results.
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Here are some resources compiled from 28 years of count data to help you out:
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Top 12 Whistler Christmas Birds
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About the Christmas Bird Count: The Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was started in the year 1900 as a replacement for the Christmas Bird Hunt. The CBC is generally accepted as the best, if not the only, tool available for assessing long-term trends in the early winter bird populations of North and Central America. Each annual regional count is to occur on a day from December 14 to January 5 of the Christmas season, which ensures reasonable consistency among populations of resident, rather than migratory, birds.
Whistler Christmas Bird List
Another great resource is the FREE Merlin Bird ID app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Breeding Bird Survey
In early summer, expert birders carry out birding surveys throughout many areas of the province as part of a continent-wide project to check the renewal of avian fauna on a year by year basis. Surveys are on set routes with stops at 800 metre intervals to count all species within eye sight and ear shot during a three minute interval.
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There are three transect surveys in the Sea to Sky Corridor: Squamish starting a the end of the dyke 39 km up the Squamish River Valley; Whistler to Pemberton Meadows; and Shalath to D'Arcy along the Anderson Lake Powerline Road. That's 50 stops on each transect. On the Whistler to Pemberton route, the first stop is on Highway 99 where the highway crosses the River of Golden Dreams.