The Squamish Estuary is one of the most important estuaries on BC's south coast, and it's a five-minute drive from downtown. For birders, that's a gift. Here's what you'll find through the year.
Year-round
Great blue heron
The estuary's landlord. Look for them standing perfectly still in the shallows, then striking. They're sensitive to disturbance, so give them a wide, slow berth.
Bald eagle
Present all year, but see winter below.
Belted kingfisher
You'll usually hear the rattling call before you see the flash of blue-grey between snags along the channels.
Ducks and songbirds
Mallards and other dabbling ducks in the channels; marsh and forest-edge songbirds along the trails and dykes.
Winter (December – February)
The big show. Bald eagles gather in the Squamish area to feed on spawning salmon, often in large numbers. Trumpeter swans, the largest native waterfowl in North America, winter on the flats in loose white rafts. You'll often hear them before you see them. Grebes and other diving birds are on the water.
Spring (March – May)
Migration season. Waves of birds move through the estuary, the marsh fills with song, and nesting begins. This is when staying out of the sedge meadows matters most.
Summer (June – August)
Young birds everywhere. Turkey vultures ride the thermals off the Chief. Herons work the shallows at low tide. Mornings are best, before the afternoon wind and the heat.
Fall (September – November)
Migration again, plus the start of the salmon runs, which draw eagles back toward the rivers as the season goes on.
Rare and special
For the lucky and the quiet: a peregrine falcon hunting over the flats, or a green heron in the reeds. Both are species at risk. If you see one, enjoy it from a distance and don't post exact locations.
How to watch
- Binoculars over approaching. If a bird changes what it's doing because of you, you're too close.
- Go early. Mornings are calm, quiet and active.
- From a canoe: paddle slowly and stop talking. A canoe is the quietest hide there is. Stay in the main channels. See reading the tide first.
- On foot: stay on trails and dykes.
- Dogs: leashed, always. A loose dog can flush a whole flock.
- Respect closures and posted signs. It's a Wildlife Management Area, not a park.
For the seals, sea lions and eagles further down the Sound, Squamish Water Taxi runs Howe Sound wildlife tours.
Questions
What birds can you see in the Squamish Estuary?
Great blue herons, bald eagles, trumpeter swans, belted kingfishers, western grebes, turkey vultures and many ducks and songbirds, depending on the season. Peregrine falcons and green herons are rare sightings.
When are the most eagles in Squamish?
Bald eagles gather in the Squamish area in winter, roughly December to February, to feed on spawning salmon.
Is the Squamish Estuary protected?
Yes. It's the Skwelwil'em Squamish Estuary Wildlife Management Area. Stay on trails and in the main channels, keep dogs under control, and follow posted signs.