Click Here For Western Canadian Adventure Travel Destinations Ya'Gotta Go To
With the arrival of spring in western Canada also comes
the many trills, honks
and songs of all the birds that make this part of North America their home,
from spring to fall. With bird watching becoming one of the fastest growing
outdoor activities in the world and western Canada, being on the major flyways
of the continent; it makes for a birder watcher's paradise. Also important for
"birding" are the amount of wetlands, in western Canada, that are essential habitat
for the summer bird breeding grounds.
The Ramsar Sites
Database Service provides information on wetlands designated as internationally
important under the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, 1971). These wetlands
are commonly known as Ramsar Sites. Wetlands International manages and develops
the Ramsar Sites Database (RSDB) under contract to the Ramsar Convention
Secretariat.
The following are a selection of Ramsar (R) as well
as other excellent sites for bird watching in western Canada, with links to websites:
(is available). We've also included links to specific bird
British Columbia
Creston Valley (R) is located on the flood plain
of the Kootenay River, at the south end of Kootenay Lake. If you are a fan
of raptors, each June Creston hosts it's Osprey Festival.
Columbia Wetlands (R) Columbia Lake to Golden/Donald BC.
Alaksen (R) 40 km (approx.) south of of
Vancouver.
Hay-Zama Lakes (R) 100 km (approx.) northwest
of the town of High Level, AB.
Peace-Athabasca Delta (R) The site comprises
the deltas of the Athabasca, Peace and Birch rivers, lying mostly within
the southeastern corner of Wood Buffalo National Park, northeastern Alberta,
in central/northwestern Canada.
Quill Lakes (R) 150 km (approx.) northeast
of the city of Regina, SK.
Last Mountain Lake (R) Part of the
Upper Qu'Apelle River system in south central Saskatchewan, 150 km southeast
of Saskatoon and 100 km northwest of Regina.
Manitoba
Oak Hammock Marsh (R) 32 km (approx.) north of Winnipeg.
Ducks Unlimited sponsors a nature centre at the marsh, with year-round activities.
Delta Marsh (R) On the south shore
of Lake Manitoba, 80 km (approx.) northwest of Winnipeg. The University
of Manitoba operates a field station at the marsh.
Northwest Territories
Whooping Crane Summer Range (R) Mostly within
Wood Buffalo National Park, to the south of Great Slave Lake in the southern
portion of the District of MacKenzie, Northwest Territories, and the adjoining
portion of northeast Alberta, in central/northwestern Canada.
Polar Bear Pass National Wildlife Area
(R) Situated on Bathurst Island, Parry Islands, in the high Arctic zone of
the Northwest Territories, northern Canada.
Yukon
Old Crow Flats (R) 50 km north (approx.)
of the town of Old Crow, close to the border with the State of Alaska (USA).
Western Canadian Online Outdoors News, doesn't send un-solicited bulk e-mail. We've set
up a SPAM free e-mail list to notify our readers about new issues and updates. Please join it
below and keep up to date with us.
