Tree Swallow male – Blackie Spit

May 9-25, 2025
Greater Vancouver Bird Celebration

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Metro Vancouver is home to over 250 species of birds

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Join events across the
Lower Mainland

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HomeVBCadmin2025-04-24T16:09:08-07:00

The Greater Vancouver Bird Celebration is a two-week series of exciting events from May 9–25 that invites everyone to explore the amazing world of birds.

Enjoy bird-themed walks, talks, workshops, exhibitions, and family-friendly activities hosted by passionate community groups throughout the Lower Mainland. Whether you’re a lifelong birder or a curious beginner, this is your chance to connect with nature, learn about local bird species, and celebrate birds as vital indicators of environmental health.

Find an event that suits you

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Kids and Families

For Beginners

For Seasoned Birders

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Bird Photography Essentials

May 3 @ 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

Located on the Pacific Flyway migratory route, the Vancouver area attracts millions of migratory birds yearly. With such [...]

Morning Bird Walk at UBC Botanical Garden

May 3 @ 11:30 am - 5:00 pm

Interested in learning how to identify and support birds in your backyard? Want to know more about bird [...]

Bird walk: Family Friendly walk

May 4 @ 9:00 am - 11:00 pm

Rain or shine Queen Elizabeth Park is always a great location for spotting local birds. Bring your binoculars! [...]

Find us @VanBirdCelebration on Instagram to follow along with the #VanBirdParty!

vanbirdcelebration

Our location on the Pacific Flyway connects us to

Our location on the Pacific Flyway connects us to birds all the way from Patagonia to Alaska. Our rich ecosystems provide great resting points for hundreds of species of birds as they make their migrations each winter and spring.
The Fraser River Estuary supports millions of birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway from over 333 different species, including Western Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Great Blue Heron, Snow Goose, Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Black Bellied Plover, Western Sandpiper, and more.
Across Greater Vancouver, birders work to monitor, research, and protect habitat for birds.
Check out our website for a look at some of the great organizations promoting birding and bird conservation across our region.

In Greater Vancouver, we are lucky to live in an i

In Greater Vancouver, we are lucky to live in an incredible place for birding. The theme of this World Migratory Bird Day focuses on creating safer urban habitats for birds. Every year, birds are facing increased threats on their migratory journeys, including from disappearing habitat, increased tall buildings, and stronger storms. We can mitigate many of the threats to birds through smart urban policy and responsible private actions.

Domestic Cats:
Cats kill 100-350 million birds in Canada every year. Some ways we can protect birds from cats include: keeping cats indoors and ensuring bird feeders are placed safely away from cats.

Window Collisions:
The vast majority of bird deaths from window collisions occur at residential homes. The most dangerous windows for birds are large, at right angles to each other, or that allow birds to see natural vegetation through them. Windows can be easily treated to be less threatening to birds by using bird-friendly window stickers or by drawing designs on the glass.

Light Pollution:
Strong artificial light can disorient migratory birds, draw them into cities, and increase their chance of window collisions. Reducing the use of light at night, and installing full-cut light fixtures (that block light from shining towards the sky) can help protect birds as they make their migratory journeys.

Find more information on our website:
Birding Events May 9-25,
Bird Conservation Information,
And More!

What's your favorite thing to do at a birding even

What's your favorite thing to do at a birding event? We love to meet new friends - human and avian.

Let us know in the comments!

Check out our website for Bird Celebration Events!

Check out our website for Bird Celebration Events!
Our first batch of events is live on our website with more on the way.

We have a lot of exciting walks, talks, and more lined up for your birding adventures this May!

Mark your calendars for Greater Vancouver Bird Cel

Mark your calendars for Greater Vancouver Bird Celebration: May 9-25 2025.
The World Migratory Bird Day theme is “Shared Spaces: Creating Bird Friendly Cities and Communities”.

What was your favorite Bird Celebration activity in 2024? Let us know in the comments!

Interested in hosting an event? Let us know by emailing outreach@stanleyparkecology.ca or by messaging this page.

@environmentamericas #VanBirdParty

Mark your calendars for Greater Vancouver Bird Cel

Mark your calendars for Greater Vancouver Bird Celebration: May 9-25 2025.
The World Migratory Bird Day theme will be “Shared Spaces: Creating Bird Friendly Cities and Communities”.

What migratory birds are you hoping to see this May? Let us know in the comments!

Interested in hosting an event? Let us know by emailing outreach@stanleyparkecology.ca or by messaging this page.

@environmentamericas #VanBirdParty

Mark your calendars for Greater Vancouver Bird Cel

Mark your calendars for Greater Vancouver Bird Celebration: May 9-25 2025.
The World Migratory Bird Day theme will be “Shared Spaces: Creating Bird Friendly Cities and Communities”.

What kind of Bird Celebration events are you looking forward to in May? Let us know in the comments!

Interested in hosting an event? Let us know by emailing outreach@stanleyparkecology.ca or by messaging this page.

@environmentamericas #VanBirdParty

Did you know that free roaming cats are Canada’s

Did you know that free roaming cats are Canada’s #1 human related source of bird death? Cats can be especially dangerous to migratory birds who are often less prepared to protect themselves from these predators.
If you own a cat, keeping them inside is the best way to protect bird populations, but there are solutions to help reduce the risk that outdoor cats can pose for birds. Swipe to learn more!

@stewardshipbc has great educational resources about conflicts between cats and birds available on their website.

Statistics Provided by @varc_birdbanding
Graphics Prepared by Emily Archer
📸 Frank Lin

Even though Bird Celebration is over, you can stil

Even though Bird Celebration is over, you can still sing your birdsong by participating in some photography and writing competitions!

Have an idea for a short story, or poem about birds? Aspiring youth writers can submit their bird inspired stories until the end of the month as part of a writing contest by @naturekidsbc and @thestarfishca . Winners will be published in NatureWILD magazine and have a chance to win prizes.

Did you catch an awesome bird photo during the celebration? You can enter it in @_naturecanada_ 2024 Nature Photo Contest! The contest offers a chance to win prizes, and be featured in Nature Canada's 2025 Calendar. Lets fill that calendar with birds!

Links in Bio

📷 Martin Passchier

Bird populations are in crisis! While the global s

Bird populations are in crisis! While the global statistics are alarming, there are actions we can take in our own lives to help protect birds in our environments. This is especially important in Greater Vancouver, where migratory birds can run into conflict with our urban environment as they make stops along the Pacific Flyway. In the city of Vancouver, where 80% of the city is zoned for single family residential (RS-1) uses that require a minimum yard area on each lot, individual actions on our landscape can really make a difference! Swipe to learn about bird friendly landscape decisions you can make at home!

Statistics Provided by @varc_birdbanding
Graphics Prepared by Emily Archer
📸 Frank Lin, Richard King

On International Day of Biodiversity, @_naturecana

On International Day of Biodiversity, @_naturecanada_ announced 7 new additions to it's bird friendly certification list. 2 of those cities are in BC.

Vancouver was one of the first cities to be certified in 2021, and we are proud to see The City of Vancouver's successful re-certification as a bird friendly city.

The Greater Vancouver Bird Celebration plays a big role in the score for section 1 and section 3.

Section 1 Threat Reduction: 12/19 (Entry Level)
Section 2 Habitat Protection, Restoration and Climate Resiliency: 16/18 (High Level)
Section 3 Community Outreach and Education: 13/13 (High Level)

We are also excited to see Lion's Bay in the certification list as well. Lion's bay was the first small town in Canada to be certified a Bird Friendly City in 2022, and was re-certified this year as well.
🏙️🤝🦅

📷Martin Passchier

Bird Celebration is Underway! Check out some phot

Bird Celebration is Underway!
Check out some photos from our events hosted by @stanleyparkecology @stanleyparkbrew @ecologycentre @birdscanada @naturekidsbc
📸 Emily Archer, Mikayla Oldach, NatureKidsBC

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Our participants are having a great time!

I really appreciated the different ways your speakers combined their love of birds and the environment with art, with engaging children, with noticing and playing, with language. It was inspiring.

Participant, Inspired by Birds Panel

I have already identified 4 new ( to me ) birds based on the educator’s talk. I really appreciated that the birds mentioned were local and in the area now. The descriptions of the song stayed with me and meant that I recognized them when out in the forest and could confirm them with the bird net app.

Participant, Migratory Bird Songs Webinar

I must tell you how pleased I am with all that I’m learning from the online education events. It feels so satisfying learning more about the beauteous nature around us. Not just learning but also coming to understand them better, their personalities, characteristics, habitats, etc..

Participant, Birds of a Feather Walk

Partners

The Greater Vancouver Bird Celebration is brought to you by the following partners

Do you want to become a Bird Champion and sponsor the celebration?

Celebrate the return of the birds!

Birds are a gateway to nature, inspiring connection to and appreciation of the world around us. During May, over 250 species of birds can be seen and enjoyed throughout the Lower Mainland. Join the celebration through interactive bird walks, online events and webinars. Events and activities welcome beginners and experts alike.

The Greater Vancouver Bird Celebration is coordinated by:

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The Greater Vancouver Bird Celebration acknowledges that we are on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil Waututh Nations.