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Records 2019–2024 · GBIF

Birds in British Columbia

Our list for British Columbia has 213 bird species recorded regularly there: 60 residents, 79 summer visitors, 42 winter visitors, 30 passage migrants and 2 scarce visitors

The list comes from 19 million birdwatchers' records from 2019–2024, shared through the eBird Observation Dataset on GBIF. A bird is listed when it was recorded in at least 3 of the 6 years and has a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur here than are listed; the months show when it is recorded most years.

Species on our list
213
In October
147
Common
60
Busiest month
May

What's special about British Columbia

vs Canada

The birds recorded far more often here than across Canada, as a share of all bird records. These are the ones British Columbia is worth visiting for.

  1. Red-breasted SapsuckerRed-breasted Sapsucker6.6×Resident · 0.36% of records here, 0.06% across Canada
  2. Pacific WrenPacific Wren6.5×Resident · 1.3% of records here, 0.20% across Canada
  3. Western SandpiperWestern Sandpiper6.4×Passage migrant · 0.25% of records here, 0.04% across Canada
  4. Varied ThrushVaried Thrush6.0×Winter visitor · 1.0% of records here, 0.17% across Canada
  5. Northern Pygmy-owlNorthern Pygmy-owl5.7×Winter visitor · 0.06% of records here, 0.01% across Canada
  6. Lewis's WoodpeckerLewis's Woodpecker5.6×Summer visitor · 0.04% of records here, 0.01% across Canada
  7. Pacific LoonPacific Loon5.4×Winter visitor · 0.28% of records here, 0.05% across Canada
  8. Eurasian Collared DoveEurasian Collared Dove5.4×Resident · 1.1% of records here, 0.21% across Canada

This month: October

GBIF · Oct

Most likely

  1. Song SparrowSong Sparrow3.27%
  2. Northern FlickerNorthern Flicker3.19%
  3. American CrowAmerican Crow3.11%
  4. American RobinAmerican Robin2.74%
  5. MallardMallard2.51%
  6. Common RavenCommon Raven2.27%

Arriving now

  1. Red-breasted MerganserRed-breasted MerganserWinter visitorSep 0.03% → Oct 0.21%
  2. GoldeneyeGoldeneyeWinter visitorSep 0.07% → Oct 0.11%
  3. Eurasian WigeonEurasian WigeonWinter visitorSep 0.01% → Oct 0.11%
  4. Long-tailed DuckLong-tailed DuckWinter visitorSep 0.00% → Oct 0.06%
  5. Rough-legged HawkRough-legged HawkWinter visitorSep 0.00% → Oct 0.06%
  6. Snow BuntingSnow BuntingWinter visitorSep 0.00% → Oct 0.05%

Share of all bird records in British Columbia in October, 2019–2024. “Arriving now” are the birds whose share rises most from last month. Each month links to that month’s page.

Near you this week

The birds most likely around your town or postcode right now, from the same records, for a square about 9 km across.

The bird calendar for British Columbia

Month by month

When each bird is around, through the year. The darker the square, the closer that month is to the bird’s busiest. Filter by summer or winter visitors to see the seasons turn over.

The year in British Columbia

Records by month
Bird records in British Columbia by month, 2019–2024
January1,227,302
February1,103,003
March1,501,787
April2,181,721
May2,705,458
June1,918,907
July1,394,920
August1,397,130
September1,464,300
October1,387,415
November1,102,565
December1,279,092

May has the most records (2.7 million). Records follow birdwatchers as well as birds: a busy month means more people out looking, as well as more birds passing through.

By family

12 of 29
All 29 families in British Columbia

How common

More of Canada

All of Canada

All 213 birds, A to Z

Show all 213 birds

Questions

4

What birds is British Columbia known for?

Compared with the rest of Canada, British Columbia stands out for Red-breasted Sapsucker, Pacific Wren, Western Sandpiper and Varied Thrush. Each is recorded at least 6 times as often here as across Canada, as a share of all bird records (2019–2024).

How many birds are on Birdfact's list for British Columbia?

213 species, each recorded regularly in British Columbia (in at least 3 of the 6 years 2019–2024): 60 residents, 79 summer visitors, 42 winter visitors, 30 passage migrants and 2 scarce visitors. The list includes only birds with a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur in British Columbia, and rarer vagrants are not listed.

What birds can I see in British Columbia in October?

147 species on our list for British Columbia are recorded regularly in October. Of these, the most often recorded are Song Sparrow, Northern Flicker, American Crow, American Robin and Mallard.

What are the most common birds in British Columbia?

Of the birds on our list, the ones birdwatchers record most often in British Columbia are American Robin, American Crow, Song Sparrow, Northern Flicker and Mallard.

Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made

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