Important Bird Area
The Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre is an interpretive centre overlooking the Cowichan Estuary, a 400 hectare estuarine ecosystem and internationally designated Important Bird Area (IBA) in the unceded and traditional territory of the Hul’q’umi’num’ speaking Quw’utsun eople.
Herons
Pacific Great Blue Heron Population and Monitoring, Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, 2013 – 2015, including our own Cowichan Bay herons.
Did you know that we have the largest heron rookery on Vancouver Island right here in the estuary? Click here to visit our live heron-cam and learn more about these majestic birds!
Coastal Waterbird Survey
Join the Coastal Waterbird Survey and learn how to identify local birds. Everyone is welcome!
The Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre participates in the Bird Studies Canada Coastal Waterbird Survey. On the second Sunday of each month, at or near high tide, teams of volunteers spot, identify, and count waterbirds on a measured section of Cowichan Bay shoreline.
Skilled and experienced birders lead the count, but everyone is welcome to come along. It is a great opportunity to learn more about the birds in the estuary and hone your birding skills. Bring binoculars and dress for the weather. Counts take place on the second Sunday of each month, with the time being determined by the time of high tide. Check the Coming Events page for the date and time of the next Coastal Waterbird Count.
Hecate Park Bird List
Since the Nature Centre opened in April 2012, these birds have been seen and identified by observers in Hecate Park — the boat launch to the Nature Centre to the Viewing Tower to the Kayak Park. If you see any birds that are not on the list, tell us about it using the contact form.
The ID numbers are from the Checklist of the American Birding Association. The scientific names are very useful if you want to look up the birds on the internet. Special thanks to Derrick Marvin, Genevieve Singleton, and Brian Thompson who contributed many of these sightings, and to Ian Cruickshank for a Hutton’s Vireo.
| ID | CommonName | ScientificName |
| 14 | Cackling Goose | Branta hutchinsii |
| 15 | Canada Goose | Branta canadensis |
| 16 | Mute Swan | Cygnus olor |
| 17 | Trumpeter Swan | Cygnus buccinator |
| 25 | American Wigeon | Anas americana |
| 27 | Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos |
| 34 | Northern Pintail | Anas acuta |
| 37 | Green-winged Teal | Anas crecca |
| 43 | Greater Scaup | Aythya marila |
| 44 | Lesser Scaup | Aythya affinis |
| 51 | Surf Scoter | Melanitta perspicillata |
| 52 | White-winged Scoter | Melanitta fusca |
| 55 | Bufflehead | Bucephala albeola |
| 56 | Common Goldeneye | Bucephala clangula |
| 57 | Barrow’s Goldeneye | Bucephala islandica |
| 59 | Hooded Merganser | Lophodytes cucullatus |
| 60 | Common Merganser | Mergus merganser |
| 91 | Common Loon | Gavia immer |
| 95 | Horned Grebe | Podiceps auritus |
| 96 | Red-necked Grebe | Podiceps grisegena |
| 166 | Brandt’s Cormorant | Phalacrocorax penicillatus |
| 168 | Double-crested Cormorant | Phalacrocorax auritus |
| 179 | Great Blue Heron | Ardea herodias |
| 201 | Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura |
| 203 | Osprey | Pandion haliaetus |
| 210 | Bald Eagle | Haliaeetus leucocephalus |
| 228 | Red-tailed Hawk | Buteo jamaicensis |
| 262 | Semipalmated Plover | Charadrius semipalmatus |
| 265 | Killdeer | Charadrius vociferus |
| 270 | Black Oystercatcher | Haematopus bachmani |
| 318 | Pectoral Sandpiper | Calidris melanotos |
| 357 | Mew Gull | Larus canus |
| 358 | Ring-billed Gull | Larus delawarensis |
| 359 | Western Gull | Larus occidentalis |
| 368 | Glaucous-winged Gull | Larus glaucescens |
| 380 | Caspian Tern | Hydroprogne caspia |
| 420 | Rock Pigeon | Columba livia |
| 427 | Eurasian Collared-Dove | Streptopelia decaocto |
| 498 | Anna’s Hummingbird | Calypte anna |
| 502 | Rufous Hummingbird | Selasphorus rufus |
| 516 | Belted Kingfisher | Megaceryle alcyon |
| 529 | Red-breasted Sapsucker | Sphyrapicus ruber |
| 542 | Pileated Woodpecker | Dryocopus pileatus |
| 625 | Hutton’s Vireo | Vireo huttoni |
| 647 | Northwestern Crow | Corvus caurinus |
| 651 | Common Raven | Corvus corax |
| 654 | Purple Martin | Progne subis |
| 659 | Tree Swallow | Tachycineta bicolor |
| 661 | Violet-green Swallow | Tachycineta thalassina |
| 667 | Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica |
| 673 | Chestnut-backed Chickadee | Poecile rufescens |
| 705 | Golden-crowned Kinglet | Regulus satrapa |
| 706 | Ruby-crowned Kinglet | Regulus calendula |
| 754 | American Robin | Turdus migratorius |
| 756 | Varied Thrush | Ixoreus naevius |
| 770 | European Starling | Sturnus vulgaris |
| 784 | Cedar Waxwing | Bombycilla cedrorum |
| 806 | Orange-crowned Warbler | Oreothlypis celata |
| 827 | Yellow Warbler | Setophaga petechia |
| 858 | Spotted Towhee | Pipilo maculatus |
| 881 | Savannah Sparrow | Passerculus sandwichensis |
| 889 | Fox Sparrow | Passerella iliaca |
| 890 | Song Sparrow | Melospiza melodia |
| 896 | Golden-crowned Sparrow | Zonotrichia atricapilla |
| 897 | Dark-eyed Junco | Junco hyemalis |
| 911 | Western Tanager | Piranga ludoviciana |
| 927 | Red-winged Blackbird | Agelaius phoeniceus |
| 940 | Brown-headed Cowbird | Molothrus ater |
| 960 | Purple Finch | Haemorhous purpureus |
| 962 | House Finch | Haemorhous mexicanus |
| 963 | Red Crossbill | Loxia curvirostra |
| 968 | Pine Siskin | Spinus pinus |
| 971 | American Goldfinch | Spinus tristis |
| 975 | House Sparrow | Passer domesticus |