Hobbies And Interests
Large Birds
Ten percent of the North American population of trumpeter swans lives in Vancouver. The George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary consists of 850 acres of managed wetlands and marshes just south of Vancouver in the Fraser River Estuary. The lesser snow geese, which live 10 to 20 years, nest in the sanctuary and are catered to and cared for by the Canadian Wildlife Service. Great horned owls and golden eagles are casual visitors to the area, while Canada geese and several varieties of cormorants and gulls are abundant species.
Small Birds
The rufous hummingbird, which grows to only 3 inches, enjoys the cool climate of the Vancouver area and migrates farther north than any other hummingbird. Also considered small birds are the American goldfinch and black-capped chickadee. At five to 25 sightings per day, these species are considered "fairly common" year-round at the Boundary Bay Wildlife Management Area, which, because of its diverse ecosystem that includes grassland, sand dunes, a sandy shoreline, salt and fresh water marsh, tidal mudflats and wetlands, hosts 1.5 million birds each year that use the site to nest in or to migrate through.
Breeding Birds
The British Columbia Wildlife Watch reports that only a fraction of the number of species that are common (25 to 100 sightings per day) or abundant (more than 100 sightings per day) to the area also breed there. Varieties of crow, starling, blackbird and sparrow lead the list, with mallard, robin and the brown-headed cowbird (which deposits its eggs in other birds' nests for them to raise) also find the area a good place to breed.
Unusual Sightings
Bird species have been recorded as having come from 20 countries. The Vancouver Avian Research Centre bands and studies the habits of wild birds in three locations of the Colony Farms and Burnaby Lake sites. The most frequently banded bird has been the song sparrow, although the yellow-rumped warbler is also quite commonly caught and banded. But, uncommonly seen birds such as the cedar waxwing, the spotted towhee, pied-billed grebe, and varieties of kinglet and vireo have been spotted.