The Birds of Vancouver Island's West Coast

by Adrian Dorst (Author)

The rugged physical beauty of the west coast of Vancouver Island has long been a major attraction, but its distinctive avian population has also made it a major bird-watching destination. The Birds of Vancouver Island's West Coast presents accounts of all of the species thus far recorded as occurring in the region – 360 in total – and updates the 231 species recorded up to 1978. Each account includes a brief introduction to the species and an overview of its total range. The essential guide to the birds of the region, this book will inform, delight, and surprise amateur and professional birders alike.

Review
Adrian Dorst is Tofino’s birding expert and with the release of his newest book, The Birds of Vancouver Island’s West Coast, he has cemented that title in place … [This book] is a fantastic resource for photographers, birders and tourism guides alike. (Marcie Callewaert Tofino-Ucluelet Westerly News 2018-05-01)


The west coast region of Vancouver Island encompasses mountainous terrain, rainforest, mudflats, and ragged coastlines that bear the brunt of storms spawned by an immense ocean. Remote and inaccessible to birders until well into the twentieth century, the “wild west coast” is also one of the most spectacular bird habitats in the world. Here one can observe multitudes of oceanic birds passing offshore, or venturing ashore to breed, and witness the countless avian migrants travelling north and south each year along the great Pacific Flyway.

The Birds of Vancouver Island’s West Coast is the essential guide to the region’s birds. It presents accounts of all of the species thus far recorded as occurring there – 360 in total – and updates the 231 species recorded up to 1978. Each account includes a brief introduction to the species and an overview of its total range. Key to the book’s detailed and authoritative accounts are first-hand observations and anecdotes recorded by the author over a period of more than four decades from his hometown of Tofino.

The rugged physical beauty of the west coast has attracted visitors from all over the world. But its distinctive avian population has also made it a major birding destination. This up-to-date survey of the birds of this region will inform and delight amateur and professional birders alike.