Birding
Monthly Bird Walks
Alta Lake Bird Walk:
On the first Saturday of each month, bird walks start at the bottom of Lorimer Road (across from the Catholic Church at 6299 Lorimer Rd.) at the Valley Trail. The walk is along the Valley Trail to Rainbow Park, covering many types of habitat. This walk is free for members and by donation to non-members and open to anyone interested in birds. You'll be joined by birding experts who compile a detailed inventory list on year-round bird activity. In summer the start time is 7 am and in the winter it is 8 or 9 am (visit our home page for the current start time).
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Green Lake Bird Walk: (SPRING/SUMMER ONLY)
We’ve added a second bird walk at Green Lake on the 3rd Saturday of each month to highlight the wonderful diversity of birds in the area, and also in response to unauthorized cutting of bird habitat (riparian vegetation) and off-leash dogs disturbing nesting shorebirds. Meet at the small parking lot by the highway and the River of Golden Dreams (across from Meadow Park), accessed via Golden Bear Pl. The walk is along the Valley Trail to the Fitzsimmons Delta. In summer the start time is 7 am and in the winter it is 8 or 9 am (visit our home page for the current start time).
Whistler Birding Guide
This guide is here to help you start birding in Whistler. It includes four popular spots and what birds you'll likely find there depending on the season. The four locations are:
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Alta Lake - Lorimer Road to Rainbow Park
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Green Lake - including Nicklaus North Golf Course and the Fitzsimmons Delta
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Whistler Blackcomb Alpine and sub-alpine
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Shadow Lake and the adjacent Soo River
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Download the Whistler Birding Guide 2018
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Christmas Bird Count
Whistler Christmas Bird List
2025 CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
More than 70 community members contributed sightings via social media, email, and existing naturalist networks. This crowdsourced approach allowed us to cover more "bird-ground" than ever before, ensuring that we continue the 100-year legacy of data collection started by our local champion, Karl Ricker.
While the actual number of individual birds was lower this year (with the exception of Widgeons and American Coots), the diversity of species reached an all-time high.
Between September 1 and November 30, 2025, a record-breaking 135 bird species were logged—shattering our previous record of 125 set in 2020. This is a significant jump from our historical autumn average of 102 species.
Despite the high species count, two notable regulars—the Northern Shrike and the Peregrine Falcon—were not spotted this fall.
Thanks to all who granted permission to access into their areas and to the Whistler Municipality for supporting us.
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Click here to download the 2025 results
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Here are some resources compiled from 28 years of count data to help you out:
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Top 12 Whistler Christmas Birds
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About the Christmas Bird Count: The Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was started in the year 1900 as a replacement for the Christmas Bird Hunt. The CBC is generally accepted as the best, if not the only, tool available for assessing long-term trends in the early winter bird populations of North and Central America. Each annual regional count is to occur on a day from December 14 to January 5 of the Christmas season, which ensures reasonable consistency among populations of resident, rather than migratory, birds.
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*NEW* Long-time volunteer and local naturalist Karl Ricker has assembled 35 years of Christmas Bird Count data which can be viewed by clicking here.​​​​​​​
Another great resource is the FREE Merlin Bird ID app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Breeding Bird Survey
In early summer, expert birders carry out birding surveys throughout many areas of the province as part of a continent-wide project to check the renewal of avian fauna on a year by year basis. Surveys are on set routes with stops at 800 metre intervals to count all species within eye sight and ear shot during a three minute interval.
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There are three transect surveys in the Sea to Sky Corridor: Squamish starting a the end of the dyke 39 km up the Squamish River Valley; Whistler to Pemberton Meadows; and Shalath to D'Arcy along the Anderson Lake Powerline Road. That's 50 stops on each transect. On the Whistler to Pemberton route, the first stop is on Highway 99 where the highway crosses the River of Golden Dreams.