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The Adventure Zone

Past stories Surf's up! The Calgary Stampede Moraine for Life Adventure Relay Monarch Redux Rockies Bird Festival Arctic Winter Games Bolivia's Acotango Mount Kilimanjaro The Drambuie Pursuit Canadian Aboriginal Festival Mountain Mania Adventure racing Manitoulin Island Star Party Celebration of Light Algonquin Park Ottawa Race Weekend Maple syrup festival Cain's Quest Have Snowshoes, Will Travel Quebec Ice Hotel In the Eye of the Storm Arctic Aurora Borealis Canada's 'Deep South' Agawa Canyon Ablaze Mahone Bay Boat Festival Vancouver Island's rocky trail Wild Women Expeditions Eco-Endurance Summiting Canada Gourmet getaway Yukon Arctic Ultra Canadian Wind Riders Winnipeg's urban pathways Canoeist/artist Bill Mason Take a hike Whitewater kayaking The 2005 Sea Cavalcade Moonstruck - Adventure racers Delta Marsh Birding Festival Climb for conservation The Eagle has Landed Gold Rush Trail Whistler Film Festival Fit to ski Whyte Museum of the Rockies Cheakamus Challenge "Super Dave" Norona Ontario's French River region Cabot Trail Relay Race Point Pelee Festival of Birds Canmore Ice Climbing Festival Winterlude Yeti Mountain Snowshoe Series Golden Horseshoe Orienteering Club Banff Mountain Book Festival Haliburton Highlands Sand Sculpture Championships BC Mobility Society Bathtub Race Championship Bike Month Running off the road Birds of a Feather Grand Plans in Grand Cache Le Festival du Voyageur Raid Ukatak Around the World Alone November culinary adventure Mountains in Miniature In the Belly of the Dragon Raid the North Extreme!! Making a splash! Volunteer for nature Cycling for sustainability Working for Wildlife Whale of a time Canadian Death Race Mont Tremblant Skiing Nanook of the North Eco-challenge Climate Change Caravan Royal Regatta Unleash the hounds World Cup mountain bike race Yukon River Quest On top of the world Canada's World-Class Heritage Gliding across the silver screen Marathon Madness National Ski and Snowboard Week Christmas Bird Count Banff Festival Adventure racing Coast-to-coast trek Whitewater rodeos In praise of parks Watching Canada's wildlife Canada's Highest Peak Alaska Adventure Racer

Birdwatching is one of North America's favourite outdoor pastimes. With most of our fine-feathered friends on the move from winter-feeding grounds in the neotropics to summer-breeding grounds in the north, April is prime time for avian aficionados to grab their binoculars and field guides and head for Canada's woods, wetlands and shores.

To celebrate spring's winged rite of passage, Canada is booked from coast to coast in April and May with festivals, birdathons and events dedicated to our birds. (International Migratory Bird Day is officially set for May 10.) Many of these gatherings feature a birding competition - the high-octane side of the sport where enthusiasts log as many species as they can in a set time period. The majority have also added nature-oriented activities from guided hikes to photography workshops and wildlife carving.

Birding is the ultimate wilderness sport. It engages all your senses, requires little specialized equipment, and is a lifelong pursuit that will increase your awareness of Canada's wildlife species and the diverse ecosystems that support them. It's also just a great reason to get outdoors and look at beautiful and rare creatures.

Some of the best known events are listed below. For events near you, check out
www.web-nat.com/bic/events.html

Brant Wildlife Festival, April 4 to 6 at Parksville and Qualicum Beach.
The shores of Vancouver Island are the last major feeding grounds during the massive migration of more than 20,000 Pacific black brant geese heading north to Alaska. Named for the "talkative little sea goose," the Brant Wildlife Festival is among the country's early-bird (groan!) avian events and features nature talks, guided tours, photography workshops and a birding competition.
www.brantfestival.bc.ca/

Point Pelee Festival of Birds, April 26 to May 26
The triangular sliver of national park is the most southerly point on the Canadian mainland and is a region that accommodates more than 370 species of birds. The tally, combined with the known 90 species that nest there, make it one of the premiere locations for bird life in North America. An important migratory way station, the park's Carolinian forest ecoystem provides essential breeding habitat for birds rarely found in other parts of the country.

Baillie Birdathon, Various locations throughout May.
Every year, Canadians from coast to coast head out into the woods to find as many bird species as they can during a 24-hour period.
www.bsc-eoc.org/organization/brdathon.html

Wings Over the Rockies: Invermere, B.C., May 6 to 12
More than 265 species of birds have been recorded in a 150-kilometre stretch of the Columbia Valley Wetlands from Canal Flats to Spillimacheen. Flanked by grasslands, forest, alpine meadows and rocky crags, the region is home to one of the longest systems of continuous wetlands in North America.
www.adventurevalley.com/wings