Evening Grosbeak by Doug Greenberg, a bird of the Boreal forest

It’s a question some people find themselves asking as they sip their morning coffee on their balcony and are treated to the sight of a bird – a ‘tropical’ bird. Alex MacDonald, our protected areas manager, found himself pondering that question one morning while sitting on his parents’ balcony in Nova Scotia. Earlier that year, Alex had lived in Panama and had become accustomed to the sight of the colourful, tropical birds in that country. You can imagine his surprise when he thought he spotted one in the Canadian Maritimes! It was in fact an Evening Grosbeak, a bird common to the Boreal forest.

Many of the species of bird that are commonly seen or heard in the spring in Canada are migratory birds that spend the winter in a warmer country south of the border. After over-wintering in warmer parts of the U.S., and in Central and South America, some migratory birds return to Canada for the summer to breed and raise their young. One of the most popular destinations for returning birds is the Boreal Forest. What draws billions of birds to the Boreal Forest every year? Abundant waterways, from rivers and swamps to lakes and wetlands, are characteristic of the Boreal forest  and provide plentiful food and shelter for breeding and nesting birds.

But before reaching the Boreal, migratory birds will stop in the more populated areas of Canada to rest, refuel and wait for favorable weather conditions to continue their migration. Don’t be surprised to find unique visitors to your yard this spring as the birds wing their way north! You can help them reach their northern breeding grounds by following one of these 12 ways to help birds. And if you happen to snap a photo of a migratory bird, we’d love it if you shared your nature photography with our Facebook fans!

Happy birding.