Every spring and autumn, millions of birds take to the skies over Canada, following ancient routes that span thousands of kilometres. Canada’s skies become highways of life, filled with geese, warblers, shorebirds, and raptors travelling in breathtaking numbers.
This article is for general knowledge only and is based on information from online sources. Images are for illustrative purposes only and may not depict the exact species mentioned.
1. The Pacific Flyway
Following the rugged Pacific coastline from Alaska through British Columbia, this flyway is one of the most important bird highways in North America. It supports millions of shorebirds, waterfowl, and raptors each year.
Sites such as the Fraser River Delta, Boundary Bay, and the estuaries of Vancouver Island serve as vital stopovers. Western sandpipers, snow geese, and trumpeter swans are some of the most frequent travellers along this coastal route before continuing toward California and Central America.
2. The Central Flyway
Stretching across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, the Central Flyway passes through vast grasslands and prairie pothole wetlands that act as refuelling stations for migrating waterfowl. Last Mountain Lake and Delta Marsh are well-known staging areas where ducks, geese, and shorebirds gather in huge numbers.
Pintails, goldfinches, canvasbacks, and pelicans all rely on these habitats before heading south to the Gulf Coast and Mexico.
3. The Mississippi Flyway
This major corridor follows river valleys from Canada’s boreal forests into the Mississippi River basin. Birds from Manitoba and Ontario often use this route to reach their wintering grounds across the southern United States and Central America.
Warblers, thrushes, cranes, and mallards are frequent travellers. Many species migrate at night, navigating by the stars and Earth’s magnetic field to avoid predators and conserve energy.
4. The Atlantic Flyway
Running from Newfoundland and Labrador down through the Maritimes, this flyway supports seabirds and songbirds that follow the coastline southward. The Bay of Fundy is one of its most critical stopover sites, hosting hundreds of thousands of sandpipers each year.
The blackpoll warbler is one of the route’s most extraordinary travellers. Some individuals make a nonstop flight of over 3,000 kilometres from eastern Canada to South America.
5. Protecting Canada’s Flyways
The success of migration depends on healthy habitats that stretch across entire continents. Protecting wetlands, forests, and coastlines within Canada ensures that birds have safe places to rest and feed.
Conservation programs led by groups like Birds Canada and Ducks Unlimited are crucial in maintaining these lifelines. Their work helps preserve one of nature’s greatest annual spectacles for generations to come.
