Wildlife list
While grizzly bears are the animals that draw people to our remote valley, there are many other species to be seen as well. This list contains both species that have been observed (or heard) here and those that could possibly be seen here. If there is no entry for seasonal observations then that species has not been observed here during that season. Additionally some species such as the Myotis bats can not be identified to species while flying will have no occurrence entry even though they are commonly seen in the field. The observation codes relate to frequency of observation or hearing their calls, not their actual abundance. This is especially true for some of the smaller animals which are very abundant but rarely seen. Two additional observation codes, Marine and Alpine, are for species that haven’t been observed at the lodge but are observable in the greater area around us but outside of our tours.
Observation codes
Uncommon = possible to see in proper habitat but difficult
Rare = present but usually seen once to few times a season
Vagrant = seen once or twice over the years
Alpine = possible above treeline
Marine = occurs in waters around north end of Vancouver Island
Bird list
Common name | Winter | Spring | Summer | Autumn | Scientific name |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Greater White-fronted Goose | Rare | Anser albifrons | |||
Snow Goose | Rare | Rare | Chen caerulescens | ||
Brant | Branta bernicla | ||||
Cackling Goose | Vagrant | Branta hutchinsii | |||
Canada Goose | Common | Common | Common | Common | Branta canadensis |
Trumpeter Swan | Common | Uncommon | Cygnus buccinator | ||
Wood Duck | Rare | Aix sponsa | |||
Gadwall | Uncommon | Uncommon | Uncommon | Anas strepera | |
American Wigeon | Common | Uncommon | Uncommon | Anas americana | |
Mallard | Common | Common | Uncommon | Common | Anas platyrhynchos |
Blue-winged Teal | Uncommon | Uncommon | Anas discors | ||
Cinnamon Teal | Vagrant | Anas cyanoptera | |||
Northern Shoveler | Uncommon | Uncommon | Anas clypeata | ||
Northern Pintail | Rare | Rare | Anas acuta | ||
Green-winged Teal | Uncommon | Uncommon | Rare | Uncommon | Anas crecca |
Canvasback | Aythya valisineria | ||||
Redhead | Aythya americana | ||||
Ring-necked Duck | Rare | Rare | Rare | Aythya collaris | |
Greater Scaup | Rare | Rare | Rare | Aythya marila | |
Lesser Scaup | Rare | Rare | Rare | Aythya affinis | |
Harlequin Duck | Rare | Histrionicus histrionicus | |||
Surf Scoter | Rare | Rare | Rare | Melanitta perspicillata | |
White-winged Scoter | Vagrant | Vagrant | Melanitta fusca | ||
Black Scoter | Rare | Rare | Melanitta nigra | ||
Long-tailed Duck | Vagrant | Clangula hyemalis | |||
Bufflehead | Common | Common | Common | Bucephala albeola | |
Common Goldeneye | Rare | Rare | Rare | Bucephala clangula | |
Barrow's Goldeneye | Common | Common | Rare | Common | Bucephala islandica |
Hooded Merganser | Uncommon | Common | Rare | Uncommon | Lophodytes cucullatus |
Common Merganser | Common | Common | Common | Common | Mergus merganser |
Red-breasted Merganser | Rare | Uncommon | Rare | Mergus serrator | |
Ruffed Grouse | Uncommon | Common | Common | Common | Bonasa umbellus |
White-tailed Ptarmigan | Alpine | Alpine | Alpine | Alpine | Lagopus leucura |
Dusky Grouse | Vagrant | Common | Uncommon | Vagrant | Dendragapus obscurus |
Red-throated Loon | Vagrant | Uncommon | Uncommon | Vagrant | Gavia stellata |
Pacific Loon | Vagrant | Vagrant | Gavia pacifica | ||
Common Loon | Uncommon | Uncommon | Uncommon | Uncommon | Gavia immer |
Yellow-billed Loon | Vagrant | Gavia adamsii | |||
Pied-billed Grebe | Vagrant | Vagrant | Podilymbus podiceps | ||
Horned Grebe | Rare | Rare | Rare | Podiceps auritus | |
Red-necked Grebe | Rare | Rare | Uncommon | Podiceps grisegena | |
Eared Grebe | Podiceps nigricollis | ||||
Western Grebe | Rare | Uncommon | Uncommon | Aechmophorus occidentalis | |
Black-footed Albatross | Marine | Marine | Phoebastria nigripes | ||
Northern Fulmar | Marine | Marine | Marine | Fulmarus glacialis | |
Sooty Shearwater | Marine | Marine | Puffinus griseus | ||
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel | Marine | Marine | Oceanodroma furcata | ||
Leach's Storm-Petrel | Vagrant & Marine | Marine | Oceanodroma leucorhoa | ||
Brandt's Cormorant | Phalacrocorax penicillatus | ||||
Double-crested Cormorant | Rare | Rare | Rare | Rare | Phalacrocorax auritus |
Pelagic Cormorant | Marine | Marine | Marine | Phalacrocorax pelagicus | |
Great Blue Heron | Common | Uncommon | Uncommon | Common | Ardea herodias |
Green Heron | Vagrant | Butorides virescens | |||
Cattle Egret | Vagrant | Bubulcus ibis | |||
Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura | ||||
Osprey | Rare | Rare | Pandion haliaetus | ||
Bald Eagle | Common | Common | Common | Common | Haliaeetus leucocephalus |
Northern Harrier | Rare | Rare | Rare | Circus cyaneus | |
Sharp-shinned Hawk | Uncommon | Uncommon | Rare | Uncommon | Accipiter striatus |
Northern Goshawk | Rare | Rare | Rare | Accipiter gentilis | |
Red-tailed Hawk | Rare | Rare | Rare | Rare | Buteo jamaicensis |
Golden Eagle | Alpine | Alpine | Alpine | Aquila chrysaetos | |
American Kestrel | Rare | Rare | Rare | Falco sparverius | |
Merlin | Rare | Rare | Rare | Falco columbarius | |
Gyrfalcon | Falco rusticolus | ||||
Peregrine Falcon | Vagrant | Vagrant | Falco peregrinus | ||
Virginia Rail | Rallus limicola | ||||
Sora | Porzana carolina | ||||
American Coot | Vagrant | Fulica americana | |||
Sandhill Crane | Vagrant | Grus canadensis | |||
Black-bellied Plover | Vagrant | Pluvialis squatarola | |||
American Golden-Plover | Pluvialis dominica | ||||
Pacific Golden-Plover | Pluvialis fulva | ||||
Semipalmated Plover | Vagrant | Charadrius semipalmatus | |||
Killdeer | Rare | Rare | Charadrius vociferus | ||
Black Oystercatcher | Marine | Marine | Marine | Marine | Haematopus bachmani |
Spotted Sandpiper | Rare | Common | Common | Uncommon | Actitis macularius |
Wandering Tattler | Tringa incana | ||||
Greater Yellowlegs | Rare | Rare | Tringa melanoleuca | ||
Lesser Yellowlegs | Tringa flavipes | ||||
Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus | ||||
Ruddy Turnstone | Arenaria interpres | ||||
Black Turnstone | Rare | Rare | Arenaria melanocephala | ||
Surfbird | Aphriza virgata | ||||
Red Knot | Calidris canutus | ||||
Sanderling | Calidris alba | ||||
Semipalmated Sandpiper | Rare | Rare | Calidris pusilla | ||
Western Sandpiper | Rare | Rare | Calidris mauri | ||
Least Sandpiper | Rare | Rare | Calidris minutilla | ||
Pectoral Sandpiper | Calidris melanotos | ||||
Rock Sandpiper | Calidris ptilocnemis | ||||
Dunlin | Rare | Calidris alpina | |||
Short-billed Dowitcher | Vagrant | Limnodromus griseus | |||
Long-billed Dowitcher | Rare | Limnodromus scolopaceus | |||
Common Snipe | Uncommon | Uncommon | Uncommon | Gallinago gallinago | |
Wilson's Phalarope | Rare | Rare | Phalaropus tricolor | ||
Red-necked Phalarope | Rare | Phalaropus lobatus | |||
Bonaparte's Gull | Uncommon | Uncommon | Chroicocephalus philadelphia | ||
Mew Gull | Uncommon | Common | Common | Common | Larus canus |
Ring-billed Gull | Rare | Rare | Uncommon | Common | Larus delawarensis |
Western Gull | Rare | Larus occidentalis | |||
California Gull | Uncommon | Common | Larus californicus | ||
Herring Gull | Uncommon | Larus argentatus | |||
Thayer's Gull | Uncommon | Larus thayeri | |||
Glaucous-winged Gull | Common | Uncommon | Uncommon | Common | Larus glaucescens |
Glaucous Gull | Larus hyperboreus | ||||
Caspian Tern | Hydroprogne caspia | ||||
Common Tern | Sterna hirundo | ||||
Arctic Tern | Vagrant | Sterna paradisaea | |||
Parasitic Jaeger | Vagrant | Stercorarius parasiticus | |||
Common Murre | Marine | Marine | Marine | Marine | Uria aalge |
Pigeon Guillemot | Marine | Marine | Marine | Marine | Cepphus columba |
Marbled Murrelet | Common | Common | Common | Common | Brachyramphus marmoratus |
Cassin's Auklet | Marine | Marine | Ptychoramphus aleuticus | ||
Rhinoceros Auklet | Marine | Marine | Marine | Cerorhinca monocerata | |
Horned Puffin | Marine | Marine | Fratercula corniculata | ||
Tufted Puffin | Marine | Marine | Fratercula cirrhata | ||
Rock Pigeon | Vagrant | Vagrant | Columba livia | ||
Band-tailed Pigeon | Uncommon | Common | Patagioenas fasciata | ||
Mourning Dove | Rare | Rare | Zenaida macroura | ||
Barn Owl | Vagrant | Tyto alba | |||
Western Screech-Owl | Rare | Megascops kennicottii | |||
Great Horned Owl | Vagrant | Bubo virginianus | |||
Northern Pygmy-Owl | Rare | Rare | Rare | Rare | Glaucidium gnoma |
Barred Owl | Rare | Rare | Rare | Rare | Strix varia |
Northern Saw-whet Owl | Vagrant | Aegolius acadicus | |||
Black Swift | Rare | Rare | Cypseloides niger | ||
Vaux's Swift | Rare | Rare | Chaetura vauxi | ||
Rufous Hummingbird | Common | Common | Selasphorus rufus | ||
Belted Kingfisher | Common | Common | Common | Common | Megaceryle alcyon |
Red-breasted Sapsucker | Common | Uncommon | Sphyrapicus ruber | ||
Downy Woodpecker | Picoides pubescens | ||||
Hairy Woodpecker | Rare | Rare | Rare | Rare | Picoides villosus |
Northern Flicker | Vagrant | Vagrant | Colaptes auratus | ||
Pileated Woodpecker | Rare | Rare | Rare | Rare | Dryocopus pileatus |
Olive-sided Flycatcher | Rare | Rare | Contopus cooperi | ||
Western Wood-Pewee | Uncommon | Uncommon | Contopus sordidulus | ||
Alder Flycatcher | Empidonax alnorum | ||||
Willow Flycatcher | Empidonax traillii | ||||
Hammond's Flycatcher | Common | Common | Empidonax hammondii | ||
Pacific-slope Flycatcher | Common | Common | Empidonax difficilis | ||
Western Kingbird | Rare | Tyrannus verticalis | |||
Eastern Kingbird | Rare | Tyrannus tyrannus | |||
Northern Shrike | Vagrant | Lanius excubitor | |||
Hutton's Vireo | Vireo huttoni | ||||
Warbling Vireo | Common | Common | Vireo gilvus | ||
Red-eyed Vireo | Rare | Rare | Vireo olivaceus | ||
Gray Jay | Perisoreus canadensis | ||||
Steller's Jay | Uncommon | Common | Common | Common | Cyanocitta stelleri |
Northwestern Crow | Uncommon | Uncommon | Common | Common | Corvus caurinus |
Common Raven | Common | Common | Common | Common | Corvus corax |
Horned Lark | Eremophila alpestris | ||||
Tree Swallow | Common | Common | Tachycineta bicolor | ||
Violet-green Swallow | Rare | Rare | Tachycineta thalassina | ||
Northern Rough-winged Swallow | Rare | Rare | Stelgidopteryx serripennis | ||
Cliff Swallow | Petrochelidon pyrrhonota | ||||
Barn Swallow | Common | Common | Hirundo rustica | ||
Black-capped Chickadee | Poecile atricapillus | ||||
Chestnut-backed Chickadee | Uncommon | Common | Uncommon | Common | Poecile rufescens |
Red-breasted Nuthatch | Vagrant | Sitta canadensis | |||
Brown Creeper | Certhia americana | ||||
Winter Wren | Common | Common | Common | Common | Troglodytes troglodytes |
American Dipper | Common | Common | Common | Common | Cinclus mexicanus |
Golden-crowned Kinglet | Rare | Uncommon | Rare | Rare | Regulus satrapa |
Ruby-crowned Kinglet | Rare | Common | Uncommon | Rare | Regulus calendula |
Mountain Bluebird | Vagrant | Vagrant | Sialia currucoides | ||
Swainson's Thrush | Common | Common | Uncommon | Catharus ustulatus | |
Hermit Thrush | Rare | Rare | Catharus guttatus | ||
American Robin | Rare | Common | Common | Common | Turdus migratorius |
Varied Thrush | Rare | Common | Common | Common | Ixoreus naevius |
Gray Catbird | Dumetella carolinensis | ||||
European Starling | Rare | Sturnus vulgaris | |||
American Pipit | Rare | Anthus rubescens | |||
Cedar Waxwing | Common | Bombycilla cedrorum | |||
Orange-crowned Warbler | Uncommon | Uncommon | Vermivora celata | ||
Yellow Warbler | Common | Common | Dendroica petechia | ||
Yellow-rumped Warbler | Common | Common | Uncommon | Dendroica coronata | |
Black-throated Gray Warbler | Dendroica nigrescens | ||||
Townsend's Warbler | Common | Uncommon | Dendroica townsendi | ||
American Redstart | Vagrant | Vagrant | Setophaga ruticilla | ||
MacGillivray's Warbler | Common | Uncommon | Oporornis tolmiei | ||
Common Yellowthroat | Uncommon | Uncommon | Geothlypis trichas | ||
Wilson's Warbler | Common | Uncommon | Wilsonia pusilla | ||
Western Tanager | Common | Common | Piranga ludoviciana | ||
Lazuli Bunting | Vagrant | Passerina amoena | |||
American Tree Sparrow | Spizella arborea | ||||
Chipping Sparrow | Spizella passerina | ||||
Savannah Sparrow | Common | Common | Passerculus sandwichensis | ||
Fox Sparrow | Rare | Rare | Passerella iliaca | ||
Song Sparrow | Common | Common | Uncommon | Melospiza melodia | |
Lincoln's Sparrow | Rare | Melospiza lincolnii | |||
White-crowned Sparrow | Rare | Zonotrichia leucophrys | |||
Golden-crowned Sparrow | Rare | Zonotrichia atricapilla | |||
Dark-eyed Junco | Common | Rare | Common | Junco hyemalis | |
Black-headed Grosbeak | Vagrant | Pheucticus melanocephalus | |||
Western Meadowlark | Vagrant | Sturnella neglecta | |||
Red-winged Blackbird | Rare | Rare | Agelaius phoeniceus | ||
Brewer's Blackbird | Rare | Rare | Euphagus cyanocephalus | ||
Brown-headed Cowbird | Uncommon | Uncommon | Molothrus ater | ||
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch | Alpine | Alpine | Leucosticte tephrocotis | ||
Pine Grosbeak | Vagrant | Vagrant | Pinicola enucleator | ||
Purple Finch | Carpodacus purpureus | ||||
House Finch | Carpodacus mexicanus | ||||
Red Crossbill | Uncommon | Rare | Loxia curvirostra | ||
White-winged Crossbill | Loxia leucoptera | ||||
Common Redpoll | Carduelis flammea | ||||
Pine Siskin | Rare | Rare | Uncommon | Carduelis pinus | |
American Goldfinch | Carduelis tristis | ||||
Evening Grosbeak | Coccothraustes vespertinus | ||||
House Sparrow | Vagrant | Passer domesticus |
Mammal list
Common name | Winter | Spring | Summer | Autumn | Scientific name |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Humpback Whale | Vagrant | Rare | Rare | Megaptera novaeangliae | |
Orca | Vagrant | Orcinus orca | |||
Pacific White-sided Dolphin | Rare | Vagrant | Rare | Lagenorhynchus obliquidens | |
Black-tailed Deer | Uncommon | Uncommon | Uncommon | Uncommon | Odocoileus hemionus columbianus |
Northern Sea-lion | Rare | Rare | Rare | Rare | Eumetopias jubatus |
Harbour Seal | Common | Common | Common | Common | Phoca vitulina |
Grizzly Bear | Vagrant | Common | Common | Common | Ursus arctos |
Black Bear | Common | Uncommon | Uncommon | Ursus americanus | |
Grey Wolf | Rare | Rare | Rare | Rare | Canis lupis |
Mountain Lion | Vagrant | Vagrant | Vagrant | Puma concolor | |
Wolverine | Vagrant | Gulo gulo | |||
Northern River Otter | Common | Uncommon | Uncommon | Uncommon | Lontra canadensis |
Fisher | Martes pennanti | ||||
American Marten | Common | Uncommon | Uncommon | Uncommon | Martes americana |
American Mink | Uncommon | Common | Common | Uncommon | Mustela vison |
Short-tailed weasel | Rare | Mustela erminea | |||
Common Raccon | Pryocon lotor | ||||
Common Porcupine | Vagrant | Erethizon dorsatum | |||
American Beaver | Vagrant | Vagrant | Vagrant | Castor canadensis | |
Douglas's Squirrel | Uncommon | Uncommon | Uncommon | Uncommon | Tamiasciurus douglasii |
Northern Flying Squirrel | Rare | Rare | Rare | Rare | Glaucomys sabrinus |
Hoary Marmot | Vagrant | Marmota caligata | |||
American Pika | Alpine | Alpine | Ochotona princeps | ||
Bushy-tailed Woodrat | Neotoma cinerea | ||||
Keen's Mouse | Uncommon | Uncommon | Uncommon | Uncommon | Peromyscus keeni |
Western Jumping Mouse | Zapus princeps | ||||
Southern Red-backed Vole | Rare | Rare | Rare | Clethrionomys gapperi | |
Long-tailed Vole | Microtus longicaudus | ||||
Northern Bog Lemming | Synaptomys borealis | ||||
Western Long-eared Bat | Myotis ecotis | ||||
Keen's Long-eared Bat | Myotis keenii | ||||
California Bat | Myotis californicus | ||||
Little Brown Bat | Common | Common | Rare | Myotis lucifugus | |
Yuma Bat | Myotis yumanensis | ||||
Silver-haired Bat | Lasionycteris noctivagans | ||||
Big Brown Bat | Eptesicus fuscus | ||||
Masked Shrew | Sorex cinereus | ||||
Dusky Shrew | Sorex monticolus | ||||
Common Water Shrew | Vagrant | Sorex palustris |
Amphibian and reptile list
Common name | Winter | Spring | Summer | Autumn | Scientific name |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Northwestern Salamander | Common | Common | Ambystoma gracile | ||
Long-toed Salamander | Rare | Ambystoma macrodactylum | |||
Rough-skinned Newt | Rare | Rare | Taricha granulosa | ||
Ensatina | Ensatina eschscholtzii | ||||
Coastal Tailed Frog | Uncommon | Uncommon | Ascaphus truei | ||
Western Toad | Uncommon | Uncommon | Common | Bufo boreas | |
Red-legged Frog | Rana aurora | ||||
Common Garter Snake | Thamnophis sirtalis | ||||
Northwestern Garter Snake | Thamnophis ordinoides | ||||
Western Garter Snake | Thamnophis elegans |