Each account includes a brief introduction to the species and an overview of its total range. Key to the book’s detailed and authoritative accounts are first-hand observations and anecdotes recorded by the author over a period of more than four decades from his hometown of Tofino.

The west coast region of Vancouver Island encompasses mountainous terrain, rainforest, mudflats, and ragged coastlines that bear the brunt of storms spawned by an immense ocean. Remote and inaccessible to birders until well into the twentieth century, the “wild west coast” is also one of the most spectacular bird habitats in the world. Here one can observe multitudes of oceanic birds passing offshore, or venturing ashore to breed, and witness the countless avian migrants travelling north and south each year along the great Pacific Flyway.

The rugged physical beauty of the west coast has attracted visitors from all over the world. But its distinctive avian population has also made it a major birding destination. This up-to-date survey of the birds of this region will inform and delight amateur and professional birders alike.