World Migratory Bird Day!

Welcome home to all our migratory birds who left us for the winter, and are returning to us for another amazing summer. One such bird that is returning to us is the Eastern Kingbird.

Eastern Kingbirds are a long-distance migrant, flying to BC all the way from countries in South America like Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador. That's a long ways, more than 7300km! But they don't take this journey alone. Usually a flock between 10-60 birds is formed for this migratory journey and sometimes flocks will join together when passing large water bodies like the Gulf of Mexico.

Eastern Kingbirds make this journey in search for food, but this winter diet is different than their summer meals. Here in BC, they mostly feed on insects, catching bugs straight out of the air in classic flycatcher manner. But in the winter they turn into different birds, feeding on berries as a flock.

Even though they are just returning from a grueling journey, there is no rest for them since summer is breeding season, meaning territories need protecting and babies need feeding. Keep up the hard work Eastern Kingbirds!