About Us
Our Mission
ROCKY POINT BIRD OBSERVATORY
Based in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, Rocky Point Bird Observatory (RPBO) has been operating since 1994 and has been a proud member of the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network (CMMN) since 2001. Members of the CMMN track the migration of Canada's birds in the spring and fall each year, adding to our knowledge of population trends, demographics, phenology, and other essential information about the species that pass through each location.
This information is used by governments, environmental organizations, scientists and others to direct our collective actions and improve our ability to conserve Canada's birds. Most CMMN members are small non-profit organizations that depend on large numbers of motivated volunteers and donors. Your support is welcome and very much appreciated!
We began operations on the grounds of the Department of National Defence's Rocky Point Ammunition Depot. Located in rural Metchosin, a 45 minute drive southwest of Victoria and overlooking Juan de Fuca strait, the unique geography and mixed forest at the extreme southern end of Vancouver Island attracts both migrants and vagrant bird species.
In 2012, a second migration monitoring site was established at nearby Pedder Bay RV Resort & Marina. The two sites are complementary and operate on the same schedule. Combined, they provide greater coverage of the priority species identified by the Canadian Wildlife Service than could be accomplished at either site alone.
During migration, RPBO documents impressive numbers of songbirds, vultures, raptors, and seabirds. More than 300 species have been recorded for the area. In addition, over eighty species breed (or are suspected of breeding) nearby. Approximately 6000 birds and between 55 to 74 species are banded by RPBO each year (more than 130,000 birds of 118 species have been banded at our primary sites since 1994).
RPBO's migration monitoring season runs from mid-July through October. The location on southern Vancouver Island has allowed RPBO to monitor many species which are not well understood through breeding bird surveys or other monitoring methods.
In addition to the migration monitoring program, RPBO also conducts nocturnal owl banding each September and October, breeding bird monitoring from late May to early August, hummingbird monitoring thoughout the province (and beyond) from spring to early summer, and seawatch, education and outreach programming throughout the year.