Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary

The Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary or VHMBS is a 30 km protected area on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Canada, in the Greater Victoria metropolitan area.^[1] It is located within the traditional territory of the Lekwungen People.^[2] The sanctuary is federally recognized as a critical habitat for bird conservation, and is home to an estimated 270 bird species, many of which are migratory.^[1][3][4] The sanctuary encompasses about 30 kilometres of coastline, an area covering approximately 1841 hectares (4549 acres) in total. Of this total, 31 hectares are terrestrial, and 1810 hectares are marine.

Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary
VHMBS
A Pacific great blue heron at Cadboro Bay beach, part of the Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary
Location on Vancouver Island
Location	Greater Victoria, Salish Sea, British Columbia, Canada
Nearest city	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Coordinates	48.40°N 123.33°W / 48.40; -123.33
Length	30 kilometres
Area	1,841 ha (7.11 sq mi)
Designation	Migratory Bird Sanctuary
Established	October 27, 1923
Governing body	Canadian Wildlife Service
Website	Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary

History

The VHMBS was established on October 27 1923 under the Migratory Birds Convention Act in response to a significant decline in bird populations caused by over-hunting.^[4] Today, it remains an important area for bird conservation. In 2023, the sanctuary celebrated its centennial anniversary.^[5]

Plants and wildlife

The VHMBS contains more than 75 plants and animals that are of both federal and provincial conservation concern.^[1] The sanctuary provides habitat for an estimated 270 bird species, fifteen of which are listed under the Species at Risk Act.^[6][7][8][9]

Species at risk

Birds

• Ancient murrelet
• Band-tailed pigeon
• Barn swallow
• Buff-breasted sandpiper
• Cassin's auklet
• Pacific great blue heron (Ardea herodias fannini)
• Horned grebe
• Marbled murrelet
• Olive-sided flycatcher
• Peregrine falcon
• Red knot
• Red-necked phalarope
• Short-eared owl
• Besper sparrow
• Western grebe

Mammals

• Grey whale
• Harbour porpoise
• Humpback whale
• Killer whale (Southern resident population and transient population)
• Sea otter
• Steller sea lion

Molluscs

• Northern abalone
• Olympia oyster

Plants

• Bear's-foot sanicle
• Bearded owl-clover
• California buttercup
• Coast microseris
• Coastal Scouler's catchfly
• Dense-flowered lupine
• Foothill sedge
• Golden paintbrush
• Macoun's meadowfoam
• Muhlenberg's centaury
• Purple sanicle
• Rosy owl-clover
• Seaside birds-foot lotus
• Tall woolly-heads
• Victoria's owl-clover
• White-top aster

See also

• List of Migratory Bird Sanctuaries of Canada

• Esquimalt Lagoon Migratory Bird Sanctuary
• List of protected areas of British Columbia
• List of National Wildlife Areas in Canada
• List of Canadian protected areas
• Endangered species in Canada