Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary
Migratory bird sanctuary in Canada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 within Vancouver Island | |
| Location | Greater Victoria, Salish Sea, British Columbia, Canada |
| Nearest city | Victoria, British Columbia, Canada |
| Coordinates | 48.40°N 123.33°W |
| 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
Mammals
- Grey whale
- Harbour porpoise
- Humpback whale
- Killer whale (Southern resident population and transient population)
- Sea otter
- Steller sea lion
Molluscs
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