Heron Colony Tour in Stanley Park
byJoin Stanley Park Ecology educator Julia Taylor for a special tour of the Stanley Park heron rookery and learn all about how these beautiful and large birds navigate the canopy, build their nests, and raise their fledglings.
Heron Colony Tour in Stanley Park
- Dates: Saturday, March 22, 2025 10:30am to 11:45am
- Location: Nature House on Lost Lagoon (near Alberni and Chilco)
- Tickets: Available online now
The Stanley Park heron colony is the largest urban colony of Pacific Great Blue Herons in North America. Every spring, Pacific Great Blue Herons take to over a hundred nests on the edge of Downtown Vancouver to raise their young, and they’ve been doing so for more than a century.
About the Herons in Stanley Park
A Province newspaper article in 1921 featured a scruffy tree with branches weighed down by large nests. This is our first record of a Pacific Great Blue Heron nesting colony in Stanley Park.
They may have long been nesting here before this time, which is a meaningful connection to the Park’s pre-colonial history, and today these birds continue to captivate onlookers who get to glimpse into the pre-historic… as living dinosaurs dwelling right in our city. [Read more…]
This colony has persisted through changes in the Park over the decades, moving from Brockton Point to an area by the Aquarium, to Beaver Lake, and to its current location near the Park Board head office on Beach Ave.
Since 2001, the big birds have returned between February to March to this busy location each year, marking spring for many Vancouverites.
- View the Heron Cam
Spring Break Eco-Camps
From March 24-28, Stanley Park Ecology is hosting their annual Spring Break Eco-Camps and one has a heron theme (for ages 6-11). Explore the world of herons and their wetland habitats through hands-on activities and nature walks. Campers will learn about herons’ unique adaptations and the importance of wetlands in supporting wildlife. Perfect for young birdwatchers and nature lovers eager to connect with the wild world around them. Register online.
