Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Burrard Inlet is a sheltered fjord of Georgia Strait that encompasses all water east of Point Atkinson in the north and Point Gray in the south. It includes False Creek and English Bay, Vancouver Harbour, Port Moody Arm and Indian Arm. This site incorporates a diversity of habitats from man-made beaches and industrial encroachment to the pristine Indian River estuary. Burrard Inlet lies between the city of Vancouver and the north shore municipalities of West Vancouver and North Vancouver. The main rivers flowing into the site are the Capilano and Seymour rivers. Tides reach 4 metres, and salinity levels are moderated by the nearby Fraser River and slow outflows from Indian Arm. The inlet is bounded to the north by the steep-walled, granitic Coast Mountains, and on the south by the densely urbanized areas of Vancouver. Most of the shoreline is rocky or built up with port facilities and seawalls, but there are extensive tidal sandflats at Spanish Banks and some remnant mudflats, and saltwater marshes, most notably Maplewood Flats. Killer Whales are occasionally seen in the bay and inlet.
Numerous waterbirds use the protected waters of Burrard Inlet for feeding during winter. Western Grebes winter here in globally significant numbers, and in particular concentrate in the English Bay-First Narrows area. Between 2,000 to 15,000 birds are recorded each year. Although the numbers naturally vary from year to year, they may have also declined over the past 30 years with the peak count (~15,000) occurring in the winter of 1969-70. Even so, the minimum numbers are probably close to 2% of the poorly known global population of Western Grebes.
Waterfowl numbers peak in midwinter here, while species diversity of waterbirds peaks in October (49 species total) and April (50 species total). Generally, numbers reach a low in June. Continentally significant numbers of waterfowl have been tallied in winter, with a maximum of 17,412 birds. Barrows Goldeneyes are regularly recorded in globally significant numbers in winter. The peak record of 7,126 birds is over 4% of the world population. High numbers of Surf Scoters have been observed - a winter maximum of 6,150 birds has been recorded.
Approximately 10 Purple Martins nest at Maplewood Flats - one of the few nesting sites in British Columbia.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
The primary threat to Burrard Inlet is industrial pollution and urban encroachment, although frequent oil spills receive the bulk of media attention. The effect of pollutants on food sources for waterfowl (such as fish and mussels) is also a concern. Direct disturbance of birds by ships and personal watercrafts is a minor problem. The Capilano and Seymour Hatcheries as well as sea-pens in Indian Arm contribute to significant recreational fisheries.
The Burrard Inlet Environmental Action Program is a group of local, provincial and federal agencies tasked with ensuring development of the inlet is done in a manner that recognizes the inlets unique environmental resources. The British Columbia Coastal Waterbird Survey has just begun a similar program that will gather data on waterbids on a monthly basis.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: English Bay and Burrard Inlet (Canada). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/english-bay-and-burrard-inlet-iba-canada on 23/11/2024.
