Plan Your Visit
Essential Planning Tips
Planning a birding trip to Newfoundland promises an unforgettable adventure filled with a rich diversity of bird species and breathtaking landscapes from stunning coastal cliffs, serene wetlands, and expansive boreal forests. Seasoned birder or a novice enthusiast, this guide will help you prepare for your visit and ensure a successful and enjoyable birding expedition in this remarkable destination.
Getting Here & Getting Around
We really are closer that you think. With short direct flights from major Canadian hubs including Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, your journey to St. John’s, Newfoundland can be as scenic as driving along the Atlantic coastline to soaring over the island from 10,000 feet in the comforts of a window seat.
What to Pack
Birders planning a trip to Newfoundland should pack the following essentials to ensure a successful and enjoyable experience:
Weather-Appropriate Clothing
Hat and Gloves
Binoculars
Camera
Field Guide
Maps and GPS
First Aid Kit
Insect Repellent
Sunscreen and Sunglasses
Reusable Water Bottle
Snacks
Notebook and Pen
Birding Apps
Spotting Scope
Backpack
By packing these essentials, birders can fully enjoy the rich avian diversity and stunning landscapes that Newfoundland has to offer.
Getting Around
By Air
St. John’s International Airport is serviced by several airlines including:
- Air Canada
- WestJet
- Porter
- PAL Airlines
- Flair Airlines
With direct service from Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, and London UK.
If arriving by air, be sure to book your car rental early as there can be limited supply during the summer season.
By Ground
To travel to St. John’s by vehicle you can take the ferry service provided by Marine Atlantic from North Sydney, Nova Scotia to either Port-aux-Basques, NL or Argentia, NL.
Top Birding Locations in Newfoundland
Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve
Interpretive Centre open early May – early October.
2.5-hour drive from St. John’s
One of the best and most accessible colonies in the world to see nesting seabirds, Cape St. Mary’s features a cliff-top viewing station that faces a nest-covered sea stack. The Cape is the only place where thick-billed murre can be easily seen from land – ask for guidance.
Species to spot: Northern gannet (24,000 pairs), black-legged kittiwake, common and thick-billed murres, razorbill, black guillemot, double-crested and great cormorants, and a few pairs of northern fulmar, from April to late September.
Witless Bay Ecological Reserve
Spring-fall (check with boat tour operators)
30 minutes from St. John’s
Take a boat tour to Witless Bay Ecological Reserve’s four protected islands. An important seabird breeding area from early June to early September, the islands have the largest Atlantic puffin colony in North America (260,000 pairs), and the second largest Leach’s storm-petrel colony in the world (620,000 pairs).
Species to spot: Nesting species include Atlantic puffin, Leach’s storm-petrel, common murre, razorbill, black guillemot, black-legged kittiwake, herring gull, great black-backed gull, and in smaller numbers, northern fulmar and thick-billed murre.
Salmonier Nature Park
45-minute drive from St. John’s
Open June 1 – Canadian Thanksgiving weekend
A popular destination for school groups and the general public, Salmonier Nature Park features walking trails to view local wildlife, plus three kilometres of boardwalk for viewing birds of the northern boreal forest in the wild. On-site staff and interpretive signs can help with species identification.
Species to spot: Gray jay, boreal chickadee, pine grosbeak, blackpoll warbler, white-winged crossbill. Occasional sightings of black-backed woodpecker and rusty blackbird.
Other Notable Birdwatching Areas
Cape Spear, Renews, Cape Race Road, Terra Nova National Park, Quidi Vidi Lake, Bowring Park, Manuel’s River Trail, and Bidgood’s Park.