Great Blue Heron

You might find a tall great blue heron standing motionless in the water. As still as a lawn ornament, the heron waits to strike unsuspecting prey with its long, sharp bill. Spotting a blue heron in flight is simply breathtaking—the average wingspan is 2M / 7FT.

• Dawn and dusk are good times to observe this bird fishing, or hunting for frogs, lizards or aquatic insects
• The heron is an occasional resident on our island in the summer, but spends most winters here
• Look for the heron in the marshland among the reeds and in shallow water

Black-bellied Plover

Since it nests on the arctic tundra, the black-bellied plover makes one of the longest migration flights to visit us. Its mournful whistle of pee-oo-ee can be heard when announcing its arrival.

• The plover feeds in small flocks on crustaceans, marine insects and worms during its winter residency
• This bird also visits here some summers
• Look for the black-bellied plover around our airport’s perimeter grasses and shoreline

Belted Kingfisher

The very distinctive, long rattle that you hear near our ponds could very well be the belted kingfisher. Its raucous rattle call, large head and familiar plumage is a giveaway that you are in the presence of one of birding’s favourite characters.

• Unlike most species, the female kingfisher is more colourful than her mate. She sports a rust-coloured bellyband
• Kingfishers generally fly low over the water and feed on fish
• However, this bird has also been known to dive into the water from a height of 12M / 40FT in pursuit of its intended catch 
• Look for the kingfisher near ponds and along our coastline

White-tailed Tropicbird

With a wingspan of 1M / 3.3FT, and two long, streaming tail feathers almost as long, you cannot miss — and will not forget — the white-tailed tropicbird, also known as the Bermuda longtail. You may see it diving into the water from cliffs as high as 30M / 98.4FT in search of fish.

• The white-tailed tropicbird can be found in abundance here during in the summer
• Look for this bird along our coastal cliffs
• If you do not happen to see a real white-tailed tropicbird in its natural habit, take a look at the Bermuda quarter for an image of this long-tailed bird