Great-horned Owl perched in a farm hedgerow (David Bradbeer) Short-eared Owl hunting voles over a grassland (Hank Tseng). A farm lane in Delta, BC (Tyler Garnham). A Marsh Wren singing atop a hedgerow (David Bradbeer). A diversity of food grown in Delta, BC (Markus Merkens). Coopers Hawk perching on a fence (Markus Merkens). Barley growing in a Delta field (Tyler Garnham). Trumpeter Swans feed on a cover crop (David Bradbeer). Spring plowing on a Delta farm (Markus Merkens). Snow Geese taking off from a farm field (David Shackleton) Ladybird beetle on a barley plant (David Bradbeer)

Farmland Wildlife

Click on the links below to learn more about the types of birds and other wildlife seen in the area.

• Waterfowl
• Raptors
• Shorebirds
• Wading birds and Cranes
  
• Songbirds
• Small mammals
• Beneficial arthropods

The Fraser River delta is located in southwestern B.C. The silt and clay deposited by the river over the last 10,000 years makes the region extremely fertile for both agricultural production and wildlife. Each autumn, millions of migratory birds travel south from their summer breeding grounds to their wintering sites. In the spring, the birds return north.

There are hundreds of different species using the delta, including waterfowl, raptors, shorebirds, wading birds, and songbirds. In fact, there are so many birds using the area that the Fraser River delta is recognized as Canada's most significant Important Bird Area.

Some birds, like waterfowl and raptors, will spend the entire winter on the Fraser River delta. Others birds, such as songbirds, will travel as far as South America.

Many of the birds that use the Fraser River delta, whether migrating through or spending the winter, use farmland as feeding and resting habitat. Explore the links below to learn more about the ways that Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust's programs benefit the wildlife that relies on this farmland.