The west coast region of Vancouver Island encompasses mountainous terrain, rainforest, mudflats, and ragged coastlines that bear the brunt of storms spawned by an immense ocean. Remote and inaccessible to birders until well into the twentieth century, the rugged beauty of this “wild west coast,” attracts visitors from far and wide. And it also boasts a distinctive avian population that has made it one of Canada’s premier bird-watching destinations.

The Birds of Vancouver Island’s West Coast is the essential guide to the region’s birds. It presents accounts of all of the species thus far recorded as occurring there – 360 in total – and updates the 231 species recorded up to 1978. Each account includes a brief introduction to the species and an overview of its total range. Key to the book’s detailed and authoritative accounts are first-hand observations and anecdotes recorded by the author over more than forty years. By far the most detailed and up-to-date account of the birds of this region, this book will inform, delight, and surprise amateur and professional birders alike.

Adrian Dorst is known to many for his photographic portrayal of wilderness and wildlife. In the past two decades his work has appeared in calendars and on posters as well as in numerous magazines in Canada, the US, and Europe, among them International Wildlife, BBC Wildlife and Canadian Geographic. His photos have also been published in over fifty books including Hiking with Ghosts, Paddling through Time and Clayoquot: On the
Wild Side. Adrian Dorst lives in Tofino, on Vancouver Island.

Adrian Dorst's profile page

In The Birds of Vancouver Island’s West Coast, Dorst makes his profoundly hard-earned knowledge gleaned over decades instantly available to anyone inclined to learn more. Accessible to casual birdwatchers on a weekend excursion to Tofino, and yet at 560 pages loaded with material of interest to the most hardcore birder, this book has much to offer.

BC Booklook

Adrian Dorst is Tofino’s birding expert and with the release of his newest book, The Birds of Vancouver Island’s West Coast, he has cemented that title in place ... [This book] is a fantastic resource for photographers, birders and tourism guides alike.

Tofino-Ucluelet Westerly News