Courtenay River Estuary

Tidal flats at the mouth of the Courtenay River — winter birding hub

The Puntledge and Tsolum rivers meet at the south edge of Courtenay to form the short Courtenay River, which fans out into a 65-square-kilometre estuary at the head of Comox Harbour. The mudflats and eelgrass beds are a globally significant overwintering site for trumpeter swans (sometimes 2,000 birds at once), Canada geese, and dozens of duck species.

The Airpark Walkway loops around the south side and the Courtenay Riverway runs along the north — both flat, paved, and good for slow morning birdwatching. November to February is peak swan season.

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The estuary's eelgrass beds support the largest concentration of overwintering trumpeter swans in the world — sometimes more than 2,000 birds at once, roughly one in twelve of the global population, all in one valley.

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