Bird Tours: Discover the Birds of the Salish Sea

Horned Puffin. Photo Credit: Naturalist Sam Wallace

Calling all birdwatchers! Did you know the Salish Sea is home to some of the best seabird and shore bird habitat on the West Coast? If you’re a self-proclaimed birder, then get ready to embark on the tour of a lifetime. Our three to four hour birding tours leave from Anacortes, Washington and venture out into prime bird habitat in search of unique and rare species. Get ready to cross those birds off your list. Birdwatchers, unite!

What to Expect

Over one hundred and seventy bird species call the Salish Sea ecosystem home. While some migrate to the area during summer months, others call this area home year-round. Steep cliffs, isolated islands, and towering trees offer nesting and breeding sites for a diverse population of sea birds, shore birds, and waterfowl. One-third of these species are considered threatened or endangered, making the Salish Sea one the last hopes for declining populations. 

Common Murre. Photo Credit: Naturalist Sophia Madden

During your time on the water, an experienced captain and knowledgeable naturalist will take you to local bird hot spots and popular nesting sites. Your guides live and breathe these waters. From the rocky cliffsides bald eagles perch on, to the trees where peregrine falcons have been spotted, to the routes brown pelicans follow on their migration.  

Nestled in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Smith Island is one of the most coveted destinations in the Pacific Northwest for serious birders. This protected gem is home to a nesting colony of tufted puffins, a seabird capable of diving up to a hundred feet under water to hunt for fish. The island is also one of the only places outside of Alaska where the horned puffin can be spotted, where we have confirmed at least two individuals calling Smith Island home!

Bald Eagle. Photo Credit: Naturalist Sheila Bolka

From the water surrounding Smith Island to the rocky coast lines of the San Juan Island, birding on the Salish Sea is more of a journey than a destination. The region is alive with birds at every turn. 

Common Birds Spotted in the Salish Sea

Frequently seen species include:

• Tufted Puffin

• Marbled Murrelet

• Rhinoceros Auklet

• Common Murre

• Pigeon Guillemot

• Black Oystercatcher

• Harlequin Duck

• Surf Scoter

• Bald Eagle

• Black & Ruddy Turnstones

• Great Blue Heron

• Pelagic, Brandt's and Double-Crested Cormorants

• Many other species of gulls and shorebirds​

Great Blue Heron. Photo Credit: Naturalist Sheila Bolka

Rarer Birds Spotted in the Salish Sea

Rarer or more seasonal migrant species include:

• Horned Puffin

• Ancient Murrelet

• Red-Necked Phalaropes

• Parasitic, Pomerine, and Long-Tailed Jaegers

• Sooty Shearwater

• Manx Shearwater

• Boneparte's Gull

• Heermann's Gull

• Common & Pacific Loons

• Osprey

• White-Winged Scoters

• Surfbirds

• Peregrine Falcon

• And many other possibilities!

Red-Necked Phalarope. Photo Credit: Naturalist Sam Wallace

How to Book

Our birding tours operate three times between June and September. Even the summer months in Washington State can get breezy, so be sure to pack warm layers, along with rain jackets. Binoculars, sunscreen, and water are recommended. And don’t forget to bring your camera! You’ll definitely want to snap a photo of that bird you’ve been dying to see.

Tufted Puffin. Photo Credit: Naturalist Sam Wallace

Whether you’re a life-long birder or a newbie with a long list, this is the adventure for you. No two tours are ever the same, and the chance of a once in a lifetime sighting is always a possibility. See available dates and book a birding tour for the 2026 season.