George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary

George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary
Sandhill cranes
Location	Delta, British Columbia, Canada
Nearest city	Vancouver
Coordinates	49°5′50.6322″N 123°9′57.7728″W
Area	300 ha (740 acres)
Established	1963
Governing body	British Columbia Waterfowl Society

Nest and pair of barn swallows in rafters of bird blind

George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary is a protected area in Delta, British Columbia, Canada, and is part of the Fraser River estuary, designated a site of Hemispheric Importance by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network.

The area includes managed wetlands, marshes and dikes. The 300-hectare (740-acre) area has numerous walking trails, bird blinds, lookouts, and a gift shop. It has resident nesting sites for sandhill cranes, bald eagles, mallards, spotted towhees and many others. Migrants include, lesser snow geese, greater and lesser yellowlegs, long-billed dowitchers, and western sandpipers. Over 250 species have so far been recorded in the sanctuary. The sanctuary is open year-round from 9 am to 4 pm local time.

History

George C. Reifel bought the sanctuary land in 1927 and originally used it as a working farm and family retreat. Reifel's son, George H. Reifel first leased the land to the British Columbia Waterfowl Society for use as a sanctuary in the 1960s. In 1972, the Reifel family "agreed to a combination of land sale and donation to the federal government on the condition that it would continue to be managed for the primary benefit of waterfowl and that the Sanctuary would continue to bear the name of George C. Reifel."

The Alaksen National Wildlife Area, which was also part of the Reifel family land, was designated at an NWA in 1972 and is managed by the Canadian Wildlife Service.

See also

• Alaksen National Wildlife Area

External links

• George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary
• Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network: Fraser River Estuary