Quebec in Fall: Birds & Whales
Highlights
Highlights
- Excellent birding for fall migrants, shorebirds, waterfowl and raptors
- Impressive encounters with big whales
- Scenic views of the Charlevoix region and the Laurentian Mountains
Map
Map
Overview
Tour Overview
Fall is a fine time of year for birding and whale-watching in la Belle Province, Quebec!
Our Quebec tour begins in the provincial capital Quebec City, from which we explore Léon Provancher Marsh to get a first taste of Quebec birding. Heading east, we stop at the famed Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area to explore the varied habitats and see large numbers of snow geese. We visit the shores of the mighty St. Lawrence with the beautiful fall scenery of the Charlevoix region.
At Tadoussac, we head out on the St. Lawrence in search of whales such as Humpback, Minke, Fin and especially Beluga. We take the ferry across the St. Lawrence, looking for pelagic birds such as Razorbill, Northern Gannet, Common Eider, jaegers and kittiwakes. On the south shore we visit Parc Côtier Kiskotuk to search for waterfowl and shorebirds. Making our way back along the south shore of the St. Lawrence we visit several choice spots for more Snow Geese and other waterfowl, ending back in Quebec City.
Dates & Prices
DATES & PRICES
What's Included
What's Included
Tour Price Includes
- All accommodation (Good quality)
- Breakfasts and lunches included
- Two whale-watching boat trips into the St. Lawrence River
- Ferry crossing across the St. Lawrence
- Guides (4 - 8 participants with one leader, 9 - 12 with two)
- Ground transportation (One or two 15-passenger vans)
- Park and entrance fees
Tour Price Does Not Include
- Travel to and from start/end location
- Travel Insurance
- Items of a personal nature
- Evening meals - you can expect these to be between $45 - $75 per night
- Taxes (5% GST)
Itinerary
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Québec City
Québec City, a World Heritage City, is the beautiful capital of the province of Québec, situated on the St. Lawrence River. It will be our base for the start of our Quebec birding and whale tour. We will meet for dinner to discuss our upcoming birding adventure. Night in Quebec City, near the airport.
We encourage you to arrive a day prior to the tour, to enjoy Old Quebec City on your own.

Day 2: Beauport Bay and Montmorency Falls
We begin our day with a stop at Domaine Maizerets, the best hotspot in Quebec city. We will then move towards Beauport Bay, a globally significant International Bird Area where we'll scan the tidal mudflats for waterfowl and shorebirds. From there we'll make a brief stop at Montmorency Falls, the largest waterfall in the province. Night in Quebec City.

Day 3: Cap-Tourmente National Wildlife Area
We will be going to Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area early in the morning, and spend the day exploring the varied habitats of this important refuge; mixed-wood forests, ponds, fields, marshes (fresh and saltwater), and the St. Lawrence River. We will start our visit with a stop at the banding station for a unique opportunity to see from up close very small passerines. We will also spend time looking at migrating waterfowl including snow geese, although numbers of these birds will be greater later in the fall. Depending on the winds there is a chance for songbird and raptor migration as well. We then continue northeast along the scenic shoreline of the St. Lawrence River to Baie-Saint-Paul. Night in Baie-Saint-Paul.

Day 4: Baie-Saint-Paul to Tadoussac
The area around Baie-Saint-Paul is very good during migration. Here, we will look for seabirds, waterfowl, shorebirds, and passerines.
In the afternoon, we will explore the stunning coastal road between Baie-Saint-Paul and Tadoussac, stopping along the shore to look for migrant shorebirds and passerines. Just before crossing the Saguenay Fjord with the ferry, we will stop at the Pointe-Noire Interpretation and Observation Centre for good odds at seeing various marine mammals like Harbour Seals, Gray Seals and Beluga Whales. Night in Tadoussac.

Day 5 : Tadoussac area
We’ll spend the next three days in the Tadoussac area. We will start our day at the Tadoussac Dunes, a part of Saguenay Fjord National Park that overlooks the St. Lawrence river and is home to the Tadoussac Bird Observatory. Boreal forest predominates here, with migrant landbirds scattered among the residents. Species lists change each day, but we’ll hope for Gray-cheeked Thrush, Fox Sparrow, Canada Jay, American Pipit, and boreal finches.
We will explore the mythical Tadoussac village where vagrants always seem to get caught! The same day, we will go on a whale-watching tour (weather permitting) in the Laurentian Channel offshore of the mouth of the Saguenay Fjord, one of Canada’s premier whale-watching sites. Minke and Fin Whales are the main feature of these whale-watching cruises and resident Beluga Whales are often seen. With luck, a Blue Whale, a Humpback Whale or a pod of White-sided Dolphins could also be seen. The conditions that attract whales are also good for pelagic birds, so we will keep an eye out. Night in Tadoussac.

Day 6 : Longue-Rive and Portneuf Bank
A short drive away from Tadoussac will bring us to the biggest salt marsh in the area where we will spend the day in surrounding habitats looking for any possible birds, but especially for shorebirds. We will visit many points like Émile's Point, Boisvert Point, Fortin Point and Portneuf-at-sea sand bank. A sea-side type of day where we can taste the edible plants that grow on the shore while scoping shorebirds and watching for seabirds. Back in Tadoussac in the evening, we would go for an owl-banding demonstration. Night in Tadoussac

Day 7: Grandes-Bergeronnes and Les Escoumins area
On that day, we will go on a pelagic birds tour where there should be numerous Black-legged Kittiwakes, and we’ll watch for harassing jaegers. We will observe Razorbills and Black Guillemots from close-up and always have a chance at finding a rare gull or a group of phalaropes. Once we are back on land, we will visit the greatest gull birding spot, the Escoumins bay where Bonaparte's gull can be seen by hundreds on good tides. We will make our way back to Tadoussac with lunch at the most beautiful landscape place in Bergeronnes. We will continue our way on a multi-habitat road that goes from pure boreal forest to blueberry fields, farmlands and lakes. Night in Tadoussac.

Day 8: Cross the St. Lawrence River by ferry – Trois-Pistoles – Rivière du Loup
We will start the day with a last walk on the point in Tadoussac with stunning views of the fjord and the river. We’ll cross the St. Lawrence on a commercial ferry, across the estuary, home of whales, porpoises, seals and a good opportunity for more pelagic birds. Once on the south side, we’ll explore the extensive salt marshes of Parc Côtier Kiskotuk, including the famed Gros-Cacouna Marsh, where there will be a mix of migrant waterfowl and shorebirds, and possibly an elusive Nelson’s Sparrow. Night in Rivière-du-Loup.

Day 9: Travel Rivière-du-Loup to Québec
We’ll spend the day investigating the south shoreline of the St. Lawrence River, with stops in Kamouraska, Montmagny and other locations where we’ll look for migrating shorebirds and waterfowl. We’ll check flocks of Black-bellied Plover for possible American Golden-Plover, and listen for Horned Larks among the landbirds. These areas are also good for birds of prey, including the occasional Golden Eagle, and the salt marshes also harbour some marsh birds, particularly Marsh Wrens and Swamp Sparrows. This is a coastal region of the Saint-Lawrence where Harbour Seals and Belugas are also seen. Night in Québec City.

Day 10 - Departure
Our Quebec birding and whale tour ends today. Breakfast is available at the hotel, but you can leave anytime. You may have a chance to experience a little more of Québec City before reluctantly heading home.
What to Expect
What to Expect
Overview
The Quebec in Fall tour is a moderate-paced birding tour, where we focus on finding a variety of species. You can expect early mornings (6:30-7am) and long days out in the field.
Food
We generally have an early breakfast at the hotel before we head out for the day. We often take a picnic lunch in the field, but will occasionally stop at a restaurant for lunch. Dinner is usually at the hotel or a nearby restaurant. Each evening after dinner we compile the day’s checklist, review the day’s activities, birds, mammals and other observations, and plan the next day’s activities.
Accommodation
Generally we stay in pleasant hotel rooms in locations close to where we want to go birding.
Walking
The walking on this tour is rated as easy to moderate. The walking is generally for short distances, with a few exceptions, but the terrain can be steep in places and there may be one sandy walk. The longest walks are 4km (2.5 miles) at Cap-Tourmente and 3km (1.85 miles) at the Tower trail at Tadoussac. Other walks will be shorter in duration and mostly flat. Please note that the whale-watching tour involves a steep ramp to get up to the dock.
Driving
Most days have a small to moderate amount of driving going from the lodgings to birding sites. The longest drive is Riviere-du-Loup to Quebec City, at 2.5 hours total. We will take many rest stops along the way.
Climate
Weather in late September and early October is usually pleasant, with warm days and cool nights. It is best to be prepared and bring layers. The whale-watching boat trips will be quite cool, so warm clothing, gloves and a hat are recommended.
It is a good idea to bring footwear that is waterproof for shore and wetland areas. We should not encounter significant numbers of mosquitos or black flies at that time of year; however, you may wish to bring mosquito repellent in case of an exceptionally warm day mosquitoes or black flies are not usually a problem anywhere except perhaps in sheltered trails.
Boat Trips
There are 2 boat trips on this tour plus a ferry ride.
The boat trips are on 24 or 40 passenger zodiacs, with sliding windows. We will spend between 2.5 – 3 hours on these trips, please note that there are no bathroom facilities onboard.
The ferry is comfortable, with shelter and lots of seating space, but plan for warmer clothing if you want to observe from the outside decks.
Featured Wildlife
Featured Wildlife
While we cannot guarantee sightings of the birds or mammals listed below, we believe that encountering these species is quite likely during this tour.
- Black-legged Kittiwake
- Common Eider
- Surf Scoter
- Razorbill
- Greater Snow Goose
- Numerous migrating warblers, raptors and shorebirds
- Beluga Whale
- Baleen whales possibly including Minke, Fin, Humpback and even Blue Whale
Past Tour Checklists
Past Tour Checklists
View the list of birds and other wildlife we encountered on our past tours.
- Quebec in Fall species list 2024 (ebird)
- Quebec in Fall species list 2023 (ebird)
- Quebec in Fall species list 2022 (ebird)
- Quebec in Fall species list 2021
- Quebec in Fall species list 2019
- See More...
- Quebec in Fall species list 2018
- Quebec in Fall species list 2015
- Quebec in Fall species list 2012
- Quebec in Fall species list 2008