The Yukon is rich in biodiversity. We're here to help you find opportunities to view wildlife and appreciate nature.
Wild Discoveries
Join us for wildlife activities, contests and videos online.
Find wildlife viewing opportunities by species
The Government of Yukon has detailed information profiles on native Yukon species. These include wildlife viewing opportunities.
Brochures and booklets
The Wildlife Viewing Program produces a series brochures and booklets on Yukon wildlife. Pick up free copies from an Environment office or Visitor Information Centre.
Yukon wildlife viewing guide
Pocket guides
- Common Yukon birds
- Common Yukon mushrooms
- Common Yukon roadside flowers
- Yukon amphibians
- Yukon bats
- Yukon butterflies
- Yukon carnivores
- Yukon freshwater fishes
- Yukon rodents and lagomorphs
- Yukon ungulates
Community and regional brochures
- 10 great places to go birding in Whitehorse
- Dempster Highway Travelogue
- Driving the Firebelt: North Klondike Highway
- Naturally Carcross
- Wildlife viewing in the Faro and Ross River area
- Wildlife viewing in the Watson Lake Area
- Wildlife viewing in Mayo
- Wildlife in Whitehorse: A guide to our natural area
Craft and hobby books
For kids and the young at heart
- Yukon Wildlife Activity Book
- Answer key for the Yukon Wildlife Activity Book
- Wildlife of Yukon colouring sheet
- Yukon biodiversity colouring sheet
Bird checklists
These checklists are for people keeping track of birds species. These are not guidebooks detailing what the birds look like. If you're interested in learning about identifying birds, we recommend you look at books or online resources about the birds of western North America like All About Birds, eBird Explore and the Merlin bird ID phone app.
- Checklist of Yukon birds
- Checklist of the birds of Dawson
- A birder's checklist of the Faro and Ross River region
- Checklist of the birds of Herschel Island - Qikiqtaruk
- Checklist of the birds of Tombstone
- Checklist of the birds of Watson Lake
- Checklist of the birds of Whitehorse
Posters
"Quick look" common Yukon wildlife posters
Learn to recognise and find out a few quick facts about the common plants, animals and fungi found in the Yukon. These posters are great for your classroom, office, cabin, reception area, lunch room or anywhere else you’d like a splash of colour and a little humour.
- Fast flying things (birds)
- Four legged things (mammal tracks)
- Pretty leafy things (flowers)
- Soft mushy things (mushrooms)
- Squishy juicy things (berries)
- Tall leafy things (trees)
- Underwater things (fish)
- Yellow flying things (bees, wasps and flies)
Be like wildlife, practise physical distancing posters
These beautifully designed art posters give you a few facts about Yukon animals that prefer their alone time. Post them in your classroom, workplace, or share on your social media to remind folks to stay safe and teach them a little about Yukon wildlife.
Join Yukon biologists and other wildlife experts for free activities, walks and talks.
The most popular wildlife viewing opportunities by season.
Spring
April – May – June
Swan migration
In mid-April, A Celebrations of Swans bird festival heralds the return of waterbirds to the North. Witness thousands of swans at the Swan Haven Interpretive Centre.
Frogs
The Wood Frog specializes in northern climate survival. It wakes from hibernation early in the Yukon’s spring and can be heard croaking from ponds that still have ice.
Roadside bear viewing
Early spring plants pop up along roadsides, attracting bears emerging from hibernation. The lack of foliage means bears are easy to spot from the safety of your car. Learn how to watch wildlife safely along roadways.
Crane and Sheep Festival
Visit Faro in early May to witness hundreds of thousands of Sandhill Cranes flying overhead and see Fannin’s Sheep on the hillsides.
Songbird migration
Visit one of the Yukon’s three bird observatories in Watson Lake, Teslin and Whitehorse, or a birding hotspot to witness the return of thousands of songbirds in their breeding plumage.
Goat kids and sheep lambs
Be sure to stay off alpine trails that take you near steep cliffs and rocky outcrops where sheep or goats are giving birth. The young are extremely vulnerable at this time. It’s a great time to view from a distance using scopes or binoculars.
Summer
June – July – August
Bird walks
The Yukon Bird Club offers free guided walks and hikes from April to November. Schedules are set in the spring, so check back for the most up-to-date listings.
Alpine flowers
Late June and early July is the height of the flower bloom, especially for alpine flowers. Put on your hiking boots and head up the mountains to take photos, not samples, of this rainbow of colours.
BioBlitz
Join biologists and experts at this annual nature discovery event. The location changes every year but there are always public walks and talks about the Yukon’s biodiversity. Contact the Yukon Conservation Data Centre for information on this year’s event.
Fish migration
Visit the Yukon Fishway in Whitehorse, July and August to see Chinook Salmon climbing the fish ladder on the final legs of their journey from the Pacific Ocean.
Bat viewing
Visit one of the Yukon’s established bat houses at dusk to watch bats leave for a night of hunting insects. Participate in a guided viewing night to talk with experts about this important mammal.
Mushrooms
In July and August the forest floor is littered with fungi of all shapes and sizes. You can pick certain varieties. Pick up a guide learn more about them!
Fall
September – October
Fish spawning
Paddle the Yukon’s rivers in early September to see salmon in their red spawning colours travelling upstream. Or you can visit stocked lakes such as Long Lake or Scout Lake to see salmon from shore.
Alpine colours
Hiking in the alpine in the fall is a great way to take in the changing colours of the season. Dwarf Willow turns a brilliant red, a stark contrast to the golden yellow of the Trembling Aspens in the valley below.
Elk
The Yukon’s Elk herds in Braeburn and the Takhini Valley are in the rut. The males can be heard bugling to attract females and challenge other males.
Bison
The Aishihik Wood Bison begin to move down from the alpine to the forest below.
Caribou
Barren-ground Caribou head to their winter range and may be visible on the Dempster Highway.
Eagles
Watch for Bald Eagles congregating by streams, feasting on spawning salmon.
Winter
November – March
Caribou on the roads
In the winter Woodland Caribou move down from the alpine and into the forested valleys. They are attracted to roadside salts and can sometimes be seen crossing or on the side of the road. While it’s great viewing, be sure to slow down and drive carefully in low light and slippery conditions.
Ravens
Common Ravens are year-round residents of the Yukon and can often be seen playing on thermals in the skies above Whitehorse and other Yukon communities.
Winter swans
Each year a handful of Trumpeter Swans have been braving the cold temperatures in the small patch of open water at Johnsons Crossing.
Tracks and tracking
Don a pair of snowshoes and go for a walk to see what creatures have been about. The snow provides a great canvas for capturing their prints.
For questions about wildlife viewing, email wildlife.viewing@yukon.ca or phone 867-667-8291 or toll free in the Yukon 1-800-661-0408, extension 8291. You can also follow the Wildlife Viewing Program on Facebook and on Instagram.