For bird watching, the Kamchatka Region and Koryak Autonomous District have an interesting variety of habitats for 322 species and subspecies of birds and 197 species with subspecies of nesting birds. Terrestrial ecosystems include snow covered peaks, mountain glaciers, deciduous and coniferous forests, shrub tundra and alpine tundra, peat bogs, sedge meadows, and stone birch forests. Aquatic ecosystems include lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, bogs, fjords, bays, and estuaries, gravel, sand, mud, and rocky coastlines, and remote offshore islands.

     The best birding season extends from the first of June til the end of September, but birding at other times can be rewarding too. Kamchatka's wet, cold summer climate accounts for one of the latest and shortest nesting times in the north Pacific. The weather not only affects bird populations, but also birding conditions and access to remote areas. We focus here on Avacha Bay as one of the most accessible areas and the four protected territories in the UNDP project for preserving biodiversity.

     Starichkov Island and Avacha Bay.

     Birders may walk the beach across from the regional administration building and Lenin monument or on the nearby Nikolskaya Hill overlooking the bay in summer- and possibly see Tufted Puffins, Slatey-backed Gulls, Pelagic Cormorants, and more. The company will deliver Starichkov Island and on Avacha Bay during the summer. Trips last from 4 hours to 6+ hours.  In good weather, all the different boats follow essentially the same route heading out the bay past "Tri Brat" (3 brothers) rocky pinnacles, through the mouth of the bay. Once boats near Starichkov Island, seabird colonies are impressive as the precipitous cliffs rise vertically from the sea and provide nesting habitat. Starichkov Island's name comes from the Russian name for Ancient Murrelets as the island has one of the largest colonies in the world of these birds, along with nearly 20,000 Tufted and Horned Puffins, Pelagic and Red-Faced Cormorants, Gulls, and more.

     Nalychevo Park.

     Nalychevo Nature Park, located near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Yelizovo, is a microcosm of nearly every ecosystem on Kamchatka. The park's 125 known species may be seen in three main areas: Nalychevsky Point, Nalycheva River valley, and the high volcanic zone. These three areas provide habitat to some of Kamchatka's most spectacular birds including Steller Sea Eagles, Capercaillie Grouse, marine birds on the coast, and an abundance of waterfowl on the rivers, lakes, and ponds in the park.

     Kronotsky Biosphere Preserve.

     The Kronotsky Biosphere Preserve has 224 species and subspecies of birds known to inhabit or pass through its territory.  In keeping with the priority of preservation and research, the majority of the Kronotsky Preserve is open to scientific research and to a controlled quota of ecologically oriented tours. Birders may visit the fantastic Valley of Geysers and Uzon Caldera, where the birdlife is adapted to the unique geological and geothermal systems that form these beautiful areas. Semyachinsky Estuary on the southern marine border of the preserve attracts a huge diversity and number of nesting waterfowl and shorebirds. In the area of the estuary over 10,000 birds nest, making it a vital and productive contributor to Kamchatka's avifauna.  Here nest the Aleutian Curlews and other Red Book species and the forests nearby have several usually active Steller Sea Eagles.

     Yuzhno-Kamchatsky Reserve

     The southernmost tip of the peninsula is a confluence of the Bering Sea, Sea of Okhotsk, and the Kuril Islands which combine to make the territory of the Yuzhno-Kamchatsky Reserve a vital autumn migratory corridor for Kamchatka birds heading south for the winter.  In the fall, the lowest point of the peninsula which is a 7 x 25 kilometer long point sees fantastic numbers of birds flying over, day and night. Highest concentrations migrating are the Oriental Greenfinch followed by the Reed's Bunting, many Pipits, and Wagtails. Also this area sees many of the smaller birds of prey migrating south for the winter. At Kurilskoye Lake, there is a large colony of nesting Pacific gulls on an island in the lake. Also in winter is the world's largest concentration of Steller Sea Eagles which congregate over the lake's area and river systems as they feed on the late spawning salmon. With them are usually Golden Eagles and some White-Tailed Sea Eagles. Researchers have documented 120 species of migratory birds in the reserve.

     Bystrinsky Nature Park.

     The massive and interior peninsula Bystrinsky Nature Park is comprised of high volcanic alpine tundra, birch and conifer forests, and meadows offering quite a variety of Kamchatka's non-marine birdlife for birders. One hundred four species of birds are known to inhabit the territory of the park. The park demonstrates typical avifauna for a wide range of habitats and thus demonstrates the interesting history of distribution of bird species on the peninsula, more than being home to particularly unusual species or numbers. Thus birding in the Bystrinsky Park can give birders an ample opportunity to become acquainted with many of Kamchatka's common interior living birds. The park is the only place on Kamchatka where Bohemian Waxwings nest, as well as Sooty Flycatcher, Coal Tit, and the Red Crossbill.