Holiday Beach Conservation Area
Important Bird Area with the three-storey Hawk Tower as the interpretive platform during HBMO's fall count. Shoreline boardwalk and nature trails round out the site.
Nature & Discovery
in Amherstburg
strongBest season — Spring songbird migration (April–May) and fall (September–November)
Big Creek Conservation Area's wetlands are breeding habitat for the endangered Prothonotary Warbler, and Big Creek shares its globally significant Important Bird Area designation with Holiday Beach six kilometres west. Together they form the birding spine of Amherstburg — Big Creek for marsh species through migration, Holiday Beach for raptors at the funnel point of the Lake Erie north shore. The Hawk Tower platform doubles as an interpretive site during HBMO's count.
CHILLY BUT CLEAR
Air Quality
26AQI
Temperature
H:17° L:2°C
Humidity
63%
Visibility
25.1 km
Wind
13.4 km/h
UV Index
3.4
Dress in layers; bring sunglasses; watch footing on windy trails
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What to know
Variants
birdingnature-interpretation
Spring songbird migration runs April through May; fall raptor and songbird migration peaks September through November. Holiday Beach and Big Creek are the two anchor sites and both are managed by Essex Region Conservation Authority. Holiday Beach charges $12 per vehicle, $5 walk-in or cyclist, and is open 6am–8pm mid-April through Thanksgiving. HBMO runs public banding demonstrations through September from the Hawk Tower. King's Navy Yard Park rounds out the inventory for shoreline waterfowl through winter when the inland conservation areas are closed. Spring at Holiday Beach can be wet and mosquito-heavy in the marsh edges.
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Locations
Big Creek Conservation Area
Largest wetland in the area, jointly designated as an IBA with Holiday Beach. Breeding habitat for the endangered Prothonotary Warbler and a staging area for herons, egrets, and waterfowl.
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Local rules
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Holiday Beach Conservation Area: $12 per vehicle, $5 walk-in or cyclist; open 6am–8pm daily, mid-April through Thanksgiving
essexregionconservation.ca ↗ - 2
Holiday Beach is closed mid-November through mid-April
essexregionconservation.ca ↗ - 3
Controlled waterfowl hunting permitted seasonally at Holiday Beach; non-hunting visitors should check the ERCA calendar
essexregionconservation.ca ↗
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Operators
Holiday Beach Migration Observatory (HBMO)
verified 2026-04-276952 County Road 50
Non-profit research organization running the fall hawk count, Festival of Hawks, and public hawk-watching programs at the tower.