Last modified on 2023-04-14. This page is dedicated to nature lovers and wildlife photographers who are looking to plan their visit to Parc Mont-Royal. Our aim is to provide you with comprehensive information about the park's wildlife and help you make the most out of your trip.
A large park in the heart of Montreal, covering a hill. The park is a very popular destination for the local community to spend some hours outdoors. There are many paths through forests up to and around the mountain. The artificial central lake, Lake Beaver, offers skating in winter and boating in summer.
Take bus 11 from metro station Mont-Royal which brings you to Lake Beaver in a short ride of about 10 minutes. Or, the central location of Parc Mont-Royal provides access to the park from different sides. You can simply walk up to the top.
Based on © OpenStreetMap
The main attraction of this park for photography are the bird feeders in winter, located along the pathway up to the Mount Mont-Royal. They allow you to take photos of small birds in flight of all species which stay in the region during winter.
Early spring, you have the opportunity to take photos of Raccoon (Procyon lotor) after hibernation, hungry, on the search of food.
Very popular park in Montreal on weekends. In winter, different bird feeder stations along the main pathway allow you to watch the different bird species which stay over winter in the area. Ecosystem is mostly forest, granting you a chance to see birds of prey with preference of this habitat.
| Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Coopers Hawk (Accipiter striatus) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Crowned Beggarticks (Bidens coronata) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Eastern Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Groundhog (Marmota monax) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Raccoon (Procyon lotor) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Yellow Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Times a species has been spotted, identified and logged while visiting this park. A species is reported only once / park visit. Consult the page animal tracking about how we log observations in field. Only species shown which we have logged at least 5 times in the Montreal area.
Videos are hosted on Muuuh's YouTube Channel.
Hiking in Park Mont-Royal after snowfall over night.
2020-01-01
iPhone 11 Pro; iPhone 11 Pro back triple camera 4.25mm f/1.8; Focal Length 4mm; Exposure 1/1318; Aperture f/1.8; Iso 32;
2017-11-05
iPhone 7; iPhone 7 back camera 3.99mm f/1.8; Focal Length 4mm; Exposure 1/30; Aperture f1.8; Iso 32;
Ice rain is a common weather phenomena in Montreal leading to dangerous street conditions and to christmas tree decorations.
2016-03-04
NIKON D7100; 150-600mm f/5.0-6.3; Focal Length 550mm; Exposure 1/1600; Aperture f6.3; Iso 200;
Taken a day after new snow has fallen. A bit windy, blowing the fresh snow through the air.
2015-02-22
NIKON D7100; 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6; Focal Length 18mm; Exposure 1/2000; Aperture f8.0; Iso 280;
The cross on Mont-Royal is an attraction visited by many tourists. It has been constructed the first time as a response to a disastrous flood back in the 17th century.
2014-03-02
Canon PowerShot SX50 HS; 4.3-215mm; Focal Length 4mm; Exposure 1/250; Aperture f4.0; Iso 80;
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Written and regularly updated by Karl-Heinz Müller, Dipl. Natw. ETH, Biology. With 10 years of experience in wildlife photography, Karl-Heinz shares first-hand, on-site collected observations, photos and videos from his frequent visits to Parc Mont-Royal.
All photos, videos, and text on this page are protected by copyright and are the exclusive property of Karl-Heinz Müller. Reproduction, distribution, or use of any content without permission is strictly prohibited. © Karl-Heinz Müller.