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Animals and Wildlife in Quebec

Seal
Seal. Image via Depositphotos.

Step into the enchanting world of Animals and WIldlife in Quebec! Quebec boasts an incredible wealth of wildlife, and as a visitor, you’re in for a wild treat. Prepare to embark on an adventure where you’ll encounter a diverse array of creatures that call this province home.

As you explore the vast and lush forests, national parks, and natural sanctuaries that envelop Quebec, you’ll come face to face with an astounding variety of animal species. In fact, Quebec proudly houses a staggering 650 different animal species, including 300 types of birds and 90 species of mammals. Quebec’s wilderness is a treasure trove of animal wonders waiting to be discovered!

Click below to jump to any section on animals in Quebec:

Key Points

AnimalHabitat and TraitsBest Places to Find in QuebecBest Time to See in Quebec
BeaverFound in wood-rich areas, known for huts and damsAiguebelle National Park, Jacques Cartier National Park,Dawn and dusk year-round
Largest semiaquatic rodent, up to 31 inches longPointe-Taillon National Park, Plaisance National Park,
Broad heads, short legs, stout bodiesOka National Park, Domaine le Pic Bois Inc,
Pourvoirie du Lac Moreau
Caribou (Reindeer)Northern Quebec, nomadic, both genders have antlersRadisson, Grands-Jardins National Park,September for rutting season
Herbivores, migrate thousands of miles annuallyParc National de la Gaspésie, Mirage Outfitter
Black BearDense forests, only bear species in QuebecStation Touristique Duchesnay, Reserve Faunique desEarly summer, avoid hibernation
Males larger (150-350 lbs), omnivoresLaurentides, Domaine de l’Ours Noir Baie-Comeau,period (October to April)
Found in tree-covered areas, meadows, swamps, forestsMichel-Chartrand Park
MooseValleys with efficient vegetation, water-dependentMatane Wildlife Reserve, Jacques Cartier National Park,June to early October
Largest deer species, tolerate cold, dislike heat
White-tailed DeerSouthern Quebec, widespreadBoucherville National Park, Anticosti Island,Year-round in native habitats
Michel-Chartrand Park
WhaleAbundant in Quebec, 14 species including blue whaleForillon National Park, Tadoussac, Pointe-des-MontsMay to October
Northern GannetNortheastern Quebec, white with long wingsRocher National ParkMid-May to mid-October
Eastern WolfAlso known as timber wolf, Algonquin wolfOmega Park, Mahikan ParkYear-round
Bald EagleWhite head, tail, brown body, mainly eats fishTemiscouata National ParkYear-round
SealCold seas, excellent swimmers and diversMagdalen Islands, Bic National ParkYear-round, active all day

Beaver

Beaver
North American Beaver at Carburn Park in Calgary, Alberta. Image via No machine-readable author provided. Cszmurlo assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons

They are generally found in wood-rich areas in forest environments. This is also why beavers are easy to see in the forests of Quebec. They live in easily identified huts or dams. They can be observed on lakes or near rivers as their dams are built on water. Beavers are the largest living semiaquatic rodents.

Their bodies grow up to 31 inches long and weigh around 16-30kg. They live in rivers, ponds, streams, shorelines of large lakes, dams, etc. Beavers are also referred to as ecosystem engineers, as they have the ability to change the landscape where they live. They have broad and blunt heads, short legs, and stout bodies.

Where can one find Beavers in Quebec?

Aiguebelle National Park

This national park is home to many beavers. The national emblem of Aiguebelle national park is the beaver. This national park has high densities of beavers and other Quebec animals.

Jacques Cartier National Park:

This park is located near Quebec City, and the trail for the hike is known as Le Scotora. If one is lucky enough, then while walking through the trail, one will get see beavers as beaver dams are built there across.

Pointe-Taillon National Park:

This national park is a wetland located near the Saguenay region of Quebec. Many beaver colonies are found in this park, so seeing a beaver is not difficult.

Plaisance National Park:

It is a small park located near Gatineau.

Oka National Park:

This park has many beavers and is located near Montreal.

Domaine le Pic Bois Inc:

This is not a national park, but they allow $28 per adult, and one can see many beavers here.

Pourvoirie du Lac Moreau:

It is located in the Charlevoix region and offers tours of its fauna. One will see beavers here, along with other animals too.

Best time to see Beavers in Quebec?

Beavers can be found early in the morning or the darker stage of twilight. They are active in both seasons, summer and winter, and can be found all year long.

Caribou

Caribou
crossing over the pack ice. Image via Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Caribou, also known as reindeer, are a remarkable species of deer with a global presence, particularly in the northern reaches of Quebec. These hardy creatures are known for their incredible ability to traverse vast tundras, covering distances of up to 6,000 kilometers over their lifetime.

What sets caribou apart is that both males and females boast antlers, a rarity among deer species. In the case of male caribou, their antlers branch out, adding to their distinctive appearance. You’ll often find caribou in the tundra and taiga regions of Quebec, where they thrive on a diverse diet that includes mushrooms, lichens, sedges, grasses, willows, and fruits. Caribou are not only agile on land but also in the water, capable of reaching speeds of up to 50 miles per hour on land and 6 miles per hour in the water. Their remarkable adaptability and unique features make them one of the most captivating animals to encounter in Quebec’s wilderness.

Where can one find Caribou in Quebec?

Radisson:

It is a small town that is goodly attached to nature and is located in Eeyou Istchee. In this place, Animal Paquin provides tours to see caribous. The tour starts from November to April. One can find a lot of caribous on this tour.

Grands-Jardins National Park:

This is a national park located in the Charlevoix region that has a huge amount of caribou population.

Parc National de la Gaspésie:

This park is lovely and has many mountains. This location is popular with hikers. One should try visiting it in September as at that time caribous gather with their young ones to prepare for rutting season.

Mirage Outfitter:

They offer unique and different snowmobile safaris. This is a very beautiful once in a, lifetime experience for seeing Caribou.

Best time to see Caribou in Quebec?

Best time to see Caribou is September, as they visit trails during that time for fast travel.

Black Bear

black bear
Black bear (Ursus americanus) in Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial National Park, Yukon, Canada. Image via Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

There are about 70,000 black bears living in Quebec. It is one of the most common and feared animals in Quebec. They love to live in dense forests. It is the only bear that is found in Quebec. It has small round years and claws on its feet.

The male black bear is larger than the female black bear. The male black bear has more weight which is 150 to 350 pounds, as compared to the female black bear, which is 90 to 175 pounds. Male black bears weigh up to 600 pounds too. It lives in various types of habitats, especially tree-covered areas, meadows, mountain areas, swamps, and forests. It is a carnivore but is mostly diet comes from plants, so it is an omnivore.

Where can one find these animals in Quebec?

Station Touristique Duchesnay:

It is located near Quebec city. At this place, one can see the Black Bear in two ways one being by watching the black bear from a distance by standing in a tower at safe distance and the other by seeing them very closely by quad but in both cases, a guide will be provided.

Reserve Faunique des Laurentides

This place is located nearby Montreal. Here one can surely find wild black bears.

Domaine de l’Ours Noir Baie-Comeau:

Among all the places listed above till now this is one if the best place to see black bears. Here one can sleep with bears as they made such chambers for observation.

Best time to see Black Bears in Quebec

The hibernation period of black bears starts in October and ends in April, so it is impossible to see them during this time—the best time to see them is during the beginning of summer. Now the perfect time to see black bears would be different for different areas as they do not like much to interact with humans so they can be found at night time if many humans are living nearby, and at distant places, it can be seen in the morning or at the start of twilight.

Moose

Moose
Moose (Alces alces), Chugach State Park, Alaska, United States. Image via Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

It is the largest and heaviest animal of the deer species. Moose require 25 to 30kg of plant food daily and usually drink water which is rich in minerals.  This is the reason why they are found in valleys with efficient vegetation so they can feed nearby. Moose is a type of animal that can tolerate cold seasons but cannot tolerate heat.

This is the reason why moose are found resting in water to remove excessive heat and unwanted mosquitoes from the body. It can be easily found in those types of forests where the water runs between.

Where can one find these animals in Quebec?

Matane Wildlife Reserve:

This is a beautiful place that offers a moose safari to tourists to see moose live. This place guide will help and take you to the best place possible for seeing moose. It starts from June end to September end.

Jacques Cartier National Park:

This place is located near Quebec City. This is particularly one of the best places to see moose in Quebec. The emblem of this park is the moose. They are mostly seen there resting in water, removing their body heat and mosquitoes.

Best time for seeing Moose in Quebec?

The best time for seeing moose would their feeding season which is from June to early October. One can also try to go there in the rutting season because, at this time, the male moose and female moose more often show themselves.

White-tailed deer

White tailed deer
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus nelsoni) female with fawns, Orange Walk, Belize. Image via Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

It is the most common animal and can be easily found in Southern Quebec.

Where can one find White-tailed deer in Quebec?

Boucherville National Park:
Firstly, it is a beautiful place for seeing deer and is located nearby Montreal. There are near about 120 deer which are found in this national park. This park has a large deer population due to which this park is facing serious issues as deer eat a lot more than the actual ecosystem present. If one visits this park should take the Grand-Duc trail, which allows one to see most of the deer present.

Anticosti Island:

It is one of the largest and best places to see deer, as it consists of about 1,60,000 deer. This island is so big that one can reach there by boat. It is also considered a national park as well as an outfitter.

Michel-Chartrand Park:
This park is small but has a good amount of deer. One can easily spot deer here. This park is located near Montreal.

Best time for seeing white-tailed deer in Quebec?

This deer can be seen early morning or at dusk. But its visibility does depend on less human disturbance They can see the whole year in the habitats or native places.

Whale

Fin whale
Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) exhaling, off Greenland. Image via Aqqa Rosing-Asvid – Visit Greenland, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Firstly, Quebec is a very important place for spotting a whale. Evidently, the most enormous whale in the world, the blue whale, is found here along with 13 other species. There is good availability of food and water, which turnouts to be a good reason that Quebec is home to so many whales. Additionally, there are so many whales in Quebec that one can easily spot them by sending them on the river shore. Furthermore, Whale watching is best done in Quebec as compared to the whole world this is the reason due to why people from around the globe come to experience the marine animals live.

Where can one find Whale in Quebec?

Forillon National Park:

Firstly, Amy companies offer tours here in this park. One can enjoy this tour while spotting the whale.

Tadoussac:

Secondly, it is a beautiful village and a perfect place to visit on a Quebec tour. This place has so many whales, so one can enjoy touring here.

Pointe-des-Monts:

One can find so many whales here; it is a great place to spot them.  At this place, one can see whales from river shores as it contains a wide variety of whales.

Best time for seeing whales in Quebec?

May to October is most likely the best time for spotting whales in Quebec, as whales migrate to warm places during the winter season.

Northern Gannet

Northern gannet in flight, Lummenfelsen, Heligoland, Germany. Image via Carsten Steger, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This is a magnificent and attractive bird that is found in Northeastern Quebec. Evidently, male northern gannet and female northern gannet almost look similar. Furthermore, adult Gannet has a white long body and wings. Their wings are developed in such a way that maximum air current can be used while flying. In good weather, they have the ability to fly at the speed of 55 to 65 kilometers per hour. Additionally, this bird needs to warm up before flying. They also face problems while walking and so in flight from the ground. They look out for food near the sea and nesting sites.

Where can one find Northern Gannet in Quebec?

Northern Gannet is best seen in Rocher national park as it has a wide variety of Northern Gannets. There are around 1,16,000 northern gannets present in this part of Quebec. One can observe them during their mating practice. One can find them chanting and singing in this park, making the atmosphere very beautiful and soothing.

Best time for seeing northern gannet in Quebec?

It is migratory bird that is found in Quebec only from mid-May to mid of October.

Eastern Wolf

Eastern wolf, Algonquin Provincial Park. Image via Michael Runtz, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

It is also known as the timber wolf or Algonquin wolf. It is a different species of the gray wolf.

Where can one find an eastern wolf in Quebec?

Omega Park:

Firstly, this place is specially built to keep an eye on those animals which move here and there in their natural habitat. One can easily see wolves here in its natural environment and can also sleep around them. It is built like a zoo, so it is less wild. This park is located nearby Montreal.

Mahikan Park:

Secondly, this park is gorgeous and is located near Saguenay. One can easily spot wolves living in their natural habitat. For having a great experience, one can easily sleep alongside wolves here in this park.

Best time for seeing eastern wolf in Quebec?

The best time to see them will be when they are most active, that is, early morning and dusk. Evidently, eastern wolves can be found a whole year roaming in Quebec.

Bald Eagle

Eagle
Close-up of a bald eagle. Image by Ralfgeorg Feltes via Pexels

Bald Eagle represents courage and strength and very loved icon in North American Culture. If by chance, a Bald Eagle losses its feather on one wing, then it will shed weather on the other wing for maintaining balance. Furthermore, this bird has a white head, tail, and brown body. Legs and bills are yellow. Bald Eagle mainly eats fish. Bald eagle has their habitat near rivers, lakes, reservoirs, etc.

Where can one find Bald Eagle in Quebec?

Bald eagle can be found near Temiscouata National Park. It is the emblem of this park. They can be seen easily in this park over trees, near rivers, etc. If one is lucky enough, one will get to spot it near the ground too.

Best time for seeing Bald Eagle in Quebec?

The best time will be a time which will have less human activity as one can see them easily early morning or at dusk. Bald Eagle can be seen the whole year flying in the park.

Seal

Seal on beach napping
Seal napping Camp-Laysan Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 US https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/deed.en, via Wikimedia Commons .Image via

They live in cold seas, having tapered bodies at the end and round in the middle. Secondly, seals are classified based on whether they have ears or not. Additionally, as seals are carnivores, they generally consume fish. It is a specialized marine animal. Seals are found more in polar areas.

Furthermore, they are excellent swimmers and divers. These seals can go up to a depth of 150-250 meters or even more and stay in water for 20-30 minutes. They cannot swim like whales or dolphins but are very strong in the water. All seals come to shore once a year for breeding. Evidently, seals are been hunted for their meat. These marine animals love to live in cold and temperate regions.

Where can one find Seal in Quebec?

Magdalen Islands:

Firstly, this is a beautiful place for spotting seals. One can spot baby seals here. The guides here will take the interested person to see the seals very closely.

Bic National Park:

In this park, one can observe seal from shore as this park uses rocks on covers and bays. Seeing a seal here in this park depends on low and high tides. One should be careful and keep in mind that seals should not be disturbed when they are resting.

Best Time to see seals:

One can observe all year long in Quebec, and they are primarily active at all times of the day.

Summary of animals and wildlife in Quebec

YouTube video
“Wolves hunt caribou in Quebec’s northern forest| Wild Canadian year”, Source: YouTube, Uploaded: CBC

We’ve come to the end of this post. We hope you had an exciting adventure. Take a look at this article about animals in Ontario and animals in Saskatchewan before signing off; you are sure to find something exciting.

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