Kamloops man publishes book of all birds in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District

Jun 19, 2026 | 10:12 AM

KAMLOOPS — After 10 years and thousands of pictures, a Kamloops man has published a book cataloguing every bird species that calls the Thompson-Nicola Regional District home.

The book, Birds of Kamloops and the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, was a passion project for author Tom Beeke, a nature enthusiast and international student program activities teacher.

“The book is a very comprehensive photo guide of all the bird species to be found in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District. Each one is shown in full colour photos, males, females, plumages, juveniles, all these different stages,” said Beeke.

Work on the book had him out in different seasons to photograph and catalogue each species and its variations.

“It took a lot of time in the field – finding and photographing, then replacing photos and never being satisfied with your own work and always trying to make it better and more comprehensive with more things and views and angles,” said Beeke.

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Beeke said the goal of completing Birds of Kamloops and the Thompson-Nicola Regional District kept him motivated to stay engaged with the outdoors and he hopes it inspires others to do the same.

“This has been a way to focus my energy when I’m outside, so it’s a way to have something you’re working on, it motivates you to go out and find all the different birds and you’re going to have something at the end of that journey to show for it. It’s something you can other people what they have living all around them living in the TNRD,” said Beeke.

“I’m hoping this book gets people outside and noticing different wildlife – not only birds, but also reptiles, amphibians, mammals, other things that live around it. I hope it will motivate people to go for a walk and explore places they don’t usually go to. If people understand all of the bird life and what we have around us, then there’s a greater appreciation of all things out in the wild and nature in general.”

The book is available at many local retailers and online.

by Elora McCormack

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Kamloops man publishes book of all birds in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District

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