The Haida Gwaii Wildlife Citizen Science Centre initiative was born out of the recent re-discovery of the elusive Virginia rail on Haida Gwaii. The Virginia rail (Rallus limicola) is a small cryptic waterbird, whose published range on the west coast of BC was thought to extend only as far north as Nanaimo. Previously, the Virginia rail has only been documented as 'accidentally' occurring on Haida Gwaii since before the 1990s. However, as of 2015, citizen scientists (recreational birders) have been encountering the rail throughout the year in various locations around Haida Gwaii. This has prompted many research questions concerning the presence of Virginia rail on Haida Gwaii, and highlights the importance of citizen observations in advancing scientific understanding of wildlife behaviour, occurrence, and population status.