Canadian Bird-class patrol vessel

Class overview
Name:	Bird class
Builders:	Various Ontario boatyards
Operators:	Royal Canadian Navy
Preceded by:	Fairmile B motor launch
In commission:	30 November 1955 – 2 September 1965
Planned:	8
Completed:	4
Cancelled:	4
Retired:	4
General characteristics
Type:	Patrol vessel
Displacement:	66 long tons (67 t)
Length:	92 ft (28 m) o/a
Beam:	17 ft (5.2 m)
Draught:	5.3 ft (1.6 m)
Complement:	2 officers, 19 ratings
Armament:	1 × 20 mm 1 × Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar

The Bird-class patrol vessels were a class of patrol vessels operated by the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) during the Cold War. The class derives its name from large birds found in Canada and was designed by the RCN as a replacement for the remaining Second World War-era Fairmile motor launches used for coastal patrol.^[1]

Ships

Ship	Pennant number	Builder	Commissioned	Paid off	Fate
Loon	PCS 780	Taylor Boat Works, Toronto	30 November 1955	30 August 1965	Sold around 1970.
Cormorant	PCS 781	Birdland Boat Works, Midland	16 July 1956	23 May 1963	Sold around 1970.
Blue Heron	PCS 782	Hunter Boat Works, Orillia	30 July 1956	19 November 1956	Transferred to the RCMP.
Mallard	PCS 783	Grew Boat Works, Penetanguishene	16 July 1956	2 September 1965	Sold around 1970.
Arctic Tern	PCS 784	Planned but never built.
Sandpiper	PCS 785
Herring Gull	PCS 786
Kingfisher	PCS 787

References

Notes

1. Macpherson and Burgess, 1994

Sources

• Bird Class - Radio Fit - Radio Research Paper
• Macpherson, Ken; Burgess, John (1994). The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910-1993. St Catherines, Ont: Vanwell Publishing Limited. ISBN 0-920277-91-8.