Can you post pictures so we can get an idea of what you are seeing?

If you look closely, the bark is peeling off in giant 3-4 foot sections leaving the exposed natural wood.

Looks totally normal to me. A close up might change my mind, but I can't see anything that looks out of the ordinary.

Isn't that what the bark is supposed to look like on that species? If the tree was dead it would loose a lot of the twigs long before the bark was lost, but this tree looks totaly healthy

I have been told (but can't verify) that when river birches have had an exceptional growth year, meaning that they have put on a large annual growth ring, the bark exfoliates in larger sheets. Anyone else heard this? Might be what is happening here.

hortster

OK...maybe it's normal then. On birch trees, does the bark grow back?

What you are seeing exfoliate is the outer bark. The "new" smooth orange bark that remains is inner bark that still protects the tree. I think this is called the cork cambium.

hortster

Looks exactly as that tree should look to me.

Righto @ Horster, et al. And again, as Brandon has already said, a close-up photo might change one or more of our minds, but I doubt it. But from this vantage, all appears normal for species.

+oM