[Read this article in French on SNAP Quebec’s website here.]
Migratory bird sanctuaries are among the oldest protected areas in Quebec, and several in the Lower North Shore region are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year. With the Audubon Leadership Conference being was recently held in Montreal, it seems the perfect opportunity to talk about these sanctuaries dedicated to the protection of seabirds.
In the summer of 1833, the artist-naturalist John James Audubon traveled by sea to the Lower North Shore aboard the schooner “Ripley” and collected and sketched the many seabirds and wildlife there. In his travel letters, he denounced the abusive harvesting of bird eggs, which eventually led to the creation of migratory bird sanctuaries in 1925.
Seabirds, Fascinating Passers-by
The purpose of these sanctuaries, as their name suggests, is to protect migratory birds that come to lay their eggs during the Quebec summer season. This is a critical period for the maintenance of their populations; the quality of the surrounding habitat and food resources are crucial to the survival of these captivating birds.
Among the species that frequent these sites are birds like the colorful Atlantic Puffin, also known as the sea parrot, which has earned several coastal islands the name “Parrot Island”. One of these “parrot islands” is located in the Brador Bay Migratory Bird Sanctuary, near Blanc-Sablon, Quebec’s most easterly village. Nearly three-quarters of Quebec’s puffin population can be found in this sanctuary.
Many species of seabird nest on the rocky cliffs overlooking the sea. They feed in the surrounding waters, often on small fish such as sand eels and capelin, but also on herring and mackerel. One such example is the Razorbill, found at the Saint-Augustin Migratory Bird Sanctuary, near the Innu community of Pakuashipi.
Other birds nest on the ground, like the Common Eider, a species found in the Îles-Sainte-Marie Migratory Bird Sanctuary, near Harrington Harbour, a road- and car-free village accessible only by plane and ferry. Biodiversity in this sanctuary is extremely rich, with over 14 of the 20 or so seabird species found in Quebec.
But How Are Seabirds Doing?
For several years now, the total number of seabirds observed in sanctuaries has been rising on the Lower North Shore. However, this increase does not reflect the reality of all the species monitored. Indeed, while alcids (murres, razorbills, puffins) have generally seen their numbers increase in recent years, other species, such as Herring Gulls and Common and Arctic Terns, have declined. The seabirds found on the Lower North Shore are sensitive to predation by certain land mammals (e.g. foxes), as well as to disturbance caused by various human activities (motorboats, birds’ eggs harvesting, etc.). It is therefore essential to pursue outreach, education, monitoring and research efforts in the Lower North Shore sanctuaries to help restore and maintain these seabird colonies.
In fact, several proposals for marine protected areas that overlap with some of these migratory bird sanctuaries will be under discussion as part of the Quebec government’s call for projects, which aims to protect 30% of the province’s marine and terrestrial territory. This is the perfect opportunity to put the spotlight back on the importance of implementing conservation measures that will directly benefit the species that visit Quebec’s migratory bird sanctuaries!
