Discover GREAT Birding in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
This place is, unequivocally, for the birders.
Newfoundland and Labrador has some of the largest concentrations of breading and feeding seabirds in the world. It is one of the best land-based pelagic birding spots in North America. Species such as razorbills, dovekies, murres, and shearwaters can handily be seen form the many headlands and capes. Several large and assessable seabird colonies provide a first-hand glimpse into their seemingly chaotic world.
Here you'll find 16 ecological reserves and two wilderness reserves. Of these, six are internationally recognized breeding sites for seabirds.
Baccalieu Island Ecological Reserve
The Baccalieu Island Ecological reserve is the second largest Atlantic puffin colony (after the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve) in North America.
At just over 23 km2 in area (18 km2 us the marine portion), Baccalieu Island Ecological reserve contains the largest seabird island in Newfoundland and Labrador. It has more types of breeding seabirds than any other seabird colony in our province, and with 3,360,000-plus pairs of Leach's storm-petrels, it is the largest Leach's storm-petrel colony in the world.
The Baccalieu Island Ecological reserve is also the second largest Atlantic puffin colony (after the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve) in North America. More than 75,000 pairs nest on Baccalieu's grassy slopes and surrounding rock scree. Black-legged kittiwakes, common and thick-billed murres, razorbills, and Northern fulmars are also present. The island is visible from shore, but access to the seabird nest area is restricted to scientific researchers.
Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve
Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve
Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve is one of the best and most accessible places in the world to see nesting seabirds. A hike across open meadows brings you out to within ten metres of the thousands of Northern gannets that nest each summer on the spectacular sea stack known as Bird Rock.
Located about 200 km southwest of St. John's, the Cape is one of our province's major seabird colonies. At 64 km2 (54 km2 of which is a marine portion), the reserve is home to 24,000 Northern gannets, 20,000 black-legged kittiwakes, 20,000 common murres, and 2,000 thick-billed murres. More than 100 pairs of razorbills and 60 pairs of black guillemots nest there, as well as double-crested cormorants, great cormorants, and Northern fulmars. The season to view the nesting birds is May through September.
Cape St. Mary's lies within the Eastern hyper-oceanic Barrens eco-region, which has distinctive arctic-tundra vegetation, treeless vistas, wildflowers, tough grasses, and a variety of wildlife. The waters offshore are an important wintering site for thousands of seaducks, such as harlequins, common eiders scoters, and long-tailed ducks.
Funk Island Ecological Reserve
Atlantic puffins, among other birds, regularly nest on this flat granite island.
Funk Island Ecological Reserve, 60 km east of Fogo Island, is home to more than a million common murres, and contains the largest colony of common murres in the Western North Atlantic. Seabirds nesting on this flat granite island also include Northern gannets, Northern fulmars, Atlantic puffins, razorbills, thick-billed murres, black-legged kittiwakes, as well as herring and great black-backed gulls.
At 5.2 km2 (5 km2 of which is the marine component), Funk Island is the smallest seabird ecological reserve in the province, but it is one of the most important. For the protection the nesting seabirds, only scientific research activities are allowed on the island.
Gannet Islands Ecological Reserve
Not a single Northern gannet can be found on the seven islands in this 22 km2 reserve (20 km2 of which is the marine component). The name comes from a 19th century British survey ship. However, there are plenty of other seabirds on this remote island group 40 km northeast of Cartwright - it is the largest and most diverse seabird breeding colony in Labrador. The Gannet Islands Ecological reserve protects the largest razorbill colony in North America - 10,000 breeding pairs - and the third-largest Atlantic puffin breeding colony (after Witless Bay and Baccalieu Island Ecological Reserves) in North America, with more than 3,800 pairs.
The islands' interior tundra vegetation is mainly dwarf sedges, low-lying heaths, and shrubby plants. Its slopes of boulder scree, rock cliffs, and turf provide habitat for the razorbills and puffins. There are also 36,000 breeding pairs of common murres and 1,900 breeding pairs of thick-billed murres, and scores of black-legged kittiwakes, great black-backed gulls, and Northern fulmars. During the summer, the islands are a staging area for harlequin ducks preparing for their southern migration.
Due to the significance and sensitivity of the site, visits to the reserve are restricted to scientific researchers.
Hare Bay Islands Ecological Reserve
A trio of islands - Gilliat, Spring, and Brent - on the northeastern edge of the Great Northern Peninsula near Main Brook, make up the Hare Bay Islands Ecological Reserve. Together, they protect the breeding habitat of the common eider. Currently, approximately 170 pairs of common eiders nest on Gilliat and Spring Islands. The 31 km2 reserve (26 km2 of which is the marine component) also provides a summer breeding habitat for common and Arctic terns, ring-billed, herring, and great black-backed gulls, and double-crested cormorants.
In addition to Newfoundland's avifauna, the reserve also protects many unique geological and ecological features. For example, rich beds of Early and Middle Ordovicianage fossil gastropods (about 457 million years old) occur throughout the reserve.
Witless Bay Ecological Reserve
Four islands teeming with bird life - Gull, Green, Great, and Pee Pee - comprise the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, just off the east coast of the Avalon Peninsula near Witless Bay. The 31 km2 reserve (29 km2 is the marine component) protects the largest Atlantic puffin colony in North America - more than 260,000 pairs of the province's official bird nest here. It is also the second largest Leach's storm-petrel colony in the world (after Baccalieu Island Ecological reserve), with more that 620,000 pairs. Black-legged kittiwakes and common murres also appear in the thousands.
Licenced tour boats operate from many of the communities near Witless Bay Ecological reserve (all within easy reach from St. John's). They provide the public with whale, iceberg, and bird watching experiences. Seabirds generally spend most of the year at sea and only return to land from May to August to breed and raise their young. Landing on the islands required a research or education permit, but a boat tour can bring you close enough for easy observation.
Other Seabird Colonies
The colonies listed here are among the largest and most important in the world. However, Newfoundland and Labrador boasts hundreds of additional seabird colonies, as well as many other sites and lookouts where residents and visitors can enjoy quality bird watching.
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