The Lake Huron Centre For Coastal Conservation
Advocating Wise Stewardship of Lake Huron's Coastal Ecosystems

Coastal Birds


Lake Huron is home to a number of migratory and colonial waterbirds. The health and abundance of these birds can give us clues about the health of the coastal environment. A few of the ones common to Lake Huron are introduced here.

Double-crested Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorants are large, black, with a long tail and yellow-orange throat patch. The throat patch is more visible during the breeding season.

Cormorants dive from the surface and swim in pursuit of their prey, generally to depths of 2 to 7 meters below the surface. The bird stays under usually less than 30 seconds, but up to 70 seconds.

They catch fish primarily of no commercial value such as rainbow smelt, alewife, sticklebacks, slimy sculpins, shiners, sunfishes, white suckers and crayfish.

As soon as Cormorants stop fishing, they go to shore and dry their wings by holding them out to the sun for some time before taking flight. (Unlike ducks, their feathers are not completely waterproof)

Cormorant populations on Lake Huron increased dramatically from 1973 to 1993.  A 1968 ban on the use of the chemical DDT was key to increased breeding success.


Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)

Almost the size of a Herring Gull, the Caspian Tern differs by having a black cap, large red bill and forked tail.

Terns will dive into the water (until completely under the surface) to feed on small fishes, but also feeds from the surface like gulls.

Soars, at times, like a gull, but more flapping in flight and its bill pointed downward when fishing.

Caspian Terns nest in dense colonies on the Great Lakes, often in association with Ring-billed or Herring Gulls. In Ontario, almost all Caspian Tern colonies are located on Lakes Huron (primarily Georgian Bay) and Ontario. The terns nest on the ground, preferring sand. As most other tern species, the Caspian Tern normally nests on islands to reduce predation by mammals.

The Tern is also a migrant species that returns in mid-April and departs in late August. The Caspian Tern is considered to be rare in Canada

Related Links:

 


Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)

Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)The Herring Gull is a large gull with a wing span around 140 centimeters. It can be identified by its flesh coloured legs and by the red dot on the lower part of its bill. Herring Gulls nest on numerous islands throughout Ontario. Colonies can range in size from less than 100 pairs) of birds to a large colony with several thousand birds. The southern-most colonies on Lake Huron are at the Bruce Nuclear Power Development, and at Chantry Island near Southampton. The Fishing Islands off of the eastern shore of the Bruce Peninsula contain many colonies. About 3,200 Herring Gull nests have been documented on Chantry Island making it one of the largest colonies in Canada.

Of the 16 gull species that have occurred in Ontario, only the Herring Gull and the smaller, but similar looking Ring-billed Gull are often seen in or near areas of human activity.

After the breeding season, Herring Gulls and Ring-billed Gulls disperse from their colonies. Many of the Herring Gulls that nest on the Great Lakes are believed to spend the winter in the Great Lakes basin. In contrast, most of the ring-billed gulls migrate to warmer areas. During the late fall, they migrate south along the Atlantic coast and by mid-winter many can be found in Florida.

The Canadian Wildlife Service estimates that there are approximately 75,000 pairs of Herring Gulls in Ontario. Gulls are protected by the Migratory Birds Convention Act.



Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)

Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)The Ring-billed Gull is very close in appearance to the larger Herring Gull, but is distinguished by its black ring near the tip of its bill, and its yellowish or greenish legs. The wing span of the Ring-billed gull can be up to 60 centimeters.

This adaptable and opportunistic species thrives in human environments and has become a problem in many parts of the province. Its diverse diet is the result of its agility and adaptability: it can plunge for fish, follow the plow looking for earthworms and grubs, pick-off insects in the air, feed on cash crops, scrounge french-fries at fast-food outlets and forage garbage dumps.

Although some of the feeding habits by the Ring-bills results in conflicts with humans, they can play a more positive role by eating undesirable insects, grubs and removing food remains from public areas.

This species leaves the Great Lakes during the winter months. The last ones depart in late November and early December, and return in March. Small numbers do remain on the lower lakes and in our area during mild, open winters. They migrate south to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Great Lakes population of Ring-billed Gulls was estimated to be about 640,000 pairs in 1984.



Black-Crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

Black-Crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)The Black-Crowned night-Heron is characterized by its heavy body, short, thick necks and short legs. The adult is dark-backed and entirely white below. It is often inactive during the day, preferring to roost in trees. The Night-Heron fishes more at night. At dusk, they can often be found standing on rocks along the shore looking for fish.

The range of the Black-Crowned Night-Heron in Ontario is confined to the south, with most of its heronries located near the shores of the lower Great Lakes. It winters along coasts from the southern USA south to South America.

A heronry of about 30 Black-Crowned Night-Heron nests exists on Chantry Island, off the coast of Southampton.

During the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, there was a decline in this species due to pesticide poisoning.

 

Useful Links ...

 



Next page: Piping Plover - An Endangered Species
Previous page: Animals

The Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation The Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation
P.O. Box 178,
Blyth, Ontario, Canada
N0M 1H0
Phone: (519) 523-4478
Email: coastalcentre@lakehuron.on.ca