Kendall Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary

Last updated
Kendall Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Lesser Snow Goose in White Phase.jpg
A priority species in this sanctuary, the lesser snow goose, shown here in white phase
Location Northwest Territories, Canada
Nearest city Inuvik
Coordinates 69°19′59″N135°05′17″W / 69.333°N 135.088°W / 69.333; -135.088 (Kendall Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary)
Area620 km2
Established1961
Governing body Parks Canada

The Kendall Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary (KIBS) is a migratory bird sanctuary in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is located on Kendall Island and its surrounding area in Mackenzie Bay [1] at the northern tip of the Mackenzie River Delta. A seasonal sanctuary for more than 60,000 shorebirds, [2] it is one of five bird sanctuaries within the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. [3] The area that is now known as the KIBS is a traditional Inuvialuit whaling site. [4]

Contents

The KIBS was established in 1961 to protect the breeding colony of lesser snow geese. [5] The IUCN Category IV site area is 609 km2 (235 sq mi) of which 197 km2 (76 sq mi) make up the marine portion which have marine and intertidal marine components, but not subtidal. [6] Part of the Mackenzie River Delta, a key migratory bird terrestrial habitat site (NT Site 12), is located within the KIBS. [5]

Geography

The sanctuary is located on the coast of the Beaufort Sea approximately 120 kilometres (75 mi) west of the community of Tuktoyaktuk, and 140 kilometres (87 mi) north of Inuvik. The low-lying landscape consists of shallow channels and extensive mudflats among islands composed mostly of muskeg. [7] Several hills in the KIBS have upland terrain that has remained above water level since glaciation. The ground in these hills is covered by sand or glacial till. [8]

Natural resources

Two confirmed natural gas fields are located within the KIBS. [2] The fields contain 4.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, representing more than half of the gas intended to fill the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline. [9]


Wildlife

KIBS is frequented from May through October by more than 90 bird species, including many migrating waterfowl. Compared to other Key Habitat Sites in Northern Canada, particularly high densities of Arctic tern, greater white-fronted goose, loon, northern pintail, and sandhill crane frequent the area. Tundra swan concentrate around the outer section of the MBS. [10] A colony of approximately 3000 lesser snow geese have been identified at KIBS, as well as nationally significant numbers of Hudsonian godwit and whimbrel. The short-eared owl, a Species at Risk Act-listed bird, has been records at KIBS, as well as grizzly bear, polar bear and wolverine, which are listed species by Canada's Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife, [11] and the highly endangered Eskimo curlew. [12] The Lapland longspur appears to be avoiding the KIBS because of seismic lines and drilling pads brought on by natural gas exploration. [13]

An animation of tagged tundra swan movements, where individuals can be seen in the Mackenzie Delta area in June through September. Argos Wildlife Tracking Tundra Swan.gif
An animation of tagged tundra swan movements, where individuals can be seen in the Mackenzie Delta area in June through September.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banks Island</span> Inhabited island in the Northwest Territories, Canada

Banks Island is one of the larger members of the Arctic Archipelago. Situated in the Inuvik Region, and part of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, of the Northwest Territories, it is separated from Victoria Island to its east by the Prince of Wales Strait and from the mainland by Amundsen Gulf to its south. The Beaufort Sea lies to its west, and to its northeast M'Clure Strait separates the island from Prince Patrick Island and Melville Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mackenzie River</span> Largest river system in Canada

The Mackenzie River is a river in the Canadian boreal forest. It forms, along with the Slave, Peace, and Finlay, the longest river system in Canada, and includes the second largest drainage basin of any North American river after the Mississippi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beaufort Sea</span> Marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean north of the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, and Alaska

The Beaufort Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, and Alaska, and west of Canada's Arctic islands. The sea is named after Sir Francis Beaufort, a hydrographer. The Mackenzie River, the longest in Canada, empties into the Canadian part of the Beaufort Sea west of Tuktoyaktuk, which is one of the few permanent settlements on the sea's shores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akimiski Island</span> Island in southern Hudson Bay

Akimiski Island is the largest island in James Bay, Canada, which is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region of the territory of Nunavut. It has an area of 3,001 km2 (1,159 sq mi), making it the 163rd largest island in the world, and Canada's 29th largest island. Akimiski Island is 19 km (12 mi) from the province of Ontario. From the western side of the island, the Ontario coastline is visible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bylot Island</span> Uninhabited island off Baffin Island in Nunavut Territory, Canada

Bylot Island lies off the northern end of Baffin Island in Nunavut Territory, Canada. Eclipse Sound to the southeast and Navy Board Inlet to the southwest separate it from Baffin Island. Parry Channel lies to its northwest. At 11,067 km2 (4,273 sq mi) it is ranked 71st largest island in the world and Canada's 17th largest island. The island measures 180 km (110 mi) east to west and 110 km (68 mi) north to south and is one of the largest uninhabited islands in the world. While there are no permanent settlements on this Canadian Arctic island, Inuit from Pond Inlet and elsewhere regularly travel to Bylot Island. An Inuit seasonal hunting camp is located southwest of Cape Graham Moore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inuvialuit</span> Inuit subgroup

The Inuvialuit or Western Canadian Inuit are Inuit who live in the western Canadian Arctic region. They, like all other Inuit, are descendants of the Thule who migrated eastward from Alaska. Their homeland – the Inuvialuit Settlement Region – covers the Arctic Ocean coastline area from the Alaskan border, east through the Beaufort Sea and beyond the Amundsen Gulf which includes some of the western Canadian Arctic Islands, as well as the inland community of Aklavik and part of Yukon. The land was demarked in 1984 by the Inuvialuit Final Agreement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuktoyaktuk</span> Hamlet in the Northwest Territories, Canada

Tuktoyaktuk, or TuktuyaaqtuuqIPA:[təktujaːqtuːq], is an Inuvialuit hamlet located near the Mackenzie River delta in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada, at the northern terminus of the Inuvik–Tuktoyaktuk Highway. One of six Inuvialuit communities in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, it is commonly referred to by its first syllable, Tuk. It lies north of the Arctic Circle on the shores of the Arctic Ocean, and is the only place on the Arctic Ocean connected to the rest of Canada by road. Known as Port Brabant after British colonization, in 1950 it became the first Indigenous settlement in Canada to reclaim its traditional name.

The Anderson River is in the Northwest Territories in northern Canada. It originates in lakes northwest of Great Bear Lake; its headwaters are possibly on the north side of Colville Lake in the vicinity of the hamlet of Colville Lake. It flows north and west in the area between the Mackenzie and Coppermine Rivers. Its mouth is on the Beaufort Sea on the Arctic Ocean near the eastern end of Liverpool Bay at about 70 degrees north latitude. Its main tributary is the Carnwath River. Originally known as the Beghula River it was renamed to the Anderson River in 1857 by Roderick MacFarlane after James Anderson, both of the Hudson's Bay Company. Anderson was the Chief Factor in the Mackenzie District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sirmilik National Park</span> National park in Nunavut, Canada

Sirmilik National Park is a national park located in Qikiqtaaluk, Nunavut, Canada, established in 1999. Situated within the Arctic Cordillera, the park is composed of three areas: most of Bylot Island with the exception for a few areas that are Inuit-owned lands, Kangiqłuruluk, and Baffin Island's Borden Peninsula. Much of the park is bordered by water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Leopold Island</span> Island in Nunavut, Canada

Prince Leopold Island is an island in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada. It is located in Lancaster Sound at the junction of Prince Regent Inlet and Barrow Strait. Somerset Island is situated 13 km (8.1 mi) to the southwest; Port Leopold, an abandoned trading post, is the closest landmark. The island is significant as a summer habitat and breeding ground for large populations of several arctic bird species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beverly Lake (Nunavut)</span> Lake in Nunavut, Canada

Beverly Lake is a lake in the Kivalliq Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is located north of the Arctic tree line about 150 km (93 mi) northwest of Baker Lake, Nunavut. The western half of the lake is within Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary. The Thelon River, at the confluence with the Dubawnt River, empties into the lake's southwestern bank. The Kazan River empties into the Thelon River at Beverly Lake's southeastern bank, between Beverly and Aberdeen Lakes. A delta occurs on the Beverly Lake's southern edge, which includes the Isarurjuaq Peninsula.

The Queen Maud Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuary is Canada's largest federally owned protected area, encompassing some 61,765 km2 (23,848 sq mi) of the Arctic Circle coastline. 6,710 km2 (2,590 sq mi) are marine, and 55,055 km2 (21,257 sq mi) are terrestrial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inuvialuit Settlement Region</span> Region in Canada

The Inuvialuit Settlement Region, abbreviated as ISR, located in Canada's western Arctic, was designated in 1984 in the Inuvialuit Final Agreement by the Government of Canada for the Inuvialuit people. It spans 90,650 km2 (35,000 sq mi) of land, mostly above the tree line, and includes several subregions: the Beaufort Sea, the Mackenzie River delta, the northern portion of Yukon, and the northwest portion of the Northwest Territories. The ISR includes both Crown Lands and Inuvialuit Private Lands.

The East Bay Migratory Bird Sanctuary is a migratory bird sanctuary in Kivalliq, Nunavut, Canada. It is located in East Bay, an arm of Hudson Bay, in southeast Southampton Island. The nearest community is Coral Harbour, 44 mi (71 km) to the west. It is one of two bird sanctuaries on the island, the other being the Harry Gibbons Migratory Bird Sanctuary, situated 87 mi (140 km) to the southwest.

The Harry Gibbons Migratory Bird Sanctuary is a migratory bird sanctuary in Kivalliq Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is located in western Southampton Island in the area of the Boas River and Bay of Gods Mercy.

Kendall Island is one of the irregularly shaped, uninhabited Canadian arctic islands in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is located in Mackenzie Bay at the northern tip of the Mackenzie River Delta. Richards Island is to the southwest of Kendall Island. Kugmallit Bay is bounded by Garry, Pelly Island and Kendall Islands. The northeast portion of the island is high.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Parry</span> Headland in Canadas Northwest Territories

Cape Parry is a headland in Canada's Northwest Territories. Located at the northern tip of the Parry Peninsula, it projects into Amundsen Gulf. The nearest settlement is Paulatuk, 100 km (62 mi) to the south, and Fiji Island is located 9 km (5.6 mi) to the west. Cape Parry was formerly accessible through Cape Parry Airport that was located at the Distant Early Warning Line. The airport was listed as abandoned after the closure of the DEW line site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Low Arctic tundra</span> Tundra ecoregion of Canada

The Canadian Low Arctic Tundra ecoregion covers a rolling landscape of shrubby tundra vegetation along the northern edge of the mainland Canada along the border of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and a small portion in Quebec on the northeast coast of Hudson Bay. The region is important for large herds of caribou and other large mammals, and for large nesting colonies of birds such as snow geese. The region is mostly intact, with 95% remaining intact.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tarium Niryutait Marine Protected Area</span> Canadian Arctic Marine Protected Area

Tarium Niryutait is a marine protected area (MPA) located in the coastal areas of the Yukon and Northwest Territories in Canada. It is located within the Inuvialuit Settlement Region and was the first Arctic MPA established in Canada. The MPA was established with the goal of protecting Beluga whales and the biodiversity of other bird and fish species and their habitats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam Marine Protected Area</span>

The Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam Marine Protected Area (MPA) is located in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in the Northwest Territories, Canada. The MPA was established in October 2016 to support habitat for important marine species, and to help protect the marine environment adjacent to the Cape Parry Migratory Bird Sanctuary. The area is culturally important to the Inuvialuit for subsistence hunting and fishing activities. The MPA was named in honour of Nelson Green, an Inuvialuit elder from Paulatuk.

References

  1. ↑ Bredin, T.F. (1962). ""Whale Island" and the Mackenzie Delta: Charted Errors and Unmapped Discoveries 1789 to 1850" (PDF). Arctic. Arctic Institute of North America, University of Calgary. 15 (1): 58. doi:10.14430/arctic3557.
  2. 1 2 "Canada's Wild Places Seen From Far-Off Spaces". Environment Canada. 2008-04-07. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
  3. ↑ "Management of Migratory Bird Sanctuaries in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region". Parks Canada. 2009-08-06. Archived from the original on 2012-10-06. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
  4. ↑ Zellen, Barry Scott (2008). Breaking the ice: from land claims to tribal sovereignty in the arctic. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 158. ISBN   978-0-7391-1942-6.
  5. 1 2 Latour, p. 30
  6. ↑ "Kendall Island". Marine Protected Area Global. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
  7. ↑ "Kendall Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary". www.canada.ca. Environment and Climate Change Canada. Retrieved 2023-06-03.
  8. ↑ Migoń, Piotr, ed. (2010). Geomorphological Landscapes of the World. Springer. p. 5. ISBN   978-90-481-3054-2.
  9. ↑ "Bird sanctuary debated at pipeline hearings". CBC News. November 20, 2006. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
  10. ↑ Latour, P.B.; Leger, J.; Hines, J.E. "NT Site 12 - Mackenzie River Delta" (PDF). ngps.nt.ca. Canadian Wildlife Service. p. 29. Retrieved 17 September 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
  11. ↑ Environment Canada, p. 5
  12. ↑ Sierra Club of Canada National Office. "Threats to the Mackenzie Valley". sierraclub.ca. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
  13. ↑ Struzik, Ed (2005). Ten rivers: adventure stories from the Arctic. CanWest Books. p. 226. ISBN   0-9736719-4-7.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.