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The
Niagara River, world renowned for
its spectacular waterfalls and surging
rapids, is an international waterway
also important for a breath-taking
annual gathering of birds. There
are four species that congregate
here in globally significant numbers;
Bonaparte’s Gull (Larus
philadelphia), Herring Gull
(Larus argentatus), Canvasback
(Aythya valisineria) and
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser).
The Niagara River Corridor also
annually supports one of the largest
and most diverse concentrations
of gulls in the world. More than
100,000 individuals can be observed
foraging along the river during
fall and early winter. A total of
19 gull species has been recorded
(60% of all New World gull species),
with up to 14 species being recorded
on a single day. The number of gulls
and diversity of species generally
peak in late November or early to
mid December. A wide variety of
waterfowl is also present much of
the year, with over 35 different
species recorded in the corridor.
Concentrations during fall and winter
also regularly exceed 20,000 individuals
of more than 20 species. These spectacular
congregations have led to the Niagara
River Corridor being designated
a globally significant Important
Bird Area (IBA).
Another
gull species, the Ring-billed Gull
(Larus delawarensis), is
present in the Niagara River Corridor
in Canadian nationally significant
numbers. The site also hosts birds
that meet several New York state
level IBA criteria including heron
and egret colonies, significant
diversity of migrating songbirds,
and varying numbers of several state-listed
at-risk species.
The
Niagara River corridor area is also
home to over 1 million people, who
use the waterway for water, power,
and recreation activities in both
Canada and the United States. The
Great Lakes area has a long history
of water pollution due to agriculture,
industry, and urban development
along its shores. Early contaminants
included sewage, bacteria, oil,
and phenols, but have shifted to
more persistent toxic substances
(OMEE et al. 1993). As a result
of the International Joint Commission’s
Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
of 1972 and the revised agreement
in 1987, provincial, state and federal
governments and industry have greatly
improved the quality of water in
the Great Lakes. Generally there
has been a decline in the concentration
of several of the priority contaminants
that have been studied in the Niagara
River over the past 30 years (OMEE
et al. 1993). The dramatic improvements
are due to the work of many government
and non-governmental organizations
and individual citizens who continuing
to work together to create a healthier
and safer environment for the people
and wildlife of the area.
The
Canadian Nature Federation, Bird
Studies Canada, Audubon New York,
Buffalo Ornithological Society and
the American Bird Conservancy officially
dedicated the Niagara River Corridor
IBA as a globally significant IBA
on December 11, 1996. The Niagara
River Corridor IBA includes the
full length of the Niagara River
plus a 5.6 km (3.5 mile) wide corridor
on both the Ontario and New York
sides of the waterway.
This
binational IBA conservation plan
is being written in conjunction
with the Niagara River Corridor
IBA Working Group. This group is
composed of representatives from
various member groups of the Niagara
River Corridor IBA Partners, currently
made up of 27 organizations from
Canada and the United States. The
Working Group sees this area without
borders, and its members are striving
to work together to conserve the
Niagara River Corridor.
The
long-term vision for the Niagara
River Corridor IBA Working Group
is that:
The
Niagara River Corridor, being
an Important Bird Area, will be
conserved because of its importance
to the international conservation
of migratory and resident bird
species that provide enjoyment
to people worldwide, and economic,
ecological and educational benefits
to the people and governments
of the United States and Canada.
This
conservation plan describes the
Niagara River Corridor IBA, focusing
on the globally and nationally important
bird species present and the potential
challenges they have at this site.
This is followed by a series of
goals and objectives that will aid
in the conservation of these species
and the habitat that supports them.
This plan is not a static document,
and should be revisited regularly
to evaluate the progress and success
of its conservation objectives.
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