Coastal Bird Monitoring in the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park

By : Pierre-Alexandre Dumas, coécrit avec Eliza-Jane Morin

It’s 8 a.m. and I’m joining my team at the Parks Canada office in Tadoussac. Today, we’ll be monitoring coastal birds in the Charlevoix region. My colleagues, Eliza and Simon, will be heading to Baie des Rochers, while I will be responsible for the other observation sites in the area.

We leave the office for Charlevoix. It’s a perfect day for birding. The clouds are high, there’s not much wind, and it’s not too cold, just -8°C. These are good conditions for identifying birds, even at distances of over one kilometre offshore. I board the ferry between Tadoussac and Baie-Sainte-Catherine, and as I finish my coffee, I spot a bald eagle! The day is off to a great start!

During my drive, I reflect on the importance of the St. Lawrence Estuary as a wintering ground for several species of seabirds. In bays and along the coasts, these birds feed and seek shelter from the blustery winter winds. The St. Lawrence Estuary is particularly important for the Barrow’s goldeneye. The population in eastern North America numbers approximately 8,000 individuals. The majority of these birds (95%) winter in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence, with about half (30 to 50%) spending the colder months in the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park. Because this is a small population, it is considered a species of special concern in Canada and vulnerable in Quebec.

My first stop is in a small parking lot near the back of Baie Sainte-Catherine. I set up my spotting scope. Before beginning my tally, I take note of the meteorological conditions, including temperature, wind speed and direction, wave height, and visibility. I begin a visual scan from right to left, counting all the birds I see. In total, I observe nearly 1,500 American black ducks, 7 American herring gulls, 2 black guillemots, and 25 buffleheads. No Barrow’s this time. The next stop is at the mouth of the Rivière aux Canards, a few kilometres west of Baie-Sainte-Catherine. I repeat the same weather checks and start counting. I see several gulls, but no sea ducks. As I’m getting ready to leave, a flock of ducks quickly flies in to land in the small river channel. I point the scope at them: black-and-white wings, heads showing a purplish gloss and a white crescent. No doubt about it: It’s definitely a group of Barrow’s goldeneye! In total, there are 17 males and 12 “brownheads.” The term “brownheads” is used for both females and juvenile Barrow’s, as they are difficult to tell apart. On the other hand, the drakes are easy to identify because they are in breeding plumage. I mark their position on the map of the site as well as on the ice chart.

I continue monitoring for another four hours. In total, I visit eight sites on the Charlevoix coast between Baie-Sainte-Catherine and Pointe-au-Pic in La Malbaie. By the end of the day, I have tallied nearly 3,200 birds, including 150 Barrow’s goldeneye.

Back at the office, I meet with my colleagues, who also took advantage of the excellent birding conditions. More than 200 Barrow’s goldeneyes and 40 common goldeneye were observed feeding in Baie des Rochers! Common goldeneye are very similar to Barrow’s goldeneye. To distinguish them, the observer must pay attention, amongst other things, to the shape of the white cheek patch, which is round in common goldeneye. The latter also have more white on their wings than Barrow’s. Additionally, nearly one hundred birds of five other species were observed at the site.

About monitoring

Parks Canada has been conducting winter monitoring of Barrow’s goldeneye in Baie des Rochers since 2013. In 2021, the study area was expanded to include several other important sites for Barrow’s goldeneye and other coastal seabird species in and around the Marine Park. Monitoring now covers from Baie-Comeau to La Malbaie on the north shore of the estuary and from Métis-sur-Mer to Kamouraska on the south shore. Monitoring is carried out in collaboration with the Tadoussac Bird Observatory, the Rimouski Bird Observatory, the Essipit Innu First Nation, the Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk First Nation, and Dominic Francoeur of the Cégep de Baie-Comeau. This collaboration allows for coverage of every site between mid-November and the end of March.

The addition of new sites and the involvement of new partners provide a more ecosystem-based view of coastal birds in winter and, by extension, a more accurate picture of coastal bird populations that winter in the estuary. Additionally, to enhance territorial coverage and refine our analyses, the Parks Canada team also uses data from eBird, a citizen science program for birdwatching. Your field observations can therefore help us gain valuable insight into the status of the Barrow’s goldeneye.