Avian Surveys for the St. Louis River Natural Areas Project: Submitted to Minnesota Land Trust

Abstract

In 2018, researchers from the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) at the University of Minnesota Duluth conducted bird surveys along the St. Louis River Estuary (SLRE) in nine project areas nominated for inclusion in the Duluth Natural Areas Program (DNAP). The DNAP was created in 2002 to manage Duluth’s environmentally significant areas to ensure the preservation of services and values, such as habitat diversity and water quality (Duluth Natural Areas Program Guidelines 2002). To assess the importance of the SLRE to birds, we conducted surveys throughout spring migration, the breeding season, and fall migration. In total, we documented 13,953 individuals of 169 species. We summarized bird use of the nine project areas based on abundance and diversity by guild classification within each season. All nine project areas in the nominated tract (i.e. SLRE) meet the conditions for ‘Important Bird Congregation Area’ based on nomination criteria outlined by DNAP. The western tip of Lake Superior is a well-known corridor for migrating birds, which funnel along the shore, using forests, wetlands, and shoreline habitat, to rest and refuel during both north and southbound migration. This study highlights the importance of the SLRE for breeding birds and as stopover habitat for a wide diversity of migratory birds, including 50 species of conservation concern.