McConnell River Migratory Bird Sanctuary
Encyclopedia
The McConnell River Migratory Bird Sanctuary is located in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut
, Canada
. The 32,800 hectar sanctuary, at 60°50′N 94°20′W, is on Hudson Bay
's west coast, 27 km south of Arviat, and 50 km north of the Manitoba
border. Its namesake is the McConnell River
which flows to the Hudson Bay
. The Bird Sanctuary is home to and an important breeding ground for Lesser Snow Goose
, Ross's Goose
, and Canada Goose
.
Established in 1960 under the Migratory Bird Sanctuary Regulations of the Migratory Birds Convention Act
of 1917, the sanctuary is privately owned by the Inuit
of Nunavut. It received Ramsar Convention
designation May 24, 1982, making it Canada's 14th Ramsar site.
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The 32,800 hectar sanctuary, at 60°50′N 94°20′W, is on Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
's west coast, 27 km south of Arviat, and 50 km north of the Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
border. Its namesake is the McConnell River
McConnell River
The McConnell River is located in the Kivalliq Region of northern Canada's territory of Nunavut. It drains into Hudson Bay and is the namesake for the McConnell River Migratory Bird Sanctuary.It is home to Snow and Canada geese.-References:...
which flows to the Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
. The Bird Sanctuary is home to and an important breeding ground for Lesser Snow Goose
Cackling Goose
The Cackling Goose is a North American bird of the genus Branta of black geese, which contains species with largely black plumage, distinguishing them from the grey Anser species....
, Ross's Goose
Ross's Goose
The Ross's Goose is a North American species of goose.The American Ornithologists' Union places this species and the other two "white" geese in the genus Chen rather than the more traditional "grey" goose genus Anser.This goose breeds in northern Canada, mainly in the Queen Maud Gulf Migratory...
, and Canada Goose
Canada Goose
The Canada Goose is a wild goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body....
.
Established in 1960 under the Migratory Bird Sanctuary Regulations of the Migratory Birds Convention Act
Migratory Birds Convention Act
The Migratory Birds Convention Act is a Canadian law established in 1917 and significantly updated in June 1994 which contains regulations to protect migratory birds, their eggs, and their nests from hunting, trafficking and commercialization...
of 1917, the sanctuary is privately owned by the Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
of Nunavut. It received Ramsar Convention
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
designation May 24, 1982, making it Canada's 14th Ramsar site.
See also
- List of Migratory Bird Sanctuaries of Canada
- Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 , codified at , is a United States federal law, at first enacted in 1916 in order to implement the convention for the protection of migratory birds between the United States and Great Britain...
Further reading
- Snow geese and blue geese at McConnell River Migratory Bird Sanctuary, 1977. [S.l.]: G. Swinton, 1977.