A large number of globally significant IBAs have been identified along the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec (IBAs are called ZICOs – Zones Importantes pour la Conservation des Oiseaux – in Quebec). Many are designated for concentrations of shorebirds which migrate south from James and Hudson Bay in the fall, or north in the spring from their wintering grounds often thousands of kilometres to the south. Extensive mudflats, sandbars and wetlands provide critical habitat rich in the invertebrate foods that fuel the next leg of their thousands of kilometres long journeys. The “battures” or tidal flats near the sprawling 80 kilometres square Sept Iles IBA, the Pointe au Pere IBA near Rimouski, or the sand bar at Portneuf, all support thousands of individuals from species such as White-rumped Sandpiper, American Golden Plover, and Ruddy Turnstone. This rich and dynamic littoral zone also supports massive numbers of migrating waterfowl, including Snow Goose, Canada Goose, Common Eider and Barrow’s Goldeneye.
As well as providing stop-over habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl, the coastline is a veritable highway of birds from Pointe des Monts, about an hour’s drive east of Baie Comeau, where the coast takes a shape turn to the north and the Saint Lawrence River becomes a gulf, to the beautiful village of Tadoussac and even further to the south-west. Tens and perhaps hundreds of millions of migrant landbirds move south from the huge area of boreal forest and tundra between Hudson Bay and the Labrador coast, arriving at the south-west angle of the Saint Lawrence coastline then follow the coast south-westward before crossing the Saint Lawrence at one of a few locations east of Quebec City. Observers with the Tadoussac Bird Observatory document part of this migration in the fall season from lookouts above the Saint Lawrence near Tadoussac and from observation points near Pointe des Monts.

In visiting three of these highly significant IBAs with very active groups and champions, I have been impressed with how enthusiastically the IBA concept is embraced and how eager the local people are to continue their work as “Gardiens” or Caretakers. Along the way I have also met several very talented and passionate young ornithologists such as Marylène and Jean Étienne (in the photo) who paint a very bright future for bird conservation in la belle province!