ZACK METCALFE THE ENDANGERED
PERSPECTIVE
Published July 16, 2018 - 8:52am
Last Updated July 16, 2018 - 8:53am
The prothonotary warbler ranks
among the rarest birds in Canada, but then, it probably always has. Showing a
clear preference for the warmth of the United States, its only foray into
Canada occurs in the Carolinian forests of southern Ontario, a region I visited
just last month.
Point Pelee National Park is the
southernmost tip of our country, an arrowhead of land reaching boldly into Lake
Erie, resting farther south even than northern California. Two-thirds of this
outstanding park are made up of wetlands, and where forests stand in swamp is
where this fascinating warbler prefers to nest.
Their Canadian population was
estimated at 28 individuals in 2015, forming fewer than 10 active nests between
them each annum. In 2018, at the time of my visit, two of these nests resided
in Point Pelee, reachable, more or less, by trail.
The forested wetlands in which
they nest are a site to behold; perfectly still ponds of water formed by the
omnipresent tumult of Lake Erie. In them stand hardy trees creating a suffocating
canopy, complimented underneath by a blanket of lime green vegetation obscuring
the water.
A series of regular, sharp tweets
signalled the presence of this brave bird, defending the territory surrounding
its nesting box, erected by Parks Canada staff in the water and greenery. I saw
him dart from perch-to-perch, collecting food for his nest, apparently housing
his better half.
The prothonotary warbler is
listed as endangered in Canada, given its rarity and the draining of its
wetland habitat, but across the entirety of North America, it’s doing well
enough, numbering an estimated 1.6 million strong. Its national endangerment is
a matter of borders, and the fact that our 28 individuals reside on the
northern edge of the species’ range, but this, I’ve learned, did not make their
conservation any less important.
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