| IBA |
Middle Back River
Southern Nunavut, Nunavut |
| Site Summary |
| NU089 |
Latitude
Longitude |
65.901° N
100.519° W |
Elevation
Size |
?? m
1,621.64 km² |
Habitats:
sedge/grass meadows, rivers/streams, freshwater marsh
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Land Use:
Not Utilized (Natural Area)
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Potential or ongoing Threats:
Extraction industry
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| IBA Criteria: Globally Significant: Congregatory Species, Waterfowl Concentrations |
| Conservation status: |
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Site Description
This site follows the middle part of the Back River, in southern Nunavut, where it widens to include Pelly, Upper Garry, Garry, and Lower Garry lakes (the latter to 99°W). The area has low relief and the substrates are glacial silts, sands and gravels. Meadows of sedges and grasses are located along the shores of the lakes and rivers. This river is isolated with no nearby communities.
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Birds
In late summer the middle section of the Back River supports many moulting Canada Geese. In 1986, 32,300 geese were recorded, and the two-year average (1984 and 1986) was 21,050 geese. These Canada Geese may be subspecies maxima (Mississippi Flyway Giants) or moffitti (Western Prairie/Great Plains, Hi-line and Rocky Mountain populations) or they may be from the Tall Grass Prairie population. Although the exact Canada Goose population is unknown, this site most likely supports more than 1% of whichever population is present. The moulting geese arrive in mid-June and leave in mid or late August. They feed in the shoreline grass-sedge habitats and roost and loaf in areas of open water. In summer, Snow Geese breed in the Pelly Lake area. Between 1984 and 1988, an average of 5,065 Lesser Snow Geese (Western Canadian Arctic population) bred in the area with a peak of 9,000 in 1987. There are two reasons for the annual variation in numbers of breeding Snow Geese. First, the Lesser Snow Goose population has increased rapidly over the last several decades. Second, in years of late snow melt, Snow Geese en route to the more northerly Queen Maud Gulf colonies may short-stop to breed and this site.
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IBA Criteria |
| Species↓ T | A | I |
Links |
Date |
Season |
Number |
G |
C |
N |
| Waterbirds |
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1986 |
SU |
32,300 |
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✔ |
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Note: species shown in bold indicate that the maximum number exceeds at least one of the IBA thresholds (sub-regional, regional or global). The site may still not qualify for that level of IBA if the maximum number reflects an exceptional or historical occurrence.
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Conservation Issues
The Canadian Wildlife Service has identified this area as a Key Migratory Bird Terrestrial Habitat site. There are no known threats, but some mineral exploration occurs in the general vicinity of this IBA.
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