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         Nunavut

 







Rock Ptarmigan - Lagopus mutus © Lee Mann Photography http://www.leemannphotography.com

Canada`s newest territory, Nunavut, was created mainly from the old Northwest Territories and came into being on April 1, 1999. A vast area of land and water, it covers almost 2 million square kilometers, and is sparcely populated by about 27,000 inhabitants. It spans an area from 52 degrees to 84 degrees latitude.

The southern islands in James Bay are dominated by extensive boreal forest similar to the adjacent mainland. The bulk of Nunavut though is well above the treeline in Canada. The further one travels northwards, the more the vegetation becomes sparce and stunted. The landscape is generally low and gently rolling, from the lowland tundra to the glaciers in the extreme north, punctuated in some locales by mountainous cliffs and sea walls.

Travel to Nunavut can be a logistical nightmare. Although there is a regular air service from the south into larger settlements, visits to more remote locations can be costly and difficult. Most settlements are fairly small and with limited resources. Due to the shortage of certain supplies, the cost of purchasing or shipping almost any goods in Nunavut is significantly higher than in southern Canada.

The extreme harsh conditions, and sparce vegetation throughout most of Nunavut, is a limiting factor on the abundance and diversity of bird species. The current territorial list stands at about 230 bird species. The further north one travels in Nunavut, the lower the number of species one encounters daily. However, the experience of seeing large goose colonies, Snowy Owls hunting lemmings, singing shorebirds, and jaegers strafing the tundra will enthrall the ardent birder.

The best time to visit Nunavut is from mid June to mid July. When birding at that time, you will be regaled with the beautiful songs of various shorebirds, which usually only peep or are silent during migration. With 24 hours of sunlight during this period, birding can be enjoyed around the clock. Occasional warm temperatures in the 10c-20c degree range can prompt an onslaught of mosquitoes which can be problematic at times. Most bird species arrive, breed and depart in a relatively short period of time.

  top sites

 

Cambridge Bay (Victoria Island)

Cambridge Bay, with a population of approximately 2,200 people, is located on southeast Victoria Island and receives regular air service from Edmonton. Accommodation is available in the community, as are most services. The bird species list for Cambridge Bay consists of 79 species. Common species seen near the township include Thayer`s Gull, Sabine`s Gull, King Eider, Long-tailed and Parasitic Jaegers, various shorebirds and Pacific Loon. Located about 15km northeast of town is Mount Pelly. It can be easily accessed by road. Here, species such as Yellow-billed Loon, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Rock and Willow Ptarmigan, Sandhill Crane, Brant, Red Knot, Peregrine Falcon and Rough-legged Hawk can be seen, along with roaming herds of Muskoxen, Arctic Fox, Arctic Hare and lemmings.

Ellesmere Island

The northernmost island in the Arctic Archipelago, Ellesmere Island, can appear as a desolate, isolated locale. Species such as White-rumped Sandpiper, Red Knot, Purple Sandpiper, Common Ringed Plover, and Northern Wheatear are regular breeders here.

Resolute area

Resolute is the outpost for most of the northern Arctic. Access to Ellesmere, Devon, and other northern Islands is through this community. On nearby islands, large seabird colonies, consisting of Black-legged Kittiwake, Northern Fulmar, and Thick-billed Murre, thrive.

  contributor

 

Tyler Hoar
thoar@rogers.com

  numbers

 
Number of bird species: 230
Provincial Bird - Rock Ptarmigan Lagopus mutus

  clubs

 

James Bay Islands Bird Survey

http://www2.ebtech.net/~birdman/
Welcome to the James Bay Islands Avifaunal Survey (JBIAS). This survey is a long-term study of the birdlife of the James Bay islands. Most of the islands in this remote region have never been visited by ornithologists. Though the islands politically belong to Nunavut, they are far from the realm of the influence of the administrative centres, and ornithologists from Quebec and Ontario have largely ignored these islands, as well. With recent regional interest in hydroelectric projects and other extractive industries in both Quebec and Ontario, the JBIAS will significantly add to the baseline data on the birdlife of these islands.

  reserves

 

Auyuittuq

http://www.qikiqtarjuaq.com/auyuittuqpark.htm
This rugged mountain tundra park features active glaciers, deep valleys, spectacular fjords, and many species of arctic mammals and birds. In English & French

Auyuittuq, Quttinirpaak and Sirmilik National Parks

http://www.newparksnorth.org/
Sirmilik — The Place of Glaciers has impressive scenery: sea cliffs over 300 metres high, glaciers dropping into the sea, high mountains and some of the world`s most spectacular fiords. The concentration of marine mammals and birds in the area is remarkable.

Bylot Island

http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic51-2-125.pdf -
Study

Nunavut Parks

http://www.nunavutparks.com/
Nunavut, 'our land', is defined by its people and places. It is an arctic territory that evokes images of vast space and endless skies, wide tundra plains, ice-capped mountains, lands and seas teeming with wildlife, and rich cultural traditions still practiced today...

Quttinirpaaq (Ellesmere Island)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quttinirpaaq_National_Park
Quttinirpaaq (Top of the world) protects the most remote, fragile, rugged, and northerly lands in North America. Natural features include high mountains, deeply cut plateaus, polar desert, and arctic tundra landscape.

Sirmilik National Park

http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/nu/sirmilik/index_E.asp
Lying 700 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle and 600 kilometres west of Greenland in the High Arctic, Sirmilik (glacier) National Park is one of the richest wildlife areas in all of Nunavut. A diversity of migratory birds, and land and marine mammals is framed by rugged mountains, deep fiords and inlets, intricate glaciers, precipitous cliffs and productive lowlands...

  trip reports

 

Travelling Birder
http://www.travellingbirder.com
The Travellingbirder.com birding trip report search engine guides you to 7,000+ birding trip reports on the Internet. You can search for trip reports from a specific country and time of year. Not all these reports are in English. So, if you can’t find the trip report you want on this Fatbirder page… give them a try!

1998 [January] - Larry de March - Arviat

http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/maybank/Canada/NUN-Arviat.htm
Business took me to Arviat, (formerly Eskimo Point) Northwest Territories. pop. 1400, 163 miles due North of Churchill Manitoba Jan. 20-23. The habitat is tundra on the shore of Hudson Bay. Temperatures were in the -30° to -40° C range with winds of 20-40 kph.

1999 [Summer] - Jody Sonmor - Loon Island

http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/maybank/Canada/NUN-Loon.htm
I`ve just returned from a birding trip to Loon Island, Nunavut near the eastern shore of James Bay...

2002 [June] - Akimiski Island

http://www2.ebtech.net/%7Ebirdman/jbias02.html
Darrell Parsons and Rob Tymstra ascended to the Bay once again after a five-year break. This expedition was a visit to Akimiski Island, a two-fold mission to explore the island for the James Bay Islands Bird Survey, and to get breeding data for the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas...

2006 [July] - Paul Jones - James Bay & Hudson Bay

http://www.travellingbirder.com/tripreports/view_birding_tripreport.php?id=169
From July 10 to July 24, 2006, I traveled up the northeast coast of James Bay into Hudson Bay, exploring Canada’s north. The birding was good and the mammal-watching outstanding...

  tour operators

 

Birding Pal

http://www.birdingpal.org/Nunavut.htm
Local birders willing to show visiting birders around their area...

Nahanni River Tours

http://www.nahanni.com/
For nearly two decades Neil Hartling and Barry Beales of Nahanni River Adventures and Whitewolf Expeditions have fine tuned the most extensive offerings of the best of the north. In 1997 the two companies joined together to capitalise on the strengths of each outfit. The resulting selection has been referred to as the life list of northern rivers - all must do`s.

Toonoonik Sahoonik

http://www.pondtours.ca/
Discover the ultimate in spring and summer holiday adventures in Canada`s High Arctic. Toonoonik Sahoonik Outfitters offers trips in the area around Pond Inlet at the northeastern tip of Baffin Island - featuring amongst the highest concentrations of wildlife in the Arctic.

  places to stay

 

Bathurst Inlet Lodge

http://www.bathurstinletlodge.com/
A visit to Bathurst Inlet Lodge offers extraordinary experiences in a wild and ruggedly beautiful land, yet provides a level of personal comfort rarely found in such remote areas...

Inns North

http://www.innsnorth.com/html/inns-cur-birds.htm
A gazateer of communities, wildlife and places to stay in the NWT and Nunavut...

  other links

 

James Bay Islands Bird Survey

http://www2.ebtech.net/~birdman/
Welcome to the James Bay Islands Bird Survey (JBIBS). This survey is a long-term study of the birdlife of the James Bay islands. Most of the islands in this remote region have never been visited by ornithologists and only brief visits have been made to the larger islands...

Northwest Territories/Nunavut Bird Checklist Survey

http://www.pnr-rpn.ec.gc.ca/nature/migratorybirds/nwtbcs/index.en.html
The NWT/Nunavut bird checklist survey is a volunteer bird monitoring program. It was initiated to collect much needed information on the distribution, abundance and breeding status of birds in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. It was initiated by the Canadian Wildlife Service in 1995 as a response to needs identified in the Canadian Landbirds Monitoring Strategy...

Nunavut Checklist

http://www.birdlist.org/nam/canada/nunavut/nunavut.htm
Downloadable checklist...

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