Laurel Creek birding

Location

Located in the northwest corner of the City of Waterloo, Laurel Creek Conservation Area is one of the Grand River Conservation Areas. The property is open year-round, except for December 25 and 26. 

Background

Laurel Creek Conservation Area provides a variety of habitat for breeding and migratory birds. During spring and fall, the reservoir provides ideal conditions for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds. In the spring and following snowmelt, the reservoir fills up with water, which attracts waterfowl during their northward migration to breeding grounds. During the fall reservoir drawdown period, water levels drop and shorelines and mudflats become more exposed for migratory shorebirds, which depend on these areas for foraging and refueling.

Trails throughout conifer plantations, deciduous forests, and mixed forests provide good habitat for a variety of song birds (also called passerines) throughout the year but species diversity is typically greatest during the month of May.

Number of species

More than 230 species of birds have been recorded here. 

Noteworthy species

Laurel Creek Reservoir is well known for attracting many different waterfowl species, especially during the early spring when the reservoir is filling up. Noteworthy species include canvasback, redhead, greater and lesser scaup, ring-necked duck, American and Eurasian wigeon, and northern pintail. Snow goose and greater-white fronted goose visit only rarely, whereas Canada and cackling goose are commonly observed. Trumpeter and tundra swans may also be seen on the reservoir or flying overhead. During the spring and summer months, and once the reservoir is full, look for osprey, great blue heron, pied-billed grebe, and Caspian tern. Mallard and Canada goose are known to breed locally, and are the two most abundant species. Least bittern, a threatened species in Ontario and Canada, may also be found in the cattail marsh area between early May and early September.  

The conservation area provides a variety of habitat (meadows, wetlands and forests) suitable for warblers, vireos, flycatchers, finches, woodpeckers, owls, and other species that are adapted to upland areas. Wetland-dependent species found here include Virginia rail, common yellowthroat, swamp sparrow, and red-winged blackbird.

During the fall reservoir drawdown period, shorebird species such as greater and lesser yellowlegs, black-bellied plover, dunlin, and white-rumped sandpiper may appear. Additionally, as many as 8 species of gull have been recorded on or near the reservoir during the fall and winter months, including locally uncommon species such as glaucous, Iceland, great and lesser black-backed, and Bonaparte's gull.