Greater Rondeau Important Bird Area Conservation Plan Written for the Greater Rondeau IBA Stakeholders by Edward D. Cheskey and William G. Wilson August 2001 A bird’s eye view of the Rondeau peninsula, Rondeau Bay and Lake Erie, Rondeau Important Bird Area Photograph by Austin Wright Table of Contents Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................................................................... 4 1.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................... 5 2.0 The Important Bird Areas Program ....................................................................................................................... 7 3.0 IBA Site Information ............................................................................................................................................. 8 3.1 Location and Description.................................................................................................................................. 8 4.0 IBA Species Information ..................................................................................................................................... 10 4.1 Threatened Species ......................................................................................................................................... 12 4.1.1 The Songbirds ......................................................................................................................................... 12 4.1.1.1 Prothonotary Warbler Protonotaria citrea - Endangered Federally and Provincially...................... 12 4.1.1.2 Acadian Flycatcher Empidonax virescens - Endangered Federally............................................... 14 4.1.1.3 Cerulean Warbler Dendroica cerulea - Species of Concern Federally, Vulnerable Provincially.... 15 4.1.1.4 Red-headed Woodpecker Melanerpes erthrocephalus - Species of Concern Federally, Vulnerable Provincially ................................................................................................................................................. 16 4.1.2 Marshbirds .............................................................................................................................................. 17 4.1.2.1 King Rail Rallus elegans - Endangered Federally and Provincially.............................................. 17 4.1.1.2 Least Bittern Ixobrychus exilis - Species of Concern Federally, Vulnerable Provincially............ 19 4.1.2.3 Forster’s Tern Sterna fosteri - status undetermined....................................................................... 20 4.2 Congregatory Species ..................................................................................................................................... 21 4.2.1 Waterfowl ............................................................................................................................................... 21 4.2.1.1 Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus ................................................................................................. 21 4.2.1.2 Greater Scaup Aythya marila .......................................................................................................... 23 4.2.1.3 Other Ducks .................................................................................................................................... 26 4.2.2 Shorebirds ............................................................................................................................................... 26 4.2.2.1 Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola........................................................................................ 27 4.2.2.2 American Golden-Plover Pluvialis dominica .................................................................................. 28 4.2.2.3 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus ....................................................................................................... 29 5.0 Other Elements of High Conservation Value ...................................................................................................... 30 6.0 Ownership and Use.............................................................................................................................................. 32 6.1 Land Ownership.............................................................................................................................................. 32 6.2 Land Use......................................................................................................................................................... 32 7.0 Conservation Management Achieved at the IBA Site ......................................................................................... 34 7.1 Rondeau Provincial Park................................................................................................................................. 34 7.2 Rondeau Bay Marshes and Watershed............................................................................................................ 36 8.0.............................................................................................................................................................................. 37 Stakeholder Activity.................................................................................................................................................. 37 9.0 Opportunities ....................................................................................................................................................... 40 9.1 Rondeau Provincial Park Natural Heritage Education .................................................................................... 40 9.2 Wings of Spring.............................................................................................................................................. 40 9.3 Festival of Flight............................................................................................................................................. 41 9.4 Rehabilitating the Watershed.......................................................................................................................... 41 9.5 Agricultural Practices − Environmental Farm Plan......................................................................................... 42 9.6 Fish and Wildlife Conservation and Recreation ............................................................................................. 42 9.7 Research and Monitoring................................................................................................................................ 42 10.0 Threats............................................................................................................................................................... 43 10.1 Changes in Vegetation .................................................................................................................................. 43 10.1.1 Forest Fragmentation ............................................................................................................................ 43 10.1.2 Forest Structure..................................................................................................................................... 44 10.2 Competition and Predation............................................................................................................................ 45 10.2.1 Competition from House Wrens............................................................................................................ 45 10.2.2. Predation by Raccoons and Other Mammals ....................................................................................... 46 10.3 Non-native Flora and Fauna.......................................................................................................................... 46 10.3.1 Phragmites and Other Invasive Exotic Plants ....................................................................................... 46 10.3.2 Mute Swan Cygnus olor...................................................................................................................... 47 10.3.3 Gypsy Moth Lymantria dispar............................................................................................................ 47 10.4 Soil Erosion, Sedimentation, and Contamination of the Bay........................................................................ 47 10.5 Agricultural Pesticides.................................................................................................................................. 48 10.6 Loss of Habitat along Shoreline.................................................................................................................... 48 10.7 Excessive Disturbance of Birds .................................................................................................................... 49 10.7.1 Disturbance of Rafting Waterfowl ........................................................................................................ 49 10.7.2 Wake from Watercraft........................................................................................................................... 49 10.7.3 Disturbance of Rare Birds..................................................................................................................... 50 11.0 The Action Plan...............................................................................................................................................