Quill Lakes, Saskatchewan (International) - Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) Site

Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) and a few Red Knot (Calidris canutus) Photo: G.W. Beyersbergen, Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service

The Quill Lakes were designated as an International WHSRN site on May 27, 1994. This complex of three lakes was designated as a Ramsar site in 1982. Big Quill Lake is roughly pear-shaped, measuring about 27 km long and 18 km at its widest point; to the east lie Middle Quill Lake (locally known as Mud Lake), which is about 6 km long and 3 km wide, and Little Quill Lake, some 24 km long by 11 km in width. Salinity levels are variable, differing both between lakes and varying with the water level in the lake.

Both Big Quill and Little Quill lakes have shallow shorelines of muddy or sandy alkaline flats. Middle Quill Lakes tends to be deeper, but in drought years also provides excellent mudflats and shallow water for staging and breeding shorebirds. The north and east shores of Big Quill Lake are very shallow. The shoreline was reported to have retreated 1-5 km between 1909, when Ferry visited the area, and 1978. This resulted in the exposure of extensive, sparsely vegetated alkaline flats. These areas are important breeding sites for Piping Plovers and large numbers of shorebirds may use the area during migration. Similar conditions occur on the west side of Big Quill Lake and on Little Quill Lake. The south shore of Big Quill Lake and north shore of Little Quill Lake have fewer beaches or alkaline flats suitable for large concentrations of staging shorebirds. Adjacent marshy wetlands are also extremely important for migrating shorebirds, especially at night when they use such habitats for roosting.

International Shorebird Survey operations in 1988 resulted in a total of 155,000 shorebirds being counted on Big Quill Lake, including an estimated 23,500 Sanderling. Extensive shorebird surveys on Middle and Little Quill lakes in 1989, 1990 and 1992 accounted for one day peaks of 59,900, 101,900 and 33,900 shorebirds, respectively (Alexander et al. 1995). Surveys of all three lakes in the spring of 1993 provided a one day peak count of 197,155 shorebirds. Significant numbers of several other species were also recorded, including Hudsonian Godwit, Red Knot, Stilt Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Red-necked Phalarope, Yellowlegs and Piping Plover. Thirteen Piping Plovers were counted at Little Quill Lake in 1991. There were 14 Piping Plovers observed on Middle Quill Lake in 1992 and 21 observed on Little Quill Lake in 1993. Big Quill Lake, one of the most important breeding sites identified in Saskatchewan in 1984, had 218 birds in 1993, and 303 in 1994. The last count represents an estimated 9 percent of the North American Northern Great Plains/Prairie population. The most recent survey, conducted in 2001, resulted in the observation of only 105 adults. Further information on the Piping Plover is available at http://www.pnr-rpn.ec.gc.ca/nature/endspecies/pipingplover/db03s00.en.html.

Shorebirds stop at a number of locations to rest and feed during their annual migration. Not all birds arrive at the same time; there is a change in the individuals as birds that have been on the site for a while continue on their migration and others arrive to rest and feed at the lake. This is referred to as “turnover” with respect to shorebird migration staging areas. Turnover rates were calculated for a variety of shorebird species at the Quill Lakes in both spring and fall. Length of stay was about four days in the spring compared to averages of between eight and 16 days in the fall. The peak shorebird numbers (based on the highest one day count for a species) indicated here do not take these turnover rates into account, so the actual numbers of shorebirds using the Quill Lakes would be higher. A significant proportion of the Semipalmated Sandpipers migrating through Quill Lakes in spring stage at the Bay of Fundy during fall migration.

*This text is an excerpt from Morrison, R.I.G., Butler, R.W., Beyersbergen, G.W., Dickson, H.L., Bourget, A., Hicklin, P.W., Goossen, J.P., Ross, R.K. and Gratto-Trevor, C.L. 1995. Potential Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network Sites for Shorebirds in Canada: Second Edition 1995. Canadian Wildlife Service Technical Report Series No. 227, 104 pp. Canadian Wildlife Service, Headquarters, Ottawa.

Links

• WHSRN Web Site - Quill Lakes