| IBA |
St. Peter Bay
Mary's Harbour, Labrador |
| Site Summary |
| LB023 |
Latitude
Longitude |
52.187° N
55.688° W |
Elevation
Size |
0 m
170.59 km² |
Habitats:
open sea, inlets/coastal features (marine), coastal cliffs/rocky shores (marine)
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Land Use:
Hunting
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Potential or ongoing Threats:
Oil slicks
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| IBA Criteria: Continentally Significant: Congregatory Species, Nationally Significant: Threatened Species |
| Conservation status: IBA Conservation Plan written/being written |
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Site Description
St. Peter Bay is located 30 km south of Mary's Harbour on the southeast coast of Labrador. The mouth of the bay is approximately 5 km wide and several small islands are located in its middle. The vegetation on the islands is limited to sedges, grasses, stunted trees, and crowberry barrens.
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Birds
Harlequin Ducks (designated as nationally endangered) have been observed in relatively large numbers around the inlets and islands of St. Peter Bay. In June of 1994, 50 were observed in what was thought to be a premoulting concentration. This observation represented about 3.3% of the estimated eastern North American Harlequin Duck population. No Harlequin Ducks were observed during a July 1998 survey, but it is possible that they could have been missed. Additional surveys are required to fully understand the status of Harlequins at this site during the summer. St. Peter Bay is also a major moulting area for Common Eiders. In 1998, over 5,000 Common Eiders (approximately 6.4% of the Atlantic population) were recorded in the bay. This is the largest concentration of moulting eiders on the coast of Labrador. Although it is thought that the majority of the eiders in these moulting congregations are of the Atlantic subspecies (dresseri), it is likely that some of the eiders are from the northern subspecies (borealis). A zone of overlap, where both subspecies nest, is located in Table Bay, which is about 130 km north of St. Peter Bay. Many of these birds cannot be identified as either subspecies as they have morphological characteristics of both dresseri and borealis. Although it has been known that Common Eiders breed in St. Peter Bay for quite some time, a thorough survey has yet to be completed. It is likely that the Canadian Wildlife Service will complete a detailed survey in the summer of 1999.
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IBA Criteria |
| Species↓ T | A | I |
Links |
Date |
Season |
Number |
G |
C |
N |
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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
St. Peter Bay is at the northern entrance to the Strait of Belle Isle, which is a fairly heavily used shipping route between Europe and the St. Lawrence / Great Lakes system. During the shipping season (June to December), 4 8 ships pass through the area daily. There is potential for oil spills along this shipping route, which could be disastrous for the moulting waterfowl. The most recent estimates indicate that only 1,500 Harlequin Ducks remain in eastern North America. Since they feed close to shore and are relatively tame, they are susceptible to shooting.
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