Data Zone
Country/territory: Canada
IBA criteria met: A4iii (2008)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 1,400 ha
Site description (baseline)
Anse de Saint-Vallier is a small bay on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River by the village of St. Vallier, Québec. It consists primarily of a mudflat and a Scirpus marsh; the area’s boundaries are delineated by the high and low tide levels. The Boyer River, which flows into the bay, is a spawning site for three species of fish at risk.
Key biodiversity
Anse de Saint-Vallier is noteworthy for its flocks of migrating waterfowl. The most prominent of these is the Greater Snow Goose (subspecies atlanticus), which can be present in globally significant numbers in the spring. In 1995, a flock of 50,000 were spotted, accounting for over 1% of the global population of this subspecies.
Numerous other waterfowl species, including Canada Goose, are common at the site, especially in fall when hunting pressures elsewhere bring them here for shelter. At this time, surveys have recorded both species of scaup, with maximum counts of 2,510 for Greater (1975) and 4,000 for Lesser (1988).
This site also hosts flocks of migrant shorebirds in spring and fall. The most common species are Killdeer, Black-bellied Plover, Spotted Sandpiper, Greater and Lesser yellowlegs, and White-rumped, Least and Semipalmated sandpiper. The highest numbers are found in early August. For instance, in August 1989, a peak of 4,000 Semipalmated Sandpiper were recorded.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Saint-Vallier. Downloaded from
http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/11460 on 01/06/2023.
