Site description (2001 baseline):
Moose, White-tailed Deer. Mule Deer and Black Bear occur here, as do small numbers of the nationally vulnerable Woodland Caribou. Lake Whitefish, Northern Pike, and Walleye are among the fish species found here. There is a domestic commercial and a sport fishery in the recreational area portion of the site. One of the lakes, Siebert Lake, is particularly important for fish.
A draft bird checklist for the Lakeland area includes 251 species. This diverse breeding bird community includes many boreal forest species. In particular, the breeding bird community includes species associated with old-growth stands, an increasingly rare habitat in this ecoregion. At least 16 species of warblers, plus other neotropical landbird species, are locally common breeders in areas of old-growth forest only. Breeding indicator species which range from fairly common to common, include Winter Wren, Blue-headed Vireo, Blackburnian Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Mourning Warbler, and Connecticut Warbler. The forests of this area also support small breeding populations of Broad-winged Hawk (dark morph), Barred Owl and Boreal Owl.
Numerous waterbirds are found in and around the lakes: Touchwood Lake is known for fall concentrations of loons; Osprey and Bald Eagle breed in several locations each; large numbers of Common Mergansers have been seen along the north shore of Siebert Lake; and Yellow-headed Blackbirds and Common Terns colonies are found here. Other waterbirds seen here include Double-crested Cormorants, American White Pelicans and Forsters Terns.
Petroleum exploration is also permitted, which leads to further fragmentation of the forests. On some of the larger lakes, the disturbance associated with boating and float planes is also a concern. The entire area has also been proposed as an Environmentally Sensitive Area.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lakeland (Canada). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lakeland-iba-canada on 24/12/2024.