• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

Site description (2001 baseline)
The Three Sisters Islands are located in the southern part of Lake of the Woods in northwestern Ontario. The town of Rainy River is about 35 km to the south. Two of the three rocky islands are vegetated with only sparse grasses, nettles and smartweed. The third island contains an area of shrubs and trees near its centre. There is little soil on the islands, and the climate is relatively dry, and prairie-like. The islands are situated well out in the lake, about 3 km from the nearest large land mass (Bigsby Island).

Key biodiversity
The Three Sisters Island group supports the largest colony of American White Pelicans in Ontario, and is one of the largest pelican colonies in Canada. In 1993, a population of 7,500 breeding pairs was estimated. This may represent as much as 8.8% of the worlds estimated population. Pelicans first began nesting on these islands in 1965 with the population increasing dramatically since that time. Numbers at the site escalated from 235 birds in 1968, to 1,684 pairs in 1981, to over 6,500 pairs in 1986. Herring Gulls and Double-crested Cormorants, which are often found in close association with pelicans, also nest on these islands.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Three Sisters Islands (Canada). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/three-sisters-islands-iba-canada on 22/12/2024.