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Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Île aux Pommes lies 5.6 km off the south shore of the St. Lawrence estuary, near the town of L’Isle-Verte Québec. The town approximately 25 km east of Rivière-du-Loup, and the mouth of the Saguenay River is opposite Île aux Pommes on the north shore of the river. The island is 1.7 km long with a maximum width of 200 m and is surrounded by five islets. Approximately half of the island is covered with two types of vegetation. In the protected areas, high herbaceous and low shrub vegetation is mainly composed of Calamagrostis canadensis, with Epilobium angustifolium, Ribes hirtellum, Rubus idaeus, Rosa blanda, and some pockets of Heracleum maximum. Isolated stunted individuals of White spruce, White birch, and Green Alder are the only trees present. The more exposed parts of the island are chiefly covered with Elymus arenaria, along with Lathyrus japonicus and Rumex mexicanus. The island and surrounding islets are an extension of the Applachian Mountain System and are comprised of shale. The mean annual temperature is 3.3°C and the mean tidal amplitude is about 3.5 m. The only building found on Île aux Pommes is a cabin occasionally used by visitors and researchers.
Île au Pommes is an important breeding island for several species. The nesting birds on the island have been monitored on a somewhat regular basis since at least 1951. Greater than 2% of the Atlantic Common Eider population (ssp. dresseri), or almost 1% of the North American Common Eider breeding population nest on Île aux Pommes. An average of 2,277 pairs was recorded between 1963-78 and 2,368 pairs were counted in 2000. Also, about 3% of the North American Herring Gull and 1.4% of the Great Black-backed Gull population nest here.
Since 1951, numbers of Double-crested Cormorants have mostly ranged between about 150 and 450 pairs (1951-early 1980s, 1999). However in the late 1980s and through the 1990s the numbers increased then decreased rapidly. A high count of 1039 pairs was recorded in 1989.
The Great Black-backed Gulls nest on the more exposed parts of the island, whereas the other colonial breeders nest in the more sheltered localities.
Other birds found on this island include American Black Duck, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, and American Crow. On average about 33 pairs of American Black Ducks breed on Île au Pommes each year. Broods of these ducks tend to be led to a tidal marsh on the mainland shore, whereas eider broods tend to be led to downstream shorelines.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
The St. Lawrence is one of the most important and heavily used waterways in North America and therefore, oil spills are an ongoing threat to the islands of the estuary. In 1977, most eider nests (63.3 %) were destroyed by Herring and Great Black-backed gulls. At this site, spectacular concentrations of birds, like the eiders, attract many tourists and naturalists. In spring, yachting can become very intense around the islands, leading to unintentional disruption of nesting birds.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Île aux Pommes (Canada). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/île-aux-pommes-iba-canada on 27/12/2024.
