Wildlife
of the Columbia Basin
Wildlife Subjects
Waterbirds
Trumpeter
Swans
The Columbia River drains the Bugaboo
range of the Rocky Mountains as it flows through the narrow, steep-sided
Columbia Valley. It meanders north through Columbia and Windermere
Lakes and an extensive network of marsh lands, intermingling channels
and shallow lakes which provide prime summer habitat for migratory
waterbirds. Provincial Wildlife Management Areas and a federal National
Wildlife Area have been established in the Columbia Valley. Over
250 species of birds frequent the wetlands, grasslands, forests
and alpine tundra: a continuous, 180 kilometre long bird haven.
The lush marsh lands formed where
the Kootenay River flows through the flat Creston valley before
it enters Kootenay Lake are home to 265 species of birds. The 17,000
acre, federal/provincially run Creston Valley Wildlife Management
Area hosts year-round bird watching and a seasonal interpretive
centre. For more information: http://www.cwildlife.bc.ca/index.html
Of course, aside from these high-use
wetlands, ducks, geese, swans (trumpeter swans are pictured at the
right), loons, grebes, herons, sandhill cranes (pictured below)
and other waterbirds are widely distributed throughout the region,
using lakes, rivers and beaver ponds, according to the habitat requirements
of each species.
Sandhill Crane
 Communities
in the Rocky Mountain Trench, a major migration route, host
an annual Wings Over the Rockies Bird Festival. The May 1999
festival featured seven days of events including professional
presentations, field trips, wildlife art shows, workshops,
music and drama. This festival features not only birds that
breed there, but those that are only seen on migration.
The Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife
Compensation Program, with the Robson Valley Landowners and B.C.
Environment, have sponsored a Robson Valley Land Stewardship program
aimed at improving habitat for birds and other wildlife on private
lands. Projects include construction of floating nest islands, as
well as construction of nest boxes for cavity-nesting waterbirds
such as hooded mergansers, goldeneyes and wood ducks. In addition,
the group is exploring ways to dedicate private lands for wildlife
habitat by such means as management agreements, leases, easements,
covenants and acquisition.
Although not "waterfowl",
osprey and bald eagles are strongly associated with wetlands and
are popular with people, as well as good indicators of ecosystem
health. Bald eagles prey on fish and waterfowl, as well as upland
game and carrion. Their populations are rebounding from the constant
harassment they suffered decades ago, when, as "vermin",
they were shot on sight. For example, Eagle Pass, the western entrance
to the Columbia Basin from Shuswap Lake, got its name because the
first European explorers shot all the bald eagle young in a nest
and then watched the adults fly away east - rather morosely, one
must suppose - up the canyon they were about to explore. Eagles
also accumulate certain toxins (e.g., DDT, now banned in North America)
while on migration to the south and suffer reduced productivity
as a result.
Ospreys eat fish exclusively and
have been monitored in the Columbia Basin by the Canadian Wildlife
Service (CWS) for organic contaminants associated with pulp mills
since 1991. Osprey eggs were collected and populations monitored
upstream and downstream of the Castlegar pulp and paper mill. High
levels of tetra-chloro-dibenzo dioxins and furnas, both associated
with the chlorine bleaching process, were found in the downstream
birds. The Castlegar mill changed the way they bleached pulp and
paper in the early 1990's, and since 1994 the dioxin and furan levels
have dropped significantly (John Elliot, personal communication).
The birds were also monitored for octochlorinated-dibenzo dioxin,
a byproduct of municipal incineration of dioxins and plastics. The
presence of toxic chemicals in animals near the top of the food
chain indicates significant sources of pollution usually affecting
many members of their prey population. In a process known as biomagnification,
the predators consume many affected prey over time and become sinks
(i.e., ultimate repository) for the toxins. DDT ingested from wintering
grounds is currently a great concern for wildlife toxicologists.
The CWS group and American federal colleagues also placed satellite
transmitters on 10 ospreys to determine their migration route and
wintering areas (Gulf coast of Texas, Mexico and Central America).
Results are currently (early 1999) in preparation for publication.
Other Wildlife Subjects
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