Eleanor Island National Wildlife Area
Eleanor Island National Wildlife Area (NWA) is a 0.81-hectare (ha) island, located approximately 1.6 kilometers (km) from the mainland in southern Lake Muskoka, Ontario. The island is composed of solid granite outcroppings around the perimeter and mixed coniferous forest in the interior. It supports one of the few gull and heron nesting colonies in the local area.
Description
Eleanor Island NWA is an important nesting and loafing site for colonial waterbirds, providing refuge for young nestlings from predators and easy access to prey in nearby waters. Despite its small size, large numbers of colonial waterbirds breed in the spring and rest on the island through the summer. The mature trees on the island shelter up to 30 nesting Great Blue Heron pairs. The smaller shrubs and grasses provide ideal nesting locations for the gull colonies, with the island being able to support up to 200 Herring Gull pairs and 300 Ring-billed Gull pairs. Additionally, Double-crested Cormorants have also nested in the mature trees on the island. During a visit to the island in 2002, Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) staff recorded 238 Double-crested Cormorant nests and 30 Great Blue Heron nests within the trees, as well as 266 Herring Gull nests on the ground. There are no documented species at risk on Eleanor Island NWA.
Eleanor Island was transferred from the Corporation of the Township of Muskoka to the CWS in 1970, and in 1971 was designated as a Migratory Bird Sanctuary (MBS) to protect colonial-nesting waterbirds. In 1978, Eleanor Island was designated as an NWA to afford greater protection for colonial-nesting waterbirds and their habitat, and to serve as a site for long-term research.
More information on Eleanor Island NWA is provided in the summary table below.
Management
Under the Canada Wildlife Act, NWAs are protected and managed in accordance with the Wildlife Area Regulations. The primary purpose of NWAs is to protect and conserve wildlife and wildlife habitat. For this purpose and according to the legislation, all activities in a NWA that could interfere with the conservation of wildlife can be prohibited. Consequently, most NWAs are not accessible to the public and all other activities are prohibited in all NWAs. However, some activities may be authorized through Schedule I.1 of the Wildlife Area Regulations or the issuance of permits as long as they are consistent with the management plan goals for the NWA. For more information, consult the NWA Management and Activities section.
Public access to island is not permitted except by Canada Wildlife Act permit for research and monitoring.
More information on access and permitting for Eleanor Island NWA can be obtained by contacting the Environment and Climate Change Canada regional office.
Map of the Area
Long description
Map showing the area surrounding Eleanor Island in Lake Muskoka, Ontario. The boundaries of the Eleanor Island NWA and the Eleanor Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary are indicated. The protected areas are located to the southeast of Browning Island and to the north-west of Muskoka Beach. The scale on the map is in kilometers. Permanent water and roads are indicated on the map. An inset situates the NWA in Canada.
This map is for illustrative purposes only and should not be used to define legal boundaries.
Summary table
| Category | Information |
|---|---|
| Protected Area designation | NWA |
| Province/territory | Ontario |
| Latitude/longitude | 44°59' N / 79°23' W |
| Size | 0.81 ha |
| Reason for creation of protected area | The area is an important nesting and loafing site for significant numbers of colonial waterbirds. Numerous bird species pass through the Muskoka and neighbouring Algonquin region during spring and fall migration along the Atlantic flyway. There are nesting colonial waterbirds, including Herring Gull, Double-crested Cormorant, and Great Blue Heron. It is an historic nesting site for Ring-billed Gull. The island habitat provides refuge from predators for the young nestlings and is one of few remaining undeveloped islands in Lake Muskoka. |
| Date created (Gazetted) | 1978 - Legal Description |
| International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) management category | Ia - Strict Nature Reserve |
| Additional designations | |
| Keystone or flagship species | Supports significant numbers of colonial nesting birds including: |
| Listed Species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) | None recorded |
| Main habitat type | The habitat of the NWA is composed of the following:
|
| Faunistic and floristic importance |
|
| Invasive species | None recorded |
| Main threats and challenges | Threats that negatively impact colonial waterbirds, including:
|
| Management agency | Environment and Climate Change Canada (Canadian Wildlife Service) |
| Public access and use | Public access to island is not permitted except by Canada Wildlife Act permit for research and monitoring. |
Note: If there is a discrepancy between the information presented on this web page, any notice posted at the NWA site and the law, the law prevails, as it is the legal instrument authorizing the activity.
Contact us
Environment and Climate Change Canada - Ontario Region
Canadian Wildlife Service
Protected Areas
4905 Dufferin Street
Toronto Ontario
M3H 5T4
Toll-free: 1-800-668-6767 (in Canada only)
Email: ec.enviroinfo.ec@canada.ca
Related links
- Eleanor Island NWA management plan
- Eleanor Island NWA pamphlet
- Eleanor Island NWA on Google maps (Please note that the Google map is a complementary source of information and does not represent the official map or site name).
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