Country Island

This site (45° 6’N, 61° 32’W) is a small (~21 ha) island approximately 6 km offshore in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia, Canada.  Though small, the island includes rocky coastal habitat, elevated beach and cobble areas, upland grass and shrub regions, and several areas of coniferous forest cover. It is listed as an Important Bird Area in Canada and is scheduled to become a National Wildlife Area. Formerly the island supported a lighthouse and a small farm for the lighthouse keeper and family; all but the lighthouse was taken down in the 20^th century. In 2024, a new research cabin was constructed on the site to support research and monitoring on breeding seabirds.

The island hosts a number of breeding marine birds including Leach’s storm-petrel (Hydrobates leucorhous), Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea), common tern (S. hirundo), roseate tern (S. dougalii), common eider (Somateria mollissima dresseri), herring gull (Larus smithsoniansus), great black-backed gull (L. marinus), and red-breasted mergansers (Mergus serrator). A variety of landbirds breed there as well, as do some waders including willet (Tringa semipalmata). Storm-petrels (~50,000) and roseate terns (<20 pairs) have been the focal species for monitoring since 2000, as numbers of both species are considered in decline in Canada (terns are listed as “endangered”).