Reflecting the highly productive waters of Newfoundland’s Grand Bank, the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve (47.223°N x 52.792°W) off the east coast of Canada, contains 4 islands (Gull, Great, Green and Pee Pee), that collectively support ca. 1.8 million breeding seabirds in spring and summer.
These islands are rocky, with low cliffs and steep, grassy slopes. Gull and Great, the larger of the Islands, also support coniferous forests.
Ten seabird species breed in the Reserve, including North America’s largest colony of Atlantic puffins (~600,000 individuals), eastern Canada’s second largest colony of Leach’s Storm-Petrels (~630,000 individuals), a large colony of Common guillemots (~500,000 individuals), and a colony of ~25,000 Black-legged kittiwakes. > 5,000 Herring gulls, >2,000 Razorbills, and 10’s to 100’s of Great black-backed Gulls, Brünnich’s guillemots, Pigeon guillemots and Northern fulmars also breed in the Reserve.
The Witless Bay Islands have been identified as an important bird and biodiversity area (IBA) by BirdLife International, and they support a significant local ecotourism industry.
Ecological, demographic, contaminant and behavioural studies of seabirds have been conducted by Environment and Climate Change Canada, Memorial University of Newfoundland and their partners for ca. 50 years. Previous GLS studies have included logger deployments on Common guillemots, Black-legged kittiwakes, Leach’s Storm-Petrels and Atlantic puffins.
Gull Island, Witless Bay became a SEATRACK location in 2019, with GLS being deployed on Common guillemots, Black-legged kittiwakes and Atlantic puffins.
Seatrack partner
April Hedd
Environment and Climate Change Canada
Data availability
