Grand Codroy Estuary facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Grand Codroy Estuary
|
|
|---|---|
|
Estuary
|
|
 Grand Codroy Estuary
Location in Newfoundland
|
|
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Newfoundland and Labrador |
| Time zone | UTC-3:30 (Newfoundland Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-2:30 (Newfoundland Daylight) |
| Area code(s) | 709 |
| Designated: | 27 May 1987 |
| Reference #: | 364 |
The Grand Codroy Estuary is a special wetland area in Newfoundland, Canada. It covers about 925 hectares, which is like 2,286 football fields! You can find it on the southwest coast of the island, about 30 km north of Port aux Basques.
This estuary is known as one of the most important wetlands in Newfoundland. It's so important that it was named a Wetland of International Importance on May 27, 1987. This happened under the Ramsar Convention, an international agreement to protect important wetlands. There's also a very important Important Bird Area nearby, which is a great spot for birds. To help protect the animals, hunting has not been allowed in the estuary since 1974.
What is an Estuary?
An estuary is a place where a river meets the sea. The Grand Codroy Estuary has both ocean and river water mixing together. The water here is quite shallow, usually less than one metre deep.
Inside the estuary, there are four small islands. You'll also find sandy areas called sandbars and soft, muddy spots called mudflats. These mudflats are full of a special plant called Zostera, which is a type of seagrass. The land around the estuary is mostly grasslands used for farming.
The deepest part of the estuary's river channel is only about two metres deep. The estuary is surrounded by private land, a park called Codroy Valley Provincial Park, and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Two nearby rivers, the Grand Codroy and Little Codroy rivers, are popular for fishing.
Amazing Animals: Birds of the Estuary
The thick Zostera seagrass and the surrounding grasslands make the estuary a perfect home for many birds. Especially in the fall, lots of different bird species stop here during their migration. This is when birds travel long distances between their summer and winter homes.
One of the most common birds you'll see is the Canada goose. Up to 3,000 Canada geese visit the estuary every year during migration! Other birds that love this wetland include:
- the great blue heron
- the American black duck
- the wood duck
- the American green-winged teal
- the American wigeon
- the blue-winged teal
- the common goldeneye
- the common merganser
- the greater scaup
- the northern pintail
- the northern shoveler
- the red-breasted merganser
- and the ring-necked duck
Visiting the Grand Codroy Estuary
The Grand Codroy Estuary is a great place to visit! It's promoted as a fun spot for tourists, especially for people who love to watch birds (birdwatching), take pictures (photographers), or study nature (naturalists). There's even a visitor's centre open during certain times of the year where you can get more information about the estuary and its amazing wildlife.
