Kendall Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary facts for kids

The Kendall Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary (KIBS) is a special place in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It's a safe home for many migratory birds. These are birds that travel long distances each year.

The sanctuary is found on Kendall Island and the land around it. This area is in Mackenzie Bay, right at the top of the Mackenzie River Delta. It's a seasonal home for over 60,000 shorebirds. KIBS is one of five bird sanctuaries in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. Long ago, the Inuvialuit people used this area for whaling.

The KIBS was created in 1961. Its main goal was to protect a group of lesser snow geese that nest there. The sanctuary covers about 609 square kilometers (235 square miles). About 197 square kilometers (76 square miles) of this is water. This includes parts of the ocean and areas where the land meets the sea. The Mackenzie River Delta is also a very important place for migratory birds. Part of it is inside the KIBS.

What the Land is Like

Some hills in the KIBS have high ground. This land has stayed above water since the glaciation period. That's when huge sheets of ice covered much of the Earth. The ground on these hills is made of sand or rocky soil left by glaciers.

Natural Resources in the Area

There are two places within the KIBS where natural gas has been found. These areas hold a lot of natural gas. It's more than half of the gas needed for the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline.

Amazing Wildlife

More than 90 types of birds visit KIBS. They come from May to October. Many of these are waterfowl, like ducks and geese. The KIBS has more Arctic terns and greater white-fronted geese than other places in Northern Canada. You can also see many loons, northern pintails, and sandhill cranes here.

Tundra swans gather near the outer parts of the sanctuary. About 3,000 lesser snow geese live and nest at KIBS. There are also many Hudsonian godwits and whimbrels. These numbers are important for Canada.

Some special animals also live here. The short-eared owl has been seen at KIBS. This bird is listed as a species at risk. Grizzly bears, polar bears, and wolverines also live in the area. These animals are also listed as species of concern in Canada. The very rare Eskimo curlew has also been recorded here.

Scientists have noticed that Lapland longspurs seem to avoid the KIBS. This might be because of the lines and pads left by natural gas exploration.