Ecology Wye Marsh

trumpeter swans @ wye marsh

the wye marsh wildlife centre runs breeding programme trumpeter swans. centre, , volunteers, monitor approximately one-third of trumpeter swans in ontario. swans had been absent marsh until reintroduction programme harry lumsden in 1980s, employee of ontario department of natural resources. archeological evidence collected jesuit missionaries in 17th century suggests area had significant concentrations of trumpeter swans, , historical references indicate same. while hunters armed bows , arrows have had difficult time hunting swan, introduction of firearms european explorers have made swan tempting target hunters. 1850, small numbers of swan remained in eastern canada, , last sighting of trumpeter swan in ontario before reintroduction occurred in 1884. among ontarians, wye marsh wildlife centre has known home of trumpeter swan.

the marsh important breeding site black terns , least bitterns. @ least 1% of breeding pairs of least bitterns in canada nest in wye marsh.

other bird species known inhabit marsh include: red-winged blackbirds, common grackles, brown-headed cowbirds, sandhill cranes, common mergansers, double-crested cormorants, great blue herons, marsh wrens, tree swallows, common yellowthroats, ring-billed gulls, common moorhens, mallard ducks, wood ducks, canada geese, barn swallows , soras.

historically, marsh supported large amounts of wild rice, served important food source waterfowl. introduction of carp in 20th century reduced amount of wild rice, , consequently number of waterfowl.