ST. LOUIS RIVER AREA OF CONCERN UPDATES: Interstate Island
Every wonder what’s going on at Interstate Island?
Researchers at the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Natural Resources Research Institute have been monitoring bird activity on Interstate Island. With a combination of in-person surveys and a network of 16 trail cameras placed along the edge of the shoreline, they are able to document bird use of the island from spring through fall each year.
Of particular interest is shorebird use of Interstate Island during their twice-annual migrations. Most shorebird species breed in the Arctic and winter in central and South America and are only seen locally during migration.
Migratory stopover locations like Interstate Island are critical to all migrating species as they allow birds to safely rest and replenish food resources between long-distance flights, a stage that is crucial to ensuring birds can complete their migratory journeys.
As their name implies, shorebirds depend on shoreline habitats which are becoming less available to birds as humans continue to develop and modify coastal habitats across the globe. Therefore, the presence of an undisturbed island of high-quality shoreline habitat such as Interstate Island can provide an essential steppingstone to these birds as they fly, many of them for the first time, from as far as the Arctic to Patagonia.
Since 2019 a total of 16 shorebird species have been documented using the island during migration including Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Black-bellied Plover (pictured here).
