Pelican Lake (11520)
Canada, North America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2008
National site name: Pelican Lake
Central coordinates: Latitude: 50.6010, Longitude: -106.0305
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 570 to 630
Area of KBA (km2): 208.55593
Protected area coverage (%): 5.04
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Pelican Lake is located in south central Saskatchewan, near the town of Moose Jaw. The lake is the largest body of water and the farthest downstream in Thunder Creek valley, approximately 26 km southeast of a series of lakes that compose another IBA site the Paysen, Williams, and Kettlehut Lakes area. There is less upland cover surrounding Pelican Lake than in areas farther up the valley, with native prairie covering only 5% of the land within 1 km of the lake. However, the lakes marshes and shorelines provide productive shorebird and waterfowl habitat.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: Large numbers of shorebirds and waterfowl utilize Pelican Lake during both the spring and fall migration. In particular, large numbers of shorebirds have been recorded with as many as 75,000 being estimated in May 1978 (species not determined). Notable numbers of several shorebird species recorded during other surveys include 2,000 American Avocets (as much as 3% of the estimated Canadian population), 1,000 Marbled Godwits (about 10% of the estimated Canadian population), 1,000 Wilsons Phalarope (possibly as much as 1% of the estimated national population), and 233 Black-bellied Plovers. Tundra Swans are also present in large numbers, with as many as 2,075 birds being recorded during fall migration (about 1% of the North American estimated population). During the summer, the lake is utilized by moulting waterfowl with over 10,000 ducks having been recorded (Mallard, Gadwall, Blue-winged Teal, and Northern Pintail among others). American White Pelican also concentrate at this lake during the summer with as many as 1,500 birds being recorded (2.7% of the estimated Canadian population). As many as 50 Western Grebes have also been recorded nesting at the lake.
Delineation rationale: 2011-06-06 (BL Secretariat): site area updated from 2200 ha to 21000 ha, following GIS analysis of site polygon by Bird Studies Canada (J. Moore & S. Marquez in litt. 2009).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | nature conservation and research | rangeland/pastureland
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 100 |