Louisiana Waterhrush - early spring migrant in southern Ontario

Photo by Andy Ekerson / Macauley Library

The Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motocilla), a relatively large member of the wood warbler family,  is one of the earliest spring migrants to arrive in southern Canada, particularly in Southern Ontario along the north shores of Lake Erie and the Niagara Escarpment.   It typically arrives by mid-April.

It is usually found in steep, forested ravines with fast-flowing steams.   Males and females are identical in appearance, with both having bright white eyebrows.   This bird is at the northern limits of its range in Ontario.   Local declines have occurred as forests were cleared and wetlands drained, particularly in southwestern Ontario.

The Louisianna Waterthrush was was already assessed as a 'species of concern' when the Endangered Species Act took effect in 2008.   The species was reassessed as threatened in June 2016.

The Canadian breeding population is estimated to be between 105 to 195 pairs, which represents less than one percent of the total continental population.   Although the species has declined locally in some parts of the breeding range, overall population levels have been relatively stable in both Canada and much of the U.S.A. over the past years.

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BarrytheBirder