Watersheds support numerous impressive wildlife communities, but perhaps the most sensational are migratory birds. Here in the Upper Lynn Canal, a dramatic scene unfolds in the spring each year, the magnitude of which can be seen, smelled, and heard throughout the valley.
The mud and sand flats at the Chilkat River estuary are a major migratory stopover site for waterfowl, shorebirds and gulls. In early spring, shorebirds from up and down the coast, as well as birds that have spent the winter in saltwater bays, inlets, and the open ocean, begin funneling from Chatham and Icy Straits, into Lynn Canal. At last they reach the rich and expansive Chilkat River estuary, where they are able to rest and feed, and are safe from most predators.
The Chilkat River estuary provides necessary habitat for birds migrating over the Chilkat Pass and through the Shakwak Trench in the Yukon Territory. It contains the most salt marsh habitat in the Upper Lynn Canal and offers a final opportunity for migratory species to feed on marine invertebrates and forage fish before transitioning to interior mainland habitat types. Without this resource, migration over the Chilkat Pass may not be viable for many species.
While the estuary currently hosts abundant and diverse avian communities, population declines among most bird species are widespread and severe. One recent study showed that North American bird populations have declined by nearly 30 percent since the 1970s. This staggering loss spans every biome in the United States and Canada, indicating a greater need to protect habitat from loss or degradation. While the Chilkat Valley’s ecosystems are relatively intact, it is important that resources like estuaries are maintained as refugia for imperiled species.
Bird populations should be protected for many reasons, including benefits to humanity. They play essential roles in human food systems, such as seed and spore dispersal, pollination, and fertilization, and they also help in a few surprising ways. For example, a recent study determined that people who live near numerous bird species experience less anxiety and depression than others. This discovery is validated by the mood boost that many Chilkat Valley residents feel when varied thrushes and other species start singing again in spring.
There is also an economic argument for protecting birds. A 2011 economic assessment conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service found that bird watchers in the United States spent $26 billion on equipment and $14.9 billion on food, lodging, and transportation that year. These expenditures created 666,000 jobs in areas where bird watching is popular and generated $107 billion in total industry output.
Finally, bird species are relatively easy to observe and monitor, and their sensitivity to environmental disturbance makes them excellent indicators of ecosystem health. Therefore, monitoring local avifauna is a convenient strategy for examining the overall health of a watershed.
Local, state, tribal, and federal governments do a number of things to protect birds and the watersheds they depend on, but people can do their part as well. It is common to accidentally flush flocks of birds while enjoying the estuary during migration, and while this is sometimes unavoidable, it is important to be mindful of the impacts that chronic disturbance has on these weary travelers. Walking around flocks, instead of through them, and keeping pets on a leash from late April through early May, will allow birds to rest up and refuel for the long journey ahead.
Perhaps the most important thing residents can do for birds this spring, is to stop for a moment to appreciate the awesome sense of abundance, biodiversity, and wellbeing that spring migration provides. We’ll see you out there.