Rare breeding birds

Bald eagle

• Description: A very large raptor with a white head and tail and dark brown body
• Habitat: Most commonly seen within four kilometres of bays, rivers and lakes where main prey are abundant, such as fish, waterfowl, and seabirds
• Hotspots: Dunnville Marsh and Grand River Valley forests
• Status: Special Concern in Ontario
• Threats: Illegal shooting, habitat destruction and pesticide use are the main threats to this amazing raptor
• Latin name: Haliaeetus leucocephalus
• Photo: Lara Fox 

Black tern

• Description: In alternate (breeding) plumage, head and body are black, with black bill and dark reddish-purple feet
• Habitat: Found in marshes, wet meadows and ponds
• Hotspot: Luther Marsh
• Status: Vulnerable in Ontario
• Threats: Decline may be due to loss of freshwater marsh habitat, including losses through invasion of exotic plants and due to drought, human disturbance of nesting sites, pesticide use and problems along the migration route or in winter range
• Latin name: Chlidonias niger
• Photo: Allen Woodliffe

Great egret 

• Description: A large wading white heron with a long neck, orangish yellow bill and long black legs and feet
• Habitat: May be found in marshes, riverbank and lakeshores, nesting primarily in tall trees.
• Hotspot: Luther Marsh
• Status:Rare breeding bird in Ontario with no official status
• Threats: Historically, this species was almost hunted to extinction in Ontario. Today, the loss of breeding habitat for this colonial breeder is its major threat.
• Latin name: Ardea alba
• Photo: Peter Wallack

Least bittern

• Description: A small buff-coloured heron with a relatively long neck
• Habitat: Nests in freshwater marshes, usually in cattail marshes larger than five hectares
• Hotspots: Lower Grand and Luther Marsh
• Status: Threatened in Ontario and Canada
• Threats: The loss of habitat due to the draining, filling and degradation of wetlands and natural succession threaten this species. Unnaturally high densities of predators such as raccoons, their susceptibility to environmental contamination, disturbances from recreational use of wetlands and human disturbance during nesting periods are threatening the least bittern
• Latin name: Ixobrychus exilis
• Photo: Bill Dyer

Prothonotary warbler

• Description: A relatively large, plump, short-tailed, and long-billed warbler with large, dark prominent eyes, a bright yellow chest and belly, and blue-gray wings lacking bars
• Habitat: Generally breed in mature deciduous floodplain, river, and swamp forests. Somewhat open swamps with scattered dead stumps are preferred.
• Hotspot: Lower Grand
• Status:Endangered in Ontario and Canada
• Threats: Loss of both wintering and breeding habitat is the largest threat
• Latin name: Protonotaria citrea
• Photo: Mdf on Wikipedia 

Red-shouldered hawk

• Description: A large raptor with a mainly brown upper body, and reddish shoulders
• Habitat: Prefers deciduous or mixed-wood forests containing shade-tolerant hardwood trees close to wetland areas
• Hotspots: Waterloo Region and Brant County
• Status: Special concern in Canada, vulnerable in Ontario
• Threats: Habitat fragmentation and loss, limitations on available prey and competition from Red-tailed Hawks and Great Horned Owls impact heavily on Red-shouldered Hawks. People sometimes illegally shoot the bird, destroy its nests and kill hatchlings.
• Latin name: Buteo lineatus
• Photo: Lee Karney