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

Horned grebe

• Description: A small duck-like waterfowl with a short pointed bill and distinct yellow "horns" (patches of feathers behind its eyes)', non-winter plumage is primarily red and black, and a very distinct red eye  
• Habitat: Found in larger lakes
• Hotspot: Waterloo Region during spring migration
• Status:  Special concern in Ontario and Canada
• Threats: Populations in decline due to permanent loss of wetlands, periods of drought in the prairie provinces have significant negative impacts on this species
• Latin name: Podiceps auritus
• Photo: Kevin Tupman

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-headed woodpecker

• Description: A medium sized woodpecker with a full red head, white and black wings, and dominately white body 
• Habitat: Prefers deciduous forests and woodland edges with trees that are dying or dead, which are used for nesting
• Hotspots: Central Grand River watershed, including Brant County, City of Hamilton, and Waterloo Region
• Status: Special concern in Canada, special concern in Ontario
• Threats: Habitat loss due in part to land use practices, specifically the removal of dead nesting trees
• Latin name: Melanerpes erythrocephalus
• Photo: George Peck