Cormorants in Leslie Spit (Tommy Thompson Park); Toronto

[surewood]

Hi, I'm new here, and I am looking for some feedback about the number of cormorants destroying the forest at Leslie Spit.

I posted my views (along with pictures) at my blog site (http://sisyphusblog.wordpress.com/2011/ ... ormorants/) and I am looking for concerned birders who may know more about this issue than I to please read and hopefully start a dialogue.

Thanks

[Reuven_M]

The cormorants only take up a small area of forest. The main reason it is an Important Bird Area is that there are so many cormorants, gulls and terns breeding. It seems like a lot of birds, but the nearest colonies are in Hamilton and very far east, its not like they are destroying the forest all along the shore.

And keep in mind that the spit is completely artificial and very new - the cormorants have taken over forest that didn't even exist 30-40 years ago.

[thouc]

And if the Cormorant colony gets disturbed by culling or otherwise, they might relocate and colonize other areas and destroy other trees instead of using the ones that are already dead....

[Brian Bailey]

The TRCA has been fairly successful in stopping the spread of the tree nesting colony and encouraging ground nesting there.  I don't recall the numbers (they may be on the TTP or TRCA websites) but I think it's close to 50% of the nests are now on the ground.

Whether it's killing trees or eating fish, the cormorants cause acrimony everywhere they're found on Lake Ontario.  

BB

[surewood]

thanks for the feedback...good points all around...