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Founded in 1994, Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory is located in northern Alberta in Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park, on the east shore of Lesser Slave Lake. The Observatory is about a 2.5 hour drive northwest of Edmonton. The park boasts the best sand beach in Alberta. Lesser Slave
Lake is the second largest lake in Alberta- 107 km long and 20 km wide. The lake and area was declared a Globally Significant, Important Bird Area, on June 3, 2000. The nearby town of Slave Lake has complete services and facilities including hotels, campgrounds, and grocery stores.
The Observatory operates from April to October. Over 19,000 birds have been banded and 229 species observed in the area. Core programs are Migration Monitoring and Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship. We are the only prairie station to monitor Western Tanager, American Pipit, and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. The five most commonly banded species are American Redstart, Least Flycatcher, White-throated Sparrow, Alder Flycatcher, and Yellow-rumped Warbler. On-site facilities include a sleeper trailer and access to cooking and washroom facilities.
The northern shore of Lesser Slave Lake is relatively shallow (20 m), steeper, and often rockier than the shallower southern shore, which contains various marsh communities. Sandy beaches and dunes are found at the eastern end of the lake. Hilly, mixed wood forests of trembling aspen, balsam poplar, balsam fir, white spruce, and black spruce surround the lake. Two Alberta sub-regions, Central Mixedwood and Lower Foothills, are represented at Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park. There is a rich delta that leads into Buffalo Bay at the western end of the lake. Waterfowl viewing opportunities are spectacular around the bay.
For more information about the Observatory, membership, and volunteer opportunities, please contact:
Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory
Box 1076
Slave Lake, Alberta
Canada T0G 2A0
Office: 780-849-7117
Cell: 780-805-1355
Fax: 780-849-7122
Email: birds@lslbo.org
Web: www.lslbo.org
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