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What the Niagara River Means to Birds and People
Niagara is an ecological refuge and cultural crossroad
© Sandor Weisz
This episode narrated by Marcus Rosten explores the history and the birdlife of the Niagara River Corridor. Just downstream from the falls, Long-tailed Ducks and Bonaparte’s Gulls call out near the site where the Haudenosaunee and other Native American groups would portage around the falls. Niagara’s churning rapids prevent ice from forming, making it a year-round fishing spot for half the world’s species of gulls. The rapids were also the final hurdle for Freedom Seekers on the Underground Railroad journeying to Canada.
BirdNote®
Birds and People of the Niagara River Corridor
Written by Marcus Rosten
This is BirdNote. I’m Marcus Rosten, a naturalist who feels lucky that my local patch happens to be a world-class travel destination for both people and birds. In the mist of Niagara Falls soars a diversity of birds also worth flocking for.
[Roar of Niagara Falls]
The Niagara River Corridor has been an ecological refuge and cultural crossroad since the last ice age. Just downstream from the falls at the Stella Niagara Preserve is my favorite spot to be serenaded by Long-tailed Ducks and squeaking Bonaparte’s Gulls, overwintering from the Arctic.
[Calls of Long-tailed Ducks and Bonaparte’s Gulls]
This site is one of the only good places to land a canoe in the massive gorge, which made it essential to the Haudenosaunee and other Native American groups to portage around the falls.
Niagara River’s churning rapids prevent it from freezing, making it a fishing hotspot for gulls and ducks. The corridor hosts over half of the world’s species of gull, from the Great Black-backed Gull, the largest in the world…
[Great Black-backed Gull call]
…to the smallest, the Little Gull.
[Little Gull call]
Those rapids were also the final hurdle for Freedom Seekers on their migration to Canada. Niagara Falls was a crucial last stop for the Underground Railroad.
[Roar of Niagara Falls]
[Long-tailed Duck calls]
Niagara is a biodiverse cultural confluence where the paths of birds and humans intersect and intertwine.
This week is Black Birders Week. To learn how to participate, follow the hashtag Black Birders Week on social media and visit BirdNote dot org.
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Producer: Mark Bramhill
Managing Editor: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Conor Gearin
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Long-tailed Duck ML216442261 recorded by Jeff Ellerbusch, Bonaparte’s Gull ML59229 recorded by William W.H. Gunn, Great Black-backed Gull ML165933 recorded by Sarah MacLean, and Little Gull ML339943331 recorded by Alvan Buckley.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2024 BirdNote May 2024
Narrator: Marcus Rosten
ID# niagara-01-2024-05-28 niagara-01
Marcus Rosten
Writer NarratorSights & Sounds
