Horned Grebe Government Response Statement
This document outlines the actions the government intends to take or support to help recover the Horned Grebe.
The Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) is a small, duck-like, semi-colonial waterbird. The Horned Grebe’s breeding plumage is distinctive with golden facial tufts or ‘horns’ on both sides of the face contrasting with black facial feathers, chestnut neck and flanks, and dark-coloured back. During the nonbreeding season the plumage is more nondescript and appears black and white at a distance.
Horned Grebes nest on small ponds, protected bays or larger lakes within wetlands. Autumn migration occurs from early September to late December, peaking in late October to mid-November. Horned Grebes migrate nocturnally southwards in small flocks over the continent and spend the winter offshore and on some inland waters. Within Canada, there are two populations of Horned Grebe: the western population and the Magdalen Islands population in Québec. Ontario is at the extreme eastern periphery of the nesting range of the western population, therefore Horned Grebes are rare and irregular breeders in Ontario. They do, however, regularly migrate through the province in spring and fall.
Protecting and managing species of special concern in Ontario
The protection and management of Species of Special Concern is a key part of protecting Ontario’s biodiversity. Biodiversity — the variety of life on Earth — provides us with clean air and water, food, fibre, medicine and other resources that we need to survive.
The Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA) is the Government of Ontario’s legislative commitment to protecting and managing species of special concern and their habitats. A species is classified as special concern if it lives in the wild in Ontario, is not endangered or threatened, but may become threatened or endangered due to a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats.
Government response statements
The management plan for Horned Grebe was completed in September 2014.
Management plans are prepared for the Government of Ontario based on the current scientific knowledge for each species and identify approaches for the management of species of special concern.
The response statement is the government’s policy response (subsection 12(5) of the ESA) to the possible actions identified in the management plan. The response statement summarizes the actions that the Government of Ontario intends to take in response to the management plan and the government priorities in taking those actions. The response also reflects the best available knowledge at this time and may be modified if new information becomes available.
Moving forward to protect and manage Horned Grebe
The Horned Grebe is listed as a species of special concern under the ESA. According to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, the Horned Grebe has been showing long-term declines and range contraction throughout North America. Horned Grebes typically nest in small, open-water marshes or ponds, and any changes to wetland quality likely pose a significant threat to the species. Changes to water levels brought on by climate change may threaten the Horned Grebe as they prefer deeper ponds for nesting. Invasive plant species such as Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea), Common Reed (Phragmites australis ssp. australis) and Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) could also affect vegetation structure of wetland areas where Horned Grebes nest.
Horned Grebes are vulnerable to aquatic contaminants that occur in water bodies as a result of agricultural run-off and atmospheric deposition. Bioaccumulation of metals, DDE and PCBs can also threaten the survival of the Horned Grebe. In addition, Horned Grebes may be extremely vulnerable to oil spills, and Type E Botulism may pose a threat to the birds, particularly in the Great Lakes Basin.
Management goal
The Government of Ontario’s goal for the management of Horned Grebe is to enhance and improve the status and viability of the species in Ontario.
Management objectives and actions
Protecting and recovering species at risk is a shared responsibility. No single agency or organization has the knowledge, authority or financial resources to protect and recover all of Ontario’s species at risk. Successful recovery requires inter-governmental co-operation and the involvement of many individuals, organizations and communities.
In developing the government response statement, the Ministry considers what actions are feasible for the government to lead directly and what actions are feasible for the government to support its conservation partners to undertake. Government-led actions are those that the government will directly undertake to protect and manage the species. Government-supported actions are those that are endorsed by the government as being necessary for the protection and management of the species. Support for conservation agencies, municipalities, industry partners and Aboriginal communities to undertake actions will be provided where appropriate through funding and advisory services.
Focus area: Inventory and monitoring
Objective – Determine the distribution and abundance of breeding Horned Grebes in Ontario; identify migration stopover and wintering areas for Horned Grebe in Ontario.
Government-led management action
- Encourage the submission of Horned Grebe data to the Ministry’s central repository at the Natural Heritage Information Centre.
Government-supported management action
- Conduct surveys in areas not well covered by other programs to determine overall population size and distribution using adapted CWS Waterfowl Breeding and Habitat Population Surveys or expansion of the Marsh Monitoring Program.
Priority: High
Focus area: Protection and management
Objectives
- Through a multispecies approach, that includes the Horned Grebe and other wetland species, maintain or expand existing wetland habitat, as well as restore or create new wetlands.
- Develop landowner agreements and management activities to secure, protect, enhance, and restore potential wetland habitats for Horned Grebes and other wetland species.
- Encourage Aboriginal communities to develop stewardship projects and activities that involve species at risk and especially the Horned Grebe.
Government-led management actions
- Support conservation, agency, municipal, industry partners and Aboriginal communities to undertake activities to protect and manage Horned Grebe. Support will be provided where appropriate through funding, agreements, permits (including conditions) and advisory services.
- Identify and manage Horned Grebe habitat as Significant Wildlife Habitat for management, protection and mitigation during land use and resource management planning.
Government-supported management actions
- Foster collaboration between agencies such as Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Environment Canada, and non-government organizations such as Bird Studies Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada and scientific community to implement protection of breeding and staging areas for Horned Grebes.
Priority: High - Liaise and establish partnerships with other governments, landowners, conservation authorities, cottager associations and First Nations to facilitate Best Management Practices that are compatible with the needs of the Horned Grebe and other wetland species (i.e. a multi-species approach) on their lands.
Priority: High - Explore potential for encouraging Horned Grebes to nest in Ontario, through management of water levels, or wetland restoration.
Priority: Low
Focus area: Research
Objectives
- Determine local and landscape level habitat requirements for Horned Grebe in Ontario.
- Identify the main threats to the Horned Grebe.
- Assess methods for mitigating winter mortality from oil spills and by-catch (fishing nets).
Government-supported management actions
- Use expert opinion and IUCN threats calculator to identify main threats to Horned Grebe.
Priority: High - Determine potential habitat in northwestern and southwestern Ontario using habitat suitability models from western provinces (Manitoba).
Priority: Medium - Address research needs to more fully understand factors involved in breeding site selection and site fidelity.
Priority: Medium - Identify migration stopover and wintering areas for Horned Grebes in Ontario.
Priority: Medium - Monitor known breeding and migration stopover sites and investigate threats such as changes in habitat quality, water level control mechanisms, predation, invasive species and human disturbance.
Priority: Medium - Assess the numbers of Horned Grebes killed by Type E Botulism in Great Lakes (United States Geological Survey, Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative and Beached Bird Surveys).
Priority: Medium - Determine the significance of by-catch of Horned Grebes.
Priority: Low - Collate information on oiling incidents through Beached Bird Surveys involving Horned Greb — liaise with other jurisdictions.
Priority: Low
Focus area: Awareness
Objective – Undertake communications and outreach to increase public awareness of species at risk in Ontario.
Government-led management action
- Educate other agencies and authorities involved in planning and environmental assessment processes on the threats to Horned Grebe.
Implementing actions
Financial support for the implementation of actions may be available through the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund, Species at Risk Research Fund for Ontario, and the Species at Risk Farm Incentive Program. Conservation partners are encouraged to discuss project proposals related to the actions in this response statement with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
Implementation of the actions may be subject to changes in priorities across the multitude of species at risk, available resources and the capacity of partners to undertake recovery activities. Where appropriate, the implementation of actions for multiple species will be co-ordinated across government response statements.
Acknowledgement
We would like to thank all those who participated in the development of the “Management Plan for the Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus)” for their dedication to protecting and managing species of special concern.
For additional information:
Visit the Species at Risk website at ontario.ca/speciesatrisk
Contact your MNR district office
Contact the Natural Resources Information Centre
Email: NRISC@ontario.ca
Website: ontario.ca/mnrf