BCR 13. 

Lower Great Lakes
St. Lawrence Plain

Golden-winged Warbler. Photo: © Michael Patrikeev, NatureServe

The Lower Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Plain covers the low-lying areas to the south of the Canadian Shield and north of various highland systems in the United States. In addition to important lakeshore habitats and associated wetlands, this region was originally covered with a mixture of oak-hickory, northern hardwood, and mixed-coniferous forests. Due primarily to conversion to agriculture, very little of the forest remains today. The highest priority bird in remnant forests is the Cerulean Warbler. Because of agriculture, this is now the largest and most important area of grassland in the Northeast, providing habitat for such species as Henslow's Sparrow and Bobolink. Agricultural abandonment may temporarily favor shrub-nesting species, such as Golden-winged Warbler and American Woodcock, but, increasingly, agricultural land is being lost to urbanization. This physiographic area also is extremely important to stopover migrants, attracting some of the largest concentrations of migrant passerines, hawks, shorebirds, and waterbirds in eastern North America. Much of these concentrations are along threatened lakeshore habitats.

Important Bird Areas in this BCR

Hamlin Beach State Park

Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge

Niagara River Corridor, Lakeshore Metropark