| Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
| Location | Last Mountain Lake, Saskatchewan |
| Nearest town | East: Govan and Nokomis West: Imperial and Simpson |
| Coordinates | 51°20′0″N 105°15′2″W / 51.33333°N 105.25056°W |
| Area | 47.36 km2 (18.29 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 486 metres (1,594 ft) |
| Established | 1887 |
| Official name | Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary National Historic Site of Canada |
| Designated | 24 June 1987 |
Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary is a National Historic Site of Canada, located in the rural municipality of Last Mountain Valley No. 250 in Saskatchewan. The migratory bird sanctuary[1] was the first established in North America. The 47.36 km2 (18.29 sq mi) area is within the Last Mountain Lake National Wildlife Area, an International Biological Program site, and includes adjacent uplands.[2]
The site is used as a staging or nesting area by numerous migratory and colonial bird species, including the sandhill crane and the endangered whooping crane. The lake has rich spawning grounds used by numerous fish species, including the vulnerable bigmouth buffalo.
It was recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1987, its centennial anniversary, for its undisturbed natural areas, among them the wetlands, shoreline, forest, and adjacent grasslands, and for being the first bird sanctuary in Canada.