The shores, peat bogs, marshes, mixed and boreal forests, alpine tundra and many other habitats found in the maritime regions of Québec attract, feed and shelter birds of all sizes. The following are some of the most noteworthy species found in our regions:
- Northern gannets: One of our most spectacular seabirds, about 110,000 northern gannets nest on Bonaventure Island, in Gaspésie, in the most accessible northern gannet colony in the world. About 200,000 other birds are also found on the island.
- Atlantic puffins: In Côte-Nord, the Gulf of St. Lawrence offers favourable environmental conditions for nesting Atlantic puffins. Their brightly coloured beaks have earned these birds the nickname “sea parrot.” Every year, the Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve welcomes a population of Atlantic puffins that steal the spotlight from the many other seabirds found in the archipelago.
- Common eiders: The largest nesting ducks found in Québec, common eiders live on the shores and islands of the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence, mainly downstream from Kamouraska. Known for their insulating down, they can be observed in many places including Parc national du Bic (Bas-Saint-Laurent), the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park (Société Duvetnor manages the islands where the ducks nest) and the Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve (Côte-Nord).
Half of the migratory bird sanctuaries in the province of Québec (which are protected under Canadian law) are located in the maritime regions of Québec. They can be found in the following locations:
L’Isle-Verte and Basques Island, in Bas-Saint-Laurent
- Saint-Omer and Parc national de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé in Gaspésie
- Corossol Island in the Sept-Îles Archipelago as well as eight sites in Minganie and the Lower North Shore in Côte-Nord
- Rocher aux Oiseaux (Bird Rock) in the Îles de la Madeleine
