Fish, Birds and Wildlife

Coastal wetlands also provide critical habitat for fish, birds and wildlife, some of which are found only in the Great Lakes coastal zone. According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, coastal and inland wetlands support more wildlife and plants than any other Michigan habitat type.

Coastal wetlands are particularly valuable as spawning and nursery habitat for fish. It is estimated that 75 percent of all Great Lakes fishes use coastal wetlands at some point in their lives. Fish such as yellow perch and northern pike attach their eggs to wetland plants, and their young remain in these wetlands for varying periods. Further, these marsh areas support the majority of small fishes used for food by recreational and commercial fish. “Essentially, coastal marshes provide cover for these forage fishes and commercially important game species,” says University of Michigan (UM) researcher Dr. Paul Webb.

Migrating birds also rely on coastal wetlands. Tawas Point, on the northern shores of Saginaw Bay, is on the migratory pathway. With extensive coastal wetland habitat, Tawas Point State Park is known as one of the premier birding spots in the Midwest, with over 290 species sighted.

Suzanne Robinson, a board member for the Detroit Audubon Society, is one of the many birders who make the trip to East Tawas each year for the spring migration. “The reason people come here,” Robinson explains, “is for the opportunity to see an impressive number of species in a short period of time. The variety of warblers is very good.” In addition to warblers, the park is a good place to see migrating water birds such as loons, grebes, gulls and divers such as red-breasted mergansers and oldsquaw. This year, bird-watchers may also have seen the endangered piping plover.

Hoagman was instrumental in obtaining funds for wildlife viewing platforms at Tawas State Park. He emphasizes that this coastal habitat is not just important for a few weeks each year during spring and fall migration.

“These coastal wetlands are important breeding areas because of the abundant food and cover,” says Hoagman. “Many of these wetlands are not right along the shoreline; they can be a half-mile or more inland.”

For more about birding in the Saginaw Bay and Iosco County regions, visit: www.saginawbaybirding.org and www.msue.msu.edu/iosco