Wildlife of the Mackenzie Delta Region

Nora T. Corley is a librarian in Ottawa.

The Mackenzie Delta is a vast and varied region. Eight major vegetation types provide habitats for the rich wildlife of the region. The first European to comment on the wildlife of the Mackenzie Delta was Alexander Mackenzie, who arrived there in 1789; subsequent explorers and scientists have added their observations over the years. Even so, when environment impact studies were made for the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline, knowledge of the Delta’s wildlife was still incomplete. Those studies, together with others made for the Beaufort Sea Project, added quality as well as quantity to the already accumulated knowledge. This report brings together the information in the published explorers’ accounts and the more recent works of researchers. The vegetation of the Delta is described first, followed by detailed annotated lists of the mammals, birds, amphibians, and fish of the region, with brief discussions of the more important species. Each chapter is followed by copious references readily available to the public, from 1801 (when Mackenzie’s journal was published) to 1982. Appendices include a map of the region on four pages, a wildlife species index, and a glossary. Canadian wildlife and Arctic collections will need this most useful list/bibliography.