Features: True to its name, the Louisiana Waterthrush (Seiurus motacilla) is a southern species usually found in steep, forested ravines with fast-flowing streams. It has a prominent white eyestripe and when it walks it flicks its tail in a bobbing motion.

Status: Special Concern Provincially and Nationally

Range: The Louisiana Waterthrush lives in eastern United States, ranging from the lower Great Lakes south to Georgia and west to Kansas. In Ontario it is estimated that about 300 pairs live along the Niagara Escarpment and in woodlands along Lake Erie, as well as scattered locations elsewhere. Range Maps

Threats: The Louisiana Waterthrush is at the northern limits of its range in Ontario and was never common here. Local declines have occurred as forests were cleared, particularly in southwestern Ontario.

Protection: The Louisiana Waterthrush and its' nest is protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act. Future management being considered by some conservation authorities is to avoid logging the ravines where the species lives on their land .

Text Sources: McCracken 1991

Last Modified Date: February 2005