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The park offers habitat for several animals. Three distinct habitat types can be observed in the park: young forests which were created by natural fires and logging, mature forests composed of black spruce and balsam fir with closed cover and taiga reminiscent of the Great Northern Quebec. Taiga environments similar to that of Grands-Jardins National Park are normally found more than 500 kilometres (310 mi) further north, above the 52nd parallel. These different habitats make it possible to shelter a variety of animals, some of which have threatened or vulnerable status. There are populations of moose, reindeer, black bear, red fox, porcupine, common loon, spruce grouse, eastern wolves, lynx and several other species.
Due to the diversity of habitats found within the national park, several species frequent it, including three species that are classified as vulnerable, namely the woodland caribou of the forest ecotype, the Bicknell's thrush and Barrow's goldeneye. These species have the most serious status under the Quebec Act on threatened or vulnerable species. There are also seven species likely to be designated threatened or vulnerable, namely Arctic char, golden eagle, peregrine falcon, common nighthawk, chimney swift, rock vole, cougar and southern bog lemming.
Mammals[edit]
The mammal category includes as many large mammals as small rodents, moving from moose to bear and porcupine. We thus find the following mammals: several species of shrews (the great shrew, the common shrew, sooty, palustrine and pygmy), the star-nose mole, the snowshoe hare, the red squirrel, the large flying squirrel, the common marmot, Canada beaver, several species of voles (red-backed gapper, fields, rocks, Cooper's lemming), Phenacomys, muskrat, some species of mouse (deer, wood jumping and field jumping), American porcupine, coyote, gray wolf, red fox, black bear, raccoon, long-tailed weasel, stoat, river otter, woodland caribou, white-tailed deer, moose, American marten, American mink, striped skunk, cougar and Canadian lynx. This is explained by the varied habitats offered by the vast territory of the Grands-Jardins National Park.
Snowshoe hare
The snowshoe hare is one of the most important species in the park (and even in Canada) from an ecological point of view, because it represents a food source for a good number of predators which frequent the national park and the boreal forest in general such as the Canada lynx, the red fox and the coyote. In addition, it feeds on several plants and shrubs in the boreal forest.
The woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) is a mammal very sensitive to the presence of humans. Too large a presence on its territory can disturb the species and modify its behavior and lead it to frequent places less favorable for the species, making the caribou more vulnerable to its predators such as the wolf and the black bear. The territory of the Grands-Jardins Park is an important environment for the calving, rutting and winter feeding of the woodland caribou and plays a decisive role in the conservation of the species. It lives in particular in mature coniferous forests where arboreal lichens are very present.
The black bear, an omnivorous animal whose diet consists mainly of plants, is abundant in the national park. However, it also feeds on fawns that are easy prey for bears when they venture out of the dense forest. The bear prefers open and semi-open sites where the vegetation constituting a good part of its diet is more abundant and rarely ventures into the dense forest of the park.
The Canadian lynx (Lynx canadensis) is a wild feline from the boreal forest that lives in varied habitats dominated by mature stand forests. It is one of the three wild felines that live in Canada with the bobcat to which it resembles much and the cougar. This carnivore feeds mainly on snowshoe hares that are found in the park. Thus the Grands-Jardins National Park is a suitable habitat for this species. On the other hand, it is a shy and secretive feline since it is rarely observed.
The Cooper's lemming vole (Synaptomys cooperi) is a small rodent that frequents wetlands. It lives in burrows in peat bogs and grassy marshes. It is a rare species in Canada that has been very little studied to date.
Birds[edit]
The park is also home to a significant number of migratory and non-migratory bird species. The common loon, golden eagle, black-backed woodpecker, Barrow's goldeneye, peregrine falcon, Bicknell's thrush and spruce grouse are among the birds found here.
The common loon, a skilled diver, lives in fish-rich lakes since it is a great predator of aquatic environments. Its presence indicates good health of the lakes it frequents. The golden eagle, meanwhile, lives in rock walls and open or semi-open environments. The peregrine falcon also lives in the rock faces and open spaces of the national park. The black-backed woodpecker plays an important role in burnt forests since it creates cavities in dead trees in order to feed on the insects that adore this environment. The cavities thus created are then used for several species. The Bicknell's thrush which is a forest bird prefers rather dense and regenerating forests as habitat. The Barrow's goldeneye (Bucephala islandica), an arboreal nesting bird, lives in large snags for nesting and fishless lakes as a source of food for ducklings. Finally, the Canadian grouse, resembling a small hen, inhabits coniferous forests year-round. It is a species easily observable by visitors, accumulating 10% of reported wildlife sightings.
Common loon
Barrow's goldeneye
Hermit thrush
Spruce grouse
Click on images to enlarge
Marine fauna[edit]
Lakes and other marine environments are interesting habitats for a variety of amphibians (plethodontidae, bufonidae, hylidae, ranidae and colubridae species) and fish. Among the amphibians, we find the northern two-lined salamander, American toad, spring peeper (cruciferous tree frog, wood frog, green frog, the northern frog and finally the common garter snake. Arctic char and brook trout are two species of fish that frequent the national park.
