| Queen Maud Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuary | |
| Iucn Category: | Ib |
| Map: | Canada |
| Relief: | yes |
| Map Width: | 240 |
| Location: | Nunavut, Canada |
| Nearest City: | Bathurst Inlet |
| Coordinates: | 67.0831°N -101.7497°W |
| Area: | 61765km2 |
| Established: | 1961 |
| Governing Body: | Environment Canada |
The Queen Maud Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuary is Canada's largest federally owned protected area, encompassing some 61765km2 of the Arctic Circle coastline. 6710km2 are marine, and 55055km2 are terrestrial.[1]
Under the terms of the Ramsar Convention, it was designated as a wetland of international importance in 1982. It is the world's second-largest Ramsar Site. The majority of the park is lowlands and countless streams, ponds and shallow lakes. The land is mainly Arctic tundra and marshes.
In 1982, 450,000 geese, including the majority of the world's Ross's geese, nested in the sanctuary, one of the largest concentration of geese on Earth.[1]
The protected area was established in 1961 under the Migratory Bird Sanctuary Regulations of the Migratory Birds Convention Act of 1917.[2] It was named for Queen Maud of Norway.
There are no current threats as it is a federally protected land mass.