The Kinosota/Leifur IBA is situated along the northwestern shore of Lake Manitoba’s southern basin from Leifur north to Kinosota and extends west to Rd 79 W. This IBA is nationally and continentally significant for its threatened species.

Red-headed Woodpeckers, which are listed as endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), congregate in large numbers in this IBA relative to the rest of Manitoba. Approximately 100 Red-headed Woodpeckers (~3% of the Canadian population) are thought to use this area each summer. In the past, the Manitoba IBA Program has conducted a targeted Red-headed Woodpecker Blitz annually to monitor numbers of the species in the Kinosota/Leifur IBA. Bird habitat within this IBA consists mainly of deciduous (mainly poplar) woods, preferred habitat for Red-headed Woodpeckers which seek stands of dead poplar with little understory vegetation, along with agricultural land and small patches of wetland throughout. The clearing of poplar stands for conversion to cropland represents a threat to Red-headed Woodpeckers and other species that utilize this habitat.

Other species commonly seen in the Kinosota/Leifur IBA include the Pileated Woodpecker, Killdeer, Mourning Dove, Red-winged Blackbird, American Kestrel, Eastern Kingbird, Mallard, Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, and Warbling Vireo. Watch out for Black Bears, Moose, Grey Wolves, Coyotes, White-tailed Deer, Porcupines, and Weasels while birding in this area!

See below for maps on where to find birds, stories relating to Kinosota/Leifur IBA, and priorities for monitoring.

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