Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
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Video: The West Sister Island Rookery by Scott Galloway

Welcome to the West Sister Island Rookery

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FACTS ABOUT WEST SISTER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE:
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--WSI is located approximately midway between Toledo and South Bass Island, and is about 9 miles off shore.

--WSI was established as a refuge in 1937.

--In 1975, 77 acres of the 82 acre island were designated as wilderness (part of the National Wilderness Preservation System.) It is Ohio’s only Wilderness Area.

--5 acres of the island including the lighthouse are managed by the U.S. Coast Guard. The lighthouse is automated and operational.

--WSI is a rookery, a place where colonial birds nest.  It is the largest Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, and Black-Crowned Night Heron rookery in the U.S. Great Lakes.
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Species that nest on West Sister Island include great blue herons, great egrets, black-crowned night herons, snowy egrets, double-crested cormorants, and sometimes even cattle egrets or little blue herons! The wading birds that nest on West Sister Island are quite incredible. The water right around the island is too deep for the birds to feed, so they must travel to the mainland marshes at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge to hunt for food to feed their young, an 18 mile round trip! 

While there is no public access on the island to protect this important nesting area, you can see the island up close on our West Sister Island Cruise.

Here's some data for the minimum and maximum nest counts for each bird species from 1991-2024.

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​Great Blue Heron

2024: 609 nests; 2023: 969 nests; max. 1992: 2,444 nests; min. 2014: 553 nests.

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Black Crowned Night Heron
2024: 143 nests; 2023: 283 nests
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Double Crested Cormorant

2024: 2,083 nests; 2023: 1,193 nests; max. 2005: 3,813 nests; min. 1992: 186 nests

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Great Egret
2024: 1,513 nests; 2023: 829 nests; max. 2019, 1,515 nests;  min. 2001: 640 nests.
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Snowy Egret
2024: 8 nests; 2023: 0 nests;
​max. 2000: 10 nests 
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Little Blue Heron
2024: 0 nests; 2023: 0 nests;
​1991 & 2005: 1 nest

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Cattle Egret
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2024: 0 nests; 2023: 0 nests;
​max. 2008: 9 nests

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Friends of Ottawa NWR
14000 W. State Route 2
Oak Harbor, OH 43449 

  
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419-898-0014
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 EIN: 34-1904821   
Visitor Center open Thursday-Sunday 10am-4pm. (Daily in May from 9am-4pm).
  • HOME
  • YOUR REFUGE
    • Plan Your Visit
    • Ottawa NWR Complex
    • Live Cameras
    • Recent Sightings
    • Kids Corner
    • Gallery
  • Who we are
    • Our Story
    • Network of Friends
    • Strategic Goals
    • Financials
    • Board of Directors
    • Friends Staff
    • Refuge Staff
    • Community Partners
  • WHAT WE DO
    • Events
    • Friends Programs >
      • Land Acquisition and Restoration
      • Internship Program
      • Scholarship
      • Environmental Education Grants
      • Track Chair Program
      • Glass City Bird Crew
      • Nature Programs
    • Friends Projects >
      • Shuttle
      • Bird Friendly Facility Project
      • Fox Nature Preserve
      • Nehls Memorial Nature Preserve
      • Portage River Water Trail
      • Marinewood Restoration
      • West Harbor Project
      • Wildlife Drive Improvements
      • Visitor Center Fishing Access
    • Recent Accomplishments
    • Carrying on a Legacy
  • TAKE ACTION
  • DONATE
  • SHOP
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