Tabusintac Estuary Fact Sheet

The Tabusintac Estuary system is located along the Acadian Peninsula on the northeastern coast of New Brunswick. 

This 10,000 acre system contains a unique mix of habitat types, including upland forested areas, salt marsh, a 15 km long barrier beach system, and a species-rich coastal bay. The area was given international prominence in 1993 when it was added to the list of Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention, a designation it received because of the great diversity of waterfowl and other waterbirds it supports. 

Each year, thousands of waterfowl and shorebirds arrive in Tabusintac to find shelter, rest and food during their spring and fall migration. Scoter, Common Eider, Brant, American Black Duck, Blue-winged Teal,American Widgeon, Canada Goose and Long-tailed Duck are among the many species that depend on the estuary. The saltmarshes and extensive eel grass beds of the bay provide ideal habitat for migratory birds. Tabusintac is also a critical site for breeding birds and is home to the second largest Tern colony in Atlantic Canada.  One of the few remaining areas where the endangered Piping Plover can nest and raise its young without disturbance, approximately 20 % of the breeding Piping Plovers in New Brunswick are known to nest within the Tabusintac beach systems.  The estuary is truly an ecological treasure and a place of unsurpassed natural beauty. 

Large tracts of undeveloped, pristine coastline as occur in this area, are becoming increasingly rare in New Brunswick. Working in cooperation with our partners, NCC has sucessfully acquired nearly 1000 acres in Tabsintac and is continuing to secure critical habitats for conservation. Our goal is to protect this magnificent estuary not just for today, or tomorrow, but forever.