Baie-du-Febvre Interpretation Centre

The Baie-du-Febvre Interpretation Centre, established in 1994 in response to public demand for a deeper understanding of the spectacular migration phenomenon that transforms the surrounding plains each spring, occupies a strategic location at the heart of the Lake Saint-Pierre World Biosphere Reserve. The centre's permanent exhibition, enhanced with illustrations, photographs, and scale models, details the seasonal transformations of the floodplain and the remarkable behavioural adaptations of snow geese, whose diet shifted in the early 1980s to include corn residues left on agricultural lands following changes in regional farming practices. The centre's most distinctive feature remains its observation tunnel built directly into the floodplain facing the main building, enabling visitors to approach aquatic wildlife discreetly without disturbing it, offering views of snow geese, Canada geese, and several species of dabbling ducks in their natural habitat. The area is also renowned for observing the redhead duck, whose males display a distinctive sky-blue bill during mating season. Four roadside stops, a viewing slope, and an observation tower round out the centre's facilities, providing both amateur birdwatchers and families seeking a nature outing multiple perspectives on this migration spectacle that typically peaks in mid-April, before the geese depart the dried lands in early May to begin their long journey to the Arctic.