Taunton Bay 
Franklin & Hancock 
Description: 
Outside of Cobscook Bay, the Taunton Bay estuary is one of Downeast Maine’s most 
important aggregations of bald eagle nest sites. Large tidal amplitude combined with gentle 
topography and freshwater tributatres in this region provide extensive intertidal mud flats in 
protected bays. Its marine and estuarine habitats are important for migrating shorebirds and 
waterfowl, particularly black ducks. Hundreds of shorebirds feed here annually, and it is the 
northern limit for horseshoe crabs. 
Rare Species and Exemplary Natural Community Table for Taunton Bay 
Common Name 
Latin Name 
S-RANK 
G-RANK 
State 
Status 
Rare Animals 
Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus S4 G4 T 
Other Habitats Mapped by MDIFW: 
Tidal Waterfowl / Wading Bird Habitat 
Shorebird Feeding and Roosting Area 
Bald Eagle Essential Habitat 
Conservation Considerations: 
• An increase in shoreline development can have adverse impacts on the habitat of the 
bay itself through runoff, siltation, and loss of habitat buffer. 
• Loss of habitat, rockweed harvesting, the potential impacts of an oil spill, are 
concerns when considering the impact of human activities on the bay. 
• Barriers to anadromous fish passage by dams and other sources threaten a productive 
fishery and in turn may have impacts on other species like bald eagles that feed on 
alewives and other species. Dam removal or the installation of man-made fishways 
can help to alleviate this threat. 
• Significant alteration to the nutrient load in through agricultural runoff, shoreline 
development or aquaculture would likely disrupt nutrient cycling in the bay. 
Protection Status: 
Two areas of shoreline have been protected: the 107-acre Egypt Bay parcel is owned by MDIFW, 
and MDIFW holds a conservation easement on 110 acres at Butler Point. MDIFW also owns the 
Little Islands, two small islands in the northwest part of the Bay.