This project aims to understand the factors driving breeding success of multiple waterbird species, with special emphasis on Least and Common Terns (two species of concern) on Poplar Island Environmental Restoration Project.
The Poplar Island Environmental Restoration Project (PIERP) has proven very successful at providing breeding habitat for colonially nesting waterbirds in the Chesapeake Bay, with USGS scientists playing an active role in evaluating use of this site ever since the pre-construction monitoring in 1996. However, concern has been raised over productivity of two important tern species that have colonized the island: the Maryland state-listed Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) and Common Tern (Sterna hirundo). Over the 21 year (and continuing) monitoring period at PIERP (beginning 2002), hatching and fledging success of these species has been variable, believed to be linked with natural stressors including avian and mammalian predators and severe weather events.
Productivity estimates such as hatching success (the number of nests in a sample that successfully hatch at least one egg) and fledging success (the number of chicks in a sample that survive to fledging) can be difficult to obtain, especially as chicks remain well-hidden after hatching. In 2013, USGS began a pilot project to improve estimates of hatching and fledging success for least and common terns on PIERP. Since this time, we have increased colony counts during the nesting season and added a mark-resight study to estimate fledging success for these species. Hatchlings are banded with official USGS metal bands on one leg and plastic field readable (PFR) bands on the other. Intensive resighting efforts are employed using a high-powered spotting scope to “recapture” individuals by reading the code on the PFR (such as A03 shown on the banded tern chick) and modeling detections to obtain estimates of survival. USGS scientists share their findings with collaborators on site to guide management activities and habitat design, while also exploring the broader ecology of these species. Concurrently, we continue to assess trends in the productivity of other species of concern breeding at PIERP, continuously testing emerging technologies that may help us address the challenges associated with the unique habitat types of each species.
Although resighting efforts require large numbers of person-viewing-hours, our work has shown success with improved estimates of survival. USGS works in close cooperation with US Fish & Wildlife Service, and benefits from additional help from qualified students, volunteers, and interns. The study will continue as PIERP continues to evolve, helping to understand how restoration efforts impact tern success.
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Promoting Change in Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) Nest Site Selection to Minimize Construction Related Disturbance
Below are publications associated with this project.
Use of Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) burrows as shelter by Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) chicks
Poplar Island: Understanding the development of a beneficial use restoration site
Assessing beach and island habitat loss in the Chesapeake Bay and Delmarva coastal bay region, USA, through processing of Landsat TM and OLI imagery: A case study
Eviction notice: Observation of a Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) usurping an active Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) Nest
Promoting change in common tern (Sterna hirundo) nest site selection to minimize construction related disturbance
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
This project aims to understand the factors driving breeding success of multiple waterbird species, with special emphasis on Least and Common Terns (two species of concern) on Poplar Island Environmental Restoration Project.
A member of the field crew holds a recently banded least tern chick, displaying both its metal permanent band and its plastic field readable band. The Poplar Island Environmental Restoration Project (PIERP) has proven very successful at providing breeding habitat for colonially nesting waterbirds in the Chesapeake Bay, with USGS scientists playing an active role in evaluating use of this site ever since the pre-construction monitoring in 1996. However, concern has been raised over productivity of two important tern species that have colonized the island: the Maryland state-listed Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) and Common Tern (Sterna hirundo). Over the 21 year (and continuing) monitoring period at PIERP (beginning 2002), hatching and fledging success of these species has been variable, believed to be linked with natural stressors including avian and mammalian predators and severe weather events.
The field crew weights and bands tern chicks on Poplar Island. Productivity estimates such as hatching success (the number of nests in a sample that successfully hatch at least one egg) and fledging success (the number of chicks in a sample that survive to fledging) can be difficult to obtain, especially as chicks remain well-hidden after hatching. In 2013, USGS began a pilot project to improve estimates of hatching and fledging success for least and common terns on PIERP. Since this time, we have increased colony counts during the nesting season and added a mark-resight study to estimate fledging success for these species. Hatchlings are banded with official USGS metal bands on one leg and plastic field readable (PFR) bands on the other. Intensive resighting efforts are employed using a high-powered spotting scope to “recapture” individuals by reading the code on the PFR (such as A03 shown on the banded tern chick) and modeling detections to obtain estimates of survival. USGS scientists share their findings with collaborators on site to guide management activities and habitat design, while also exploring the broader ecology of these species. Concurrently, we continue to assess trends in the productivity of other species of concern breeding at PIERP, continuously testing emerging technologies that may help us address the challenges associated with the unique habitat types of each species.
The field crew conducts regular nest checks to determine reproductive success. This common tern was found on one such nest check. Although resighting efforts require large numbers of person-viewing-hours, our work has shown success with improved estimates of survival. USGS works in close cooperation with US Fish & Wildlife Service, and benefits from additional help from qualified students, volunteers, and interns. The study will continue as PIERP continues to evolve, helping to understand how restoration efforts impact tern success.
- Data
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Promoting Change in Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) Nest Site Selection to Minimize Construction Related Disturbance
These data describe the status of eggs in nests which had a foster egg added to them as part of an effort to relocate a common tern colony on Poplar Island. One data file (McGowanEtAl2018_FosterNestData_Data.csv) contains the data regarding the observations, while one definitions file (McGowanEtAl2018_FosterNestData_Definitions.csv) details the data. - Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Use of Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) burrows as shelter by Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) chicks
The availability of shelter to avoid predation and ameliorate physiologically stressful conditions is often important to the survival of avian hatchlings. However, as changes in habitat availability force birds to nest in nontraditional locations, young must quickly adapt to using novel sources of shelter. Two Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) colonies (one vegetated and one barren) were observed durinPoplar Island: Understanding the development of a beneficial use restoration site
Poplar Island, like many other islands throughout the Chesapeake Bay, eroded from 460 hectares in 1847 to only 1.5 hectares by the 1990’s. However, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Maryland Department of Transportation, and numerous other state and federal agencies selected this site as the location of a beneficial use project aimed at restoring remote island habitat in the Chesapeake Bay using cAssessing beach and island habitat loss in the Chesapeake Bay and Delmarva coastal bay region, USA, through processing of Landsat TM and OLI imagery: A case study
Beaches and islands provide economic value to humans and critical habitat for breeding and foraging wildlife. These ecosystems, however, are being severely impacted by global climate change and sea level rise through increased erosion and frequency of inundation. The case study presented here aimed to document island loss in the Chesapeake Bay and Delmarva coastal bay region of the United States uEviction notice: Observation of a Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) usurping an active Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) Nest
Although nest usurpation is common in some species and orders of birds, usurpation has rarely been reported for Sterninae. We observed a Sterna hirundo (Common Tern) egg in an active Sternula antillarum(Least Tern) nest with a complete clutch in a mixed-species Sterninae colony in Chesapeake Bay, MD, in May 2018. Based on observations from a game camera following usurpation, Common Terns incubatedPromoting change in common tern (Sterna hirundo) nest site selection to minimize construction related disturbance
With dramatic declines in waterbird populations around the globe, wildlife managers have taken great care to minimize disturbance to breeding waterbird colonies. However, sometimes disturbance cannot be avoided and other actions must be considered. During the 2017 breeding season, a colony of Sterna hirundo (Common terns) were deterred from a historic nesting site due to concerns that nearby resto - Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.