Breeding ecology and demographics of least terns and piping plovers at the Central Platte River, Nebraska

The Platte River Recovery Implementation Program (PRRIP) partnered with Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC) to study demographics of least terns and piping plovers at the Central Platte River in Nebraska. Due to water management and other alterations, riverine habitat for least terns and piping plovers has become degraded. Least terns and piping plovers, however, have begun breeding on sandpits that are immediately adjacent the river. NPWRC marked adults and chicks and resighted them to provide additional data for PRRIP’s monitoring practices. NPWRC also analyzed data to provide information on dispersal, fidelity and use of newly constructed or managed habitats that will be useful to make decisions to aid in the conservation and recovery of these species. In addition, the banding efforts along the Central Platte River have contributed to information for the NPWRC metapopulation study of piping plovers of the Northern Great Plains.