photo by Charles Hubbard
About Least Terns in Hancock County |
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As recently as 1985, the breeding population for all Least Tern nesting sites in the entire United States had dropped as low as 3,000 pairs.
While the bird is still protected by state and federal regulations, the beaches of Harrison County have been a popular Least Tern destination in recent years; volunteers identified sixteen colonies in 2016. While the terns are raising their chicks, they're also attracting birdwatchers to Harrison County - helping fuel the local economy.
In 2016 - for the first time since records have been kept - a Least Tern colony nested along the beach in our own Hancock County.
The Least Terns’ sudden appearance in Hancock County left Audubon’s team scrambling to protect the birds. Since terns nest and raise their young on the beach, the nests - and the chicks, in particular - are vulnerable to predators such as feral cats, coyotes, and foxes. Storm tides can destroy a colony, too. And all too often, humans play a role in the colony's failure.
Sometimes damage from humans is inadvertent. Beach-goers walking near the water line may not notice the roped-off nesting areas and cross the colony’s unmarked border. They may be unaware that they are the cause of the terns' alarm as the adults swoop and cry overhead. And sometimes people actually walk through the nesting areas, crushing nests and eggs and even the downy fledglings, both of which are designed by nature to be well camouflaged.
Sometimes the damage is more indirect. Sarah Pacyna, director of Audubon's Coastal Bird Stewardship Program, explains that close proximity to the colony can cause the adult terns to fly off, leaving the eggs and chicks exposed and vulnerable to high heat, sun and predators. Holiday weekends like the Fourth of July can be especially bad. Around July 1, the eggs are just beginning to hatch. People crowd the beaches, and fireworks must seem like an apocalypse to the nesting colonies.
In 2016, Audubon was unable to secure permission from the Hancock County Supervisors to rope off the nesting area and post signage until late in the breeding season. Pacyna said that the Hancock colony ended up failing: some of the nests hatched chicks, but none of the chicks made it to adulthood.
While the bird is still protected by state and federal regulations, the beaches of Harrison County have been a popular Least Tern destination in recent years; volunteers identified sixteen colonies in 2016. While the terns are raising their chicks, they're also attracting birdwatchers to Harrison County - helping fuel the local economy.
In 2016 - for the first time since records have been kept - a Least Tern colony nested along the beach in our own Hancock County.
The Least Terns’ sudden appearance in Hancock County left Audubon’s team scrambling to protect the birds. Since terns nest and raise their young on the beach, the nests - and the chicks, in particular - are vulnerable to predators such as feral cats, coyotes, and foxes. Storm tides can destroy a colony, too. And all too often, humans play a role in the colony's failure.
Sometimes damage from humans is inadvertent. Beach-goers walking near the water line may not notice the roped-off nesting areas and cross the colony’s unmarked border. They may be unaware that they are the cause of the terns' alarm as the adults swoop and cry overhead. And sometimes people actually walk through the nesting areas, crushing nests and eggs and even the downy fledglings, both of which are designed by nature to be well camouflaged.
Sometimes the damage is more indirect. Sarah Pacyna, director of Audubon's Coastal Bird Stewardship Program, explains that close proximity to the colony can cause the adult terns to fly off, leaving the eggs and chicks exposed and vulnerable to high heat, sun and predators. Holiday weekends like the Fourth of July can be especially bad. Around July 1, the eggs are just beginning to hatch. People crowd the beaches, and fireworks must seem like an apocalypse to the nesting colonies.
In 2016, Audubon was unable to secure permission from the Hancock County Supervisors to rope off the nesting area and post signage until late in the breeding season. Pacyna said that the Hancock colony ended up failing: some of the nests hatched chicks, but none of the chicks made it to adulthood.
But there's hope. Local volunteers and property owners are working with Audubon Mississippi to post educational signage about the Federally Endangered birds and symbolically "rope off" at least some of the nesting areas. Pacyana says that the barrier won't physically prevent people from walking through the nesting area to get to the water - but will encourage them to take a short detour of a few hundred feet. The goal is awareness and education.
“Once they're aware of the situation, most people are thrilled to help protect these endangered birds," says Pacyna.
Volunteers will also be educating supervisors about the big benefits these small birds can bring to the local economy.
A bird in the hand
Bird-watching is one of the fastest growing recreational activities in the country. An estimated 20 million-plus people are serious birders, traveling away from home in search of birds they haven't seen before. Most birders are affluent and hold college degrees. Studies show birders spend generously when they're traveling: Birders as a group spend more than $41 billion annually. Maine is a relatively small state but sees a $346 million annual economic impact from bird-watching alone.
Some local volunteers believe the tern colony is nature's gift to Hancock County. This potentially major eco-tourism attraction hasn't cost taxpayers anything at all. If the supervisors agree to support the colony - which again, costs taxpayers nothing since Audubon pays for signage and marking off the colony - local businesses could start realizing economic benefits this summer.
More about Least Terns
Least Terns likely spend the winters in Central America, northern South America and the Caribbean, then return to the Mississippi Coast every April to breed. Historically, along the Gulf Coast, the interior Least Terns have stuck to barrier islands, but dams and basins constructed to control the flow of the Mississippi River have covered up many of the tern’s breeding grounds, driving the birds to the coasts.
The birds gather in small colonies along the coastline. At first, couples court while gliding in the air. Males then bring the females tempting morsels of fresh fish to seal the relationship. Once the female’s been won over and they’ve mated, both birds share in parenting responsibilities.
Couples hollow out indentations in the beach sand and then announce that it’s home by laying one to three eggs. When the eggs hatch 20-25 days later, the hatchlings are small, very well-camouflaged downy puffs. They cannot fly for their first 20 days and must hide from predators like herons and raccoons. Because of their size (and the relatively small size of the tern colonies, which rarely exceed 100 breeding pairs), they are also susceptible to injury or death caused by the growing population of the Mississippi Coast. It's easy for humans to not notice the small birds and inadvertently destroy nesting grounds or kill chicks. Dogs, too, also wreak havoc on Least Tern colonies.
Pacyna says that, as a species, they are “especially susceptible to disturbance,” and the appearance of humans or domestic animals like cats and dogs near nesting sites can stress the birds out. That's why they need human help on populated shorelines.
“Once they're aware of the situation, most people are thrilled to help protect these endangered birds," says Pacyna.
Volunteers will also be educating supervisors about the big benefits these small birds can bring to the local economy.
A bird in the hand
Bird-watching is one of the fastest growing recreational activities in the country. An estimated 20 million-plus people are serious birders, traveling away from home in search of birds they haven't seen before. Most birders are affluent and hold college degrees. Studies show birders spend generously when they're traveling: Birders as a group spend more than $41 billion annually. Maine is a relatively small state but sees a $346 million annual economic impact from bird-watching alone.
Some local volunteers believe the tern colony is nature's gift to Hancock County. This potentially major eco-tourism attraction hasn't cost taxpayers anything at all. If the supervisors agree to support the colony - which again, costs taxpayers nothing since Audubon pays for signage and marking off the colony - local businesses could start realizing economic benefits this summer.
More about Least Terns
Least Terns likely spend the winters in Central America, northern South America and the Caribbean, then return to the Mississippi Coast every April to breed. Historically, along the Gulf Coast, the interior Least Terns have stuck to barrier islands, but dams and basins constructed to control the flow of the Mississippi River have covered up many of the tern’s breeding grounds, driving the birds to the coasts.
The birds gather in small colonies along the coastline. At first, couples court while gliding in the air. Males then bring the females tempting morsels of fresh fish to seal the relationship. Once the female’s been won over and they’ve mated, both birds share in parenting responsibilities.
Couples hollow out indentations in the beach sand and then announce that it’s home by laying one to three eggs. When the eggs hatch 20-25 days later, the hatchlings are small, very well-camouflaged downy puffs. They cannot fly for their first 20 days and must hide from predators like herons and raccoons. Because of their size (and the relatively small size of the tern colonies, which rarely exceed 100 breeding pairs), they are also susceptible to injury or death caused by the growing population of the Mississippi Coast. It's easy for humans to not notice the small birds and inadvertently destroy nesting grounds or kill chicks. Dogs, too, also wreak havoc on Least Tern colonies.
Pacyna says that, as a species, they are “especially susceptible to disturbance,” and the appearance of humans or domestic animals like cats and dogs near nesting sites can stress the birds out. That's why they need human help on populated shorelines.
