Originally published in Seven Mile Times July issue - 7/1/2017 A n d s o w i t h t h e s u n s h i n e a n d t h e g re a t b u r s ts of leaves growing o n t h e t re e s , j u s t a s t h i n g s g ro w in fast mo vies, ...
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Have You Met THE BEACH-NESTING BIRD FAMILIES? By Allison Anholt of The Wetlands Institute
Black Skimmer
ere at Seven Mile Beach, we are blessed with beautiful beaches characterized by tall dunes, shells galore and nice swimming opportunities. Many species of nesting birds agree that our beaches are the place to be, and as such, we are lucky to share our beaches with some of the most charismatic birds on the Atlantic Coast. Here is a beachnesting bird lineup to help you get to know them better: Piping Plover: A small shorebird with a reputation far exceeding its small size. Piping plovers, endangered in New Jersey and federally listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act, are the color of sand and perfectly adapted to Atlantic Coast beaches. Often, the first time you see these birds is by unfocusing your eyes and seeing movement in the damp sand about a hundred feet from the tideline, or by hearing their mournful whistling call saying “peep-lo.” Piping plovers lay four tiny speckled eggs about the size of large marbles directly on the sand, perfectly imitating the seashells surrounding them. If a predator gets too close to a nest, the piping plover will flail around wildly on the ground, imitating a wing injury to distract the nest predator toward them and away from the precious eggs. Once their eggs hatch, tiny piping plover chicks can get up and forage on their own within hours, but they require their parents for defense and care. American Oystercatcher: A large, charismatic shorebird with an unmistakable long orange bill and an incessant penchant for arguing loudly with its neighbors. Oystercatchers are highly adaptable, laying three chicken-eggJuly 2017
sized splotched eggs happily on sandy beaches, marsh islands and occasionally even in odd locations such as rooftops, jetties, roadsides and parking lots. Unlike the piping plover, oystercatchers are not well camouflaged to their environment, and thus use their superior vision and sneaky personalities to sneak away quietly (the only time they are quiet!) from their nests far before you ever notice they are there. After a month, their eggs hatch and produce up to three small chicks. Unlike piping plovers, oystercatcher chicks cannot forage on their own, and rely on the adults to bring in a specialized diet of bivalves, especially ribbed mussels. When parents or chicks perceive danger, they crouch down in place and impressively imitate a piece of driftwood. Chicks fledge (or fly freely) after 35 days of growing. Least Tern: Least terns feed by diving at high speeds for fish just offshore. Piping Plover
During the breeding season (May-August), least terns also use fish to “propose” to their mate. If the female accepts the fish presented by the male, the pair mates for the season, sharing in incubation and defense duties of their nest. Least terns use a colonial defense system, meaning they lay nests in large groups with other birds. Despite their tiny size (smaller than a robin), least terns are highly aggressive, and often swoop within inches of your head if you walk near the colony. Their two or three eggs, like piping plovers’, look very much like the seashells surrounding them. After about a month, least tern chicks hatch, moving around occasionally but mostly sticking to a very small area where they hatched. The entire colony serves in protection of the chicks, but the parents can tell their offspring apart from all the others in the area. Least terns are listed as endangered in New Jersey. American Oystercatcher
Black Skimmer: Black skimmers, large black-and-white birds with orangeand-black bills, nest in colonies, often with least and common terns. They use their unique bill like a spoon, skimming along the surface of the water with their lower jaw open to catch any fish or other prey on the surface of the water. They often do this very close to the tideline, so be on the lookout for this stunning spectacle! Black skimmers breed in many ways just like least terns, but their highly visible pudgy and fuzzy chicks often steal the show. Black skimmers nest on beaches and occasionally in sandy spits on marsh islands. Like least terns and piping plovers, black skimmers are considered endangered in New Jersey. Threats facing beach-nesting birds: Piping plovers, American oystercatchers, least terns and black skimmers all face many hazards. First, they require a long stretch of time to breed – about a month each for courtship, nest laying and incubation, and chick rearing. The bulk of this activity occurs from May-August of each year, coinciding with the busy summer season. Since their eggs are designed to blend in with the beach environment, they face a high risk of being trampled by unsuspecting beachgoers. Additionally, high human disturbance on these beaches can cause the birds to often leave their nest to defend against the perceived threat. This exposes their nests to potential predators and extreme temperature fluctuations. Human development of our coastline also has reduced the amount of available habitat for these bird species. Many predators see beach-nesting bird nests and young as a convenient continued on page 72 WWW.SEVENMILETIMES.COM