16
American Oystercatcher Research and Monitoring 2004 Status Report North Carolina’s Outer Banks and Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, MA

American Oystercatcher Research and Monitoring 2004 Status Report North Carolina’s Outer Banks and Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, MA

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

American Oystercatcher Research and Monitoring

2004 Status Report

North Carolina’s Outer Banks and

Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, MA

Monomoy NWR• Northernmost AMOY study

site • Monomoy is one of the

highest density nesting site for AMOY in the Northeast

• Well protected site (from humans) – potential production site for the Northeast region

• Supports the largest fall staging flock of AMOY in the Northeast

Monomoy NWR

• The Refuge consists of two primary islands, North and South Monomoy, a small sandbar accreting to the west, “Minimoy” and a small portion of the mainland

Monomoy NWR

• Second year of research

• Collaborative effort between Monomoy NWR and NCSU Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

• Advisory support in 2004 from Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences

Monomoy NWR

No. Breeding Pairs

No. of Clutches

% Nests Hatching Young

No. of Chicks Fledged

Fecundity (# Chicks Fledged/

Pair)

2003 33 57 35 12 .3636

2004 34 52 38.5 14 .4118

• Productivity from 2003 - 2004

Monomoy NWR

• Causes of Nest Failure 2003-2004

• 109 Nests monitored

• 69 Failed to Hatch– Coyotes 17 24.6%– Avian 12 17.4%– Weather 10 14.5%– Failed to Hatch 6 8.7%– Unknown 24 18.7%

Monomoy NWR

• Expanded on banding efforts begun in 2003

• Banded 21 adults and 9 chicks

• Monitored banded birds through the breeding season and into fall staging flocks

Monomoy Resightings

North Carolina

NC Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

• Shiloh Schulte

• Ted Simons

US National Park Service

• Jeff Cordes

• Marcia Lyons

National Audubon Society

• Walker Golder

Methods and Study Sites• Cape Lookout and

Cape Hatteras National Seashores

• Over 160 km of barrier island habitat

• Locate nests and track their status every 3 to 4 days

• Determine causes of failure

• Monitor chick survival• Trap and band adults

and chicks

Productivity from 1995 through 2004

187 347 19.1 28 0.15

21 33 39.4 6 0.29

162 304 14.7 19 0.12

26 30 80.0 36 1.39

No. ofBreeding

Pairs

No. of

Clutches

% NestsHatching

Young

No. of ChicksFledged

Fecundity(No. chicks/pair/year)

South Core Banks 1995-2003

North Core Banks 1998-2003

South Core Banks 2004

North Core Banks 2004

Productivity – continued

14 18 11.1 3 0.21

5 7 28.6 2 0.4

106 135 28.2 19 0.18

14 17 76.4 9 0.64

60 79 41.7 27 0.45

9 11 63.6 8 0.89

529 883 20.8 96 0.18

75 98 60.2 61 0.81

Bodie Island 1999-2003

Hatteras Island1999-2003

Ocracoke Island1999-2003

Total1995-2003

Ocracoke Island2004

Hatteras Island2004

Bodie Island 2004

Total2004

No. ofBreeding

Pairs

No. of

Clutches

% NestsHatching

Young

No. of ChicksFledged

Fecundity(No. chicks/pair/year)

North CarolinaFecundity - Chicks fledged per pair

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

SCB NCB BodieIsland

HatterasIsland

OcracokeIsland

1995-2003

2004

North Carolina

• Productivity spike in 2004• Exploring the use of habitat models to interpret

pre and post Hurricane Isabel conditions in terms of their value to breeding AMOY

• Possible explanations– Significantly improved nesting habitat– Rejuvenated foraging areas– Reduction in predators– Larger buffer between humans and nests due to

increased habitat (NCB primarily)

North Carolina

• Banding– 95 Oystercatchers

banded in NC this summer!

– 62 chicks and 33 adults

– Adults were trapped using the decoy and noose carpet method

– Chicks were captured between ages 21 and 37 days

North Carolina resightings