Least Tern and Piping Plover Nesting at Sand Pits in Nebraska

Sidle, John G.; Kirsch, Eileen M.

doi:10.2307/1521432

Cited by 23 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…, Kirsch ). As such, we found that Least Terns and Piping Plovers generally avoided nesting close to predator perches and wooded areas, likely to reduce the risk of predation, and similar results have been reported in previous studies (Sidle and Kirsch , Kruse et al. , U. S. Army Corps of Engineers , Lott et al.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…Off‐channel nesting habitat has been important for maintaining the presence of both Least Terns and Piping Plovers along the central Platte River (Sidle and Kirsch , Keldsen and Baasch ). Habitat management at off‐channel sites has been sufficient for maintaining high levels of productivity for Least Terns and Piping Plovers where more than two‐thirds of their nests and broods were successful at the nine managed sites along the central Platte River from 2001 to 2015 (Platte River Recovery Implementation Program, unpubl.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nest-site selection by Interior Least Terns and Piping Plovers at managed, off-channel sites along the Central Platte River in Nebraska, USA

et al. 2017

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ABSTRACT. Given the high productivity of Interior Least Terns (Sternula antillarum athalassos) and Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) on constructed off-channel nesting sites along the central Platte River in Nebraska, USA, and the possibility of creating similar habitats at other locations in their breeding range, understanding how these species use off-channel nesting habitats is important. We used data collected along the central Platte River in Nebraska, USA, over a 15-year period (2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014)(2015), and a discrete-choice modeling framework to assess the effects of physical site attributes and inter-and intraspecific associations on off-channel nest-site selection by Interior Least Terns and Piping Plovers. We found that Piping Plovers avoided nesting near each other, whereas colonial Interior Least Terns selected nest sites near those of conspecifics. In addition, the relative probability of use for both species was maximized when distance to the nearest predator perch was ≥ 150 m and elevation above the waterline was ≥ 3 m. Probability of use for nesting by Interior Least Terns increased as distance to water increased, whereas the probability of use by Piping Plovers was maximized when distance to water was~50 m. Our results suggest that important features of constructed, off-channel nesting sites for both species should include no potential predator perches within 150 m of nesting habitat and nesting areas at least 3 m above the waterline. Efficient site designs for Interior Least Terns would be circular, maximizing the area of nesting habitat away from the shoreline, whereas an effective site design for Piping Plovers would be more linear, maximizing the area of nesting habitat near the waterline. An efficient site design for both species would be lobate, incorporating centralized nesting habitat for Interior Least Terns and increased access to foraging areas for nesting and brood-rearing Piping Plovers. RESUMEN.Selecci on de sitio de anidaci on por Sternula antillarum y Charadrius melodus en localidades con manejo y fuera del canal a lo largo del tramo central del rio Platte en Nebraska, USA Dada la alta productividad de Sternula antillarum y Charadrius melodus en sitios de anidaci on construidos fuera del canal a lo largo del tramo central del r ıo Platte en Nebraska, USA y la posibilidad de crear h abitats similares en otras localidades en sus rangos de reproducci on, es importante comprender como estas especies usan estos h abitats de anidaci on fuera del canal. Utilizamos informaci on colectada a lo largo del tramo central del r ıo Platte en Nebraska, USA, a lo largo de un periodo de 15 años (2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014)(2015) y un marco de modelamiento por selecci on discreta para determinar el efecto de los atributos f ısicos y asociaciones inter e intra-espec ıficas en la selecci on de sitios de anidaci on fuera del canal por Sternula antillarum y Charadrius melodus. Enc...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nest-site selection by Interior Least Terns and Piping Plovers at managed, off-channel sites along the Central Platte River in Nebraska, USA

et al. 2017

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“…Collaborative efforts are ongoing to discuss and resolve discrepancies among historic data within the Platte River system (Renae Held, Tern and Plover Partnership, personal communication). Hopefully, these efforts will reconcile the many different versions of historic data for the Platte River system that have been presented in Sidle et al (1991), Dinan et al (1993), Sidle and Kirsch (1993), Kirsch (1996), Kirsch and Sidle (1999), Kirsch (2000), Boyce et al (2002) The small percentage of birds breeding on riverine sandbars of the "Lower" Platte River in 2005 is anomalous. Typically, about 58 percent of ILT nest on river sandbars on the "Lower" Platte, whereas only 53 of 381 birds (14 percent) were nesting on the river in 2005 (Appendix C).…”

Section: Historic Datamentioning

confidence: 91%

Distribution and Abundance of the Interior Population of the Least Tern (Sternula Antillarum), 2005; A Review of the First Complete Range-Wide Survey in the Context of Historic and Ongoing Monitoring Efforts

Lott¹

2006

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Abstract:The interior population of the Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) was added to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) list of threatened and endangered species in 1985 because of suspected low numbers and concerns about breeding season habitat loss or degradation on large interior rivers. Range-wide survey data were incomplete when Interior Least Terns (ILT) were originally listed. Although many ILT counts have been conducted over the past 20 years, regular survey coverage is still incomplete across the large breeding range of ILT, limiting the ability to assess the conservation status or trends for this population. During the last two weeks of June and the first week of July 2005, over 140 participants contributed to the first complete range-wide survey for ILT (see acknowledgments). The primary objectives of this survey were 1) to provide a minimum count of the number of adult ILT occurring in North America during the breeding season, 2) to document the range-wide distribution of nesting colonies, and 3) to describe the types of habitats that are being used for nesting. Survey crews covered ~4,700 river miles, 22 reservoirs, 62 sand pits, 12 industrial sites, 2 rooftop colonies, and over 16,000 acres of salt flats, counting a grand total of 17,591 ILT in association with 489 different colonies. Just over 62 percent of all adult ILT were counted on the "Lower" Mississippi River (10,960 birds on 770+ river miles). Four additional river systems accounted for 33.3 percent of the remaining ILT, with 11.6 percent on the Arkansas River system (including the Canadian and Cimarron Rivers and the Salt Fork of the Arkansas River), 10.4 percent on the Red River system, 6.9 percent on the Missouri River system, and 4.4 percent on the Platte River system. Lesser numbers of terns were counted on the Ohio River system (1.0 percent), the Trinity River system in Texas (1.0 percent), the Rio Grande/Pecos River system in New Mexico and Texas (0.8 percent), the Wabash River System (0.6 percent), two reservoirs in East Texas (0.3 percent), and the Kansas River system (0.3 percent). A majority of adult terns were counted on rivers (89.9 percent), with much smaller numbers at sand pits (3.6 percent), reservoirs (2.5 percent), salt flats (2.3 percent), industrial sites (1.4 percent), and rooftops (0.3 percent). This report discusses the results of the 2005 survey at three different spatial scales: 1) the entire breeding range for ILT and adjacent breeding populations on the Gulf Coast; 2) regional analyses by major river systems; and 3) individual survey segments (some of which have been combined into geographic segments comprised of more than 1 similar survey segment). Results of the 2005 survey are also compared with historic survey data from 1986 through 2004. The value of historic data for local, regional, and range-wide analyses of population trends is evaluated in the context of this first complete picture of the breeding distribution of ILT. Recommendations are made to 1) increase annual survey coverage for ILT to in...

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“…(iii) Distance from gravel pits. Gravel pits have been identified as providing secondary habitats for some riparian species which may function as species pools (Catling and Brownell, 2001;Pinder, 1997;Santoul, 2002;Sidle and Kirsch, 1993). Additionally, the presence of gravel pits is generally well documented.…”

Section: Connectivitymentioning

confidence: 99%