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- Title
Least Tern ( Sternula antillarum) nest success and chick survival on the Missouri River following historic flooding.
- Authors
Nefas, Stephanie M.; Hunt, Kelsi L.; Fraser, James D.; Karpanty, Sarah M.; Catlin, Daniel H.
- Abstract
On the Missouri River, the federally endangered interior population of Least Terns ( Sternula antillarum) historically nested on sandbars created by sediment deposited during high flows. The Missouri River has been dammed and regulated, however, resulting in decreased flooding and sediment deposition and thus decreased sandbar habitat. In 2011, unusually high water releases created extensive sandbar habitat on the Gavins Point Reach of the Missouri River, and from 2012 to 2014 we examined the post-flood demography of Least Terns. We monitored 382 nests, uniquely marked 672 chicks, and attempted to recapture chicks every 3-4 d until fledging (∼18 d). Daily nest survival was high (0.99 [SE 0.002]), resulting in high mean nest success (0.87 [0.03]). Nest success was highest in 2012 and declined slightly each year. Daily chick survival was 0.96 (0.01), resulting in a mean survival to fledge of 0.44 (0.08). Daily chick survival did not vary by year or by age of chicks but was negatively correlated to hatch date. Similar to another sandbar nesting species, the federally threatened Piping Plover ( Charadrius melodus), Least Terns were highly productive on sandbars created by flooding on the Gavins Point Reach of the Missouri River. Least Terns may have taken advantage of newly created sandbars with similarly high reproductive output to boost and maintain population levels.
- Subjects
MISSOURI River; STERNULA antillarum; RIPARIAN areas; GAVINS Point Dam (Neb. &; S.D.); RARE birds; BIRD conservation; NEST building; SAND bars
- Publication
Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 2018, Vol 130, Issue 2, p371
- ISSN
1559-4491
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1676/16-210.1