American Oystercatcher Breeding Distribution and Population Estimate in North Carolina
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American Oystercatcher Breeding Distribution
and Population Estimate in North Carolina
Susan Cameron and David Allen
NC Wildlife Resources Commission
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Introduction
• 2004 represents the first year NC has conducted a coast-wide survey for breeding oystercatchers
• In the past, breeding surveys have been focused at just a few sites– complete surveys along Cape Hatteras
National Seashore beginning in 1999 – complete surveys along Cape Lookout
National Seashore beginning in 1998
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AMOY Breeding Population Trends at Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Marcia Lyons, NPS
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1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
year
# pa
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AMOY Breeding Population Trends at Cape Lookout National Seashore
Jeff Cordes, NPS
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1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
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# pa
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Introduction• 2004 represents the first year NC has
conducted a coast-wide survey for breeding oystercatchers
• In the past, breeding surveys have been focused at just a few sites– complete surveys along Cape Hatteras
National Seashore beginning in 1999 – complete surveys along Cape Lookout
National Seashore beginning in 1998
• This presentation will focus on the 2004 surveys
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General Description of Coast
• NC’s coastline extends approximately 311 miles from VA to SC
• NC has distinct northern and southern regions– North of Cape Lookout characterized by large back
barrier sounds and long barrier islands with few inlets– South of Cape Lookout characterized by small back
barrier sounds and short barrier islands with numerous inlets
• Human disturbance and predation is a concern at most barrier island sites and some estuarine sites
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• Currituck Sound – primarily fresh and has no inlets to the ocean and no dredge islands; beach front has very little overwash and heavy human disturbance
• Pamlico Sound – large brackish sound with three inlets; dredge islands around inlets; east side has narrow barrier islands subject to overwash and the west is extensive brackish marshes
• Because the tides are primarily wind driven in northern sounds, intertidal flats are not extensive except for areas adjacent to inlets
Northern Coast
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• Core Sound and smaller southern sounds – high saline estuaries with lunar driven tides
• From Morehead City south is a chain of dredge islands created during the construction on the AIWW in the 1930s
• Groups of dredge islands also clustered around inlets and in the Cape Fear River
• Shell rakes present along estuaries south of Morehead City
Southern Coast
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Dare
Brunswick
New Hanover
Onslow
Pender
Carteret
Pamlico
Beaufort Hyde
Dare
Currituck
Pamlico Sound
Albemarle Sound
Cape Fear
Cape Lookout
Cape Hatteras
Ocracoke Inlet
Oregon Inlet
Hatteras Inlet
New River Inlet
NC Survey Areas
Morehead City
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Methods
• Most surveys conducted in conjunction with this year’s colonial waterbird surveys and piping plover surveys (from early May – early July)
• Surveyed additional areas along AIWW and Core Sound by boat and on foot
• Covered portions of Pamlico/Albemarle Sounds by air with some ground truthing
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Results• 337 pairs of oystercatchers counted• Majority found in southern half of NC• Many found on remaining undeveloped barrier
islands (e.g. Masonboro, Core Banks, Hatteras)
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County # Territorial Pairs
# Non-territorial Pairs
# Single Birds
Total
Brunswick 53 1 0 108
New Hanover 61 0 7 129
Pender 22 0 1 45
Onslow 18 5 5 51
Carteret 123 4 12 266
Hyde 15 0 0 30
Dare 35 0 2 72
Total 327 10 27 701
2004 Population Estimate of Breeding American Oystercatchers in North Carolina
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2004 Distribution American Oystercatchers by Nesting Habitat in NC Counties
# pa
irs
county
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2004 Distribution American Oystercatchers by Nesting Habitat in NC Counties
CountyBarrier Island
Beach
Natural Island
Dredge Spoil Island Other TotalSand Bank Shell Bank Marsh
Brunswick 12 18 4 0 16 3 53
New Hanover 52 3 0 0 6 0 61
Pender 14 3 5 0 0 0 22
Onslow 0 8 7 0 3 0 18
Carteret 53 33 11 13 11 2 123
Hyde 14 1 0 0 0 0 15
Dare 20 3 0 0 12 0 35
Total 165 (50%) 69 (21%) 27 (8%) 13 (4%) 48 (15%) 5 (2%) 327
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Future Work
• Hope to repeat coast-wide surveys every few years so can begin assessing state-wide trends in abundance and distribution
• Increase protection efforts at some sites (e.g. Masonboro Island)
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Records of NC Breeders Banded on Wintering Grounds
• Sunset Beach– 1 banded in SC in 2001
• Wrightsville Beach– 1 banded in SC in 2002
• North Topsail/New River Inlet– 2 banded in SC in 2004– 1 banded in GA in 2003
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Acknowledgments
• We are extremely grateful to Walker Golder with NC chapter of National Audubon for all of his help with the surveys
• Special thanks to Marcia Lyons of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Jeff Cordes of Cape Lookout National Seashore and Shiloh Schulte of NC State University for providing their breeding data
• Many thanks also to staff of various State Parks and to the many volunteers who contributed to survey efforts