Whether poised at a river bend or cruising the coastline with slow, deep wingbeats, the Great Blue Heron is a majestic sight.
This stately heron with its subtle blue-gray plumage often stands motionless as it scans for prey or wades belly deep with long, deliberate steps.
They may move slowly, but Great Blue Herons can strike like lightning to grab a fish or snap up a gopher.
In flight, look for this widespread heron’s tucked-in neck and long legs trailing out behind.
Cool Facts:
Thanks to specially shaped neck vertebrae, Great Blue Herons can curl their neck into an S shape for a more aerodynamic flight profile and to quickly strike prey at a distance. Great Blue Herons have specialized feathers on their chest that continually grow and fray. The herons comb this “powder down” with a fringed claw on their middle toes, using the down like a washcloth to remove fish slime and other oils from their feathers as they preen. Applying the powder to their underparts protects their feathers against the slime and oils of swamps. Great Blue Herons can hunt day and night thanks to a high percentage of rod-type photoreceptors in their eyes that improve their night vision. Despite their impressive size, Great Blue Herons weigh only 5 to 6 pounds thanks in part to their hollow bones—a feature all birds share. Great Blue Herons in the northeastern U.S. and southern Canada have benefited from the recovery of beaver populations, which have created a patchwork of swamps and meadows well-suited to foraging and nesting. Along the Pacific coast, it’s not unusual to see a Great Blue Heron poised atop a floating bed of kelp waiting for a meal to swim by. The white form of the Great Blue Heron, known as the "great white heron," is found nearly exclusively in shallow marine waters along the coast of very southern Florida, the Yucatan Peninsula, and in the Caribbean. Where the dark and white forms overlap in Florida, intermediate birds known as "Wurdemann's herons" can be found. They have the body of a Great Blue Heron, but the white head and neck of the great white heron. The oldest Great Blue Heron, based on banding recovery, was 24 years old. Great Blue Herons congregate at fish hatcheries, creating potential problems for the fish farmers. A study found that herons ate mostly diseased fish that would have died shortly anyway. Sick fish spent more time near the surface of the water where they were more vulnerable to the herons.
Habitat:
Great Blue Herons live in both freshwater and saltwater habitats, and also forage in grasslands and agricultural fields, where they stalk frogs and mammals. Most breeding colonies are located within 2 to 4 miles of feeding areas, often in isolated swamps or on islands, and near lakes and ponds bordered by forests.
Food:
Great Blue Herons eat nearly anything within striking distance, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, insects, and other birds. They grab smaller prey in their strong mandibles or use their dagger-like bills to impale larger fish, often shaking them to break or relax the sharp spines before gulping them down.
Nesting:
Male Great Blue Herons collect much of the nest material, gathering sticks from the ground and nearby shrubs and trees, and from unguarded and abandoned nests, and presenting them to the female. She weaves a platform and a saucer-shaped nest cup, lining it with pine needles, moss, reeds, dry grass, mangrove leaves, or small twigs. Nest building can take from 3 days up to 2 weeks; the finished nest can range from a simple platform measuring 20 inches across to more elaborate structures used over multiple years, reaching 4 feet across and nearly 3.5 feet deep. Ground-nesting herons use vegetation such as salt grass to form the nest.
Nest Placement:
Great Blue Herons nest mainly in trees, but will also nest on the ground, on bushes, in mangroves, and on structures such as duck blinds, channel markers, or artificial nest platforms. Males arrive at the colony and settle on nest sites; from there, they court passing females. Colonies can consist of 500 or more individual nests, with multiple nests per tree built 100 or more feet off the ground.
Behavior:
Great Blue Herons forage, usually alone, across much of the U.S. This largest of the North American herons wades slowly or stands stock still, peering into the water for prey. In flight the Great Blue Heron folds it neck into an “S” shape and trails its long legs behind, dangling them as it prepares to land or when courting. Breeding birds nest in colonies that can number several hundred pairs, where they build stick nests in trees, on bushes, or on the ground. If you visit a colony, look for elaborate courtship and pair-bonding displays that include a ritualized greeting, stick transfers, and nest relief ceremony in which the birds erect their plumes and “clapper” their bill tips. Pairs are mostly monogamous during a season, but they choose new partners each year. Away from the colony, Great Blue Herons defend feeding territories from other herons with dramatic displays in which the birds approach intruders with their head thrown back, wings outstretched, and bill pointing skyward. Gulls and even humans may also be a target of this defensive maneuver.
Conservation:
Great Blue Heron numbers are generally stable and in some places increasing across the U.S. Some local population declines have occurred, particularly in the “great white heron” group in southern Florida, where elevated mercury levels in local waterways may be a factor. Because they depend on wetlands for feeding and on relatively undisturbed sites for breeding, Great Blue Herons are vulnerable to habitat loss and to impacts such as traffic, logging, motorboats, and other human intrusions that can disrupt nesting colonies. Other threats include chemical pollutants or other causes of reduced water quality. Although contaminant levels have declined in many areas, pollutants such as PCBs and DDT and newer types of industrial chemicals continue to affect heron habitats and can contribute to factors such as reduced nest site attendance.
Be sure to stop by the Shorebird Habitat and see our Blue Heron on your next visit
or you can see our Shorebirds now on our Live Video Feeds - Camera #3
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YELLOW CROWNED NIGHT HERON
A nocturnal heron of the southern swamps and coasts, the Yellow Crowned Night Heron can also be found breeding alond wooded streams northward to Indiana and Illinois.
Cool Facts:
Its name may imply nocturnal but the Yellow Crowned Night Heron is active both day and night. Even with its daytime activities, the handsome bird's slow movement, along with its shy behavior makes it dificult to spot. Found throughout the eastern two-thirds of Oklahoma and southeastern part of the United States, the Yellow Crowned Night Heron is generally found in shallow backwaters and wetland areas. The Yellow Crowned Night Heron is a short stocky bird about 24 inches in length with a wingspan of a little under four feet. It has long yellow to orange legs, red eyes, a black bill and a short neck. The adults are a soft blue gray, blackish on wings and tail, with a creamy white crown accented by a black face and a white cheek patch. During breeding season, adults have a yellow plume of feathers on their head. The young, appearing in mid June are uniformly brown streaked. The Yellow Crowned Night Heron is a migratory bird. During the winter, it can be found as far south as South America, but can be found almost anywhere along the Gulf and Atlantic coast year round.
Habitat:
Yellow-crowned Night-Herons live in or near wetlands—on the coast along islands, mangroves, and barrier beaches; farther inland in wooded swamps, forested uplands, and lakes and rivers, sometimes near residential areas. They usually nest in small colonies, sometimes with other wadiing birds, and forage along tidal marshes, in tide pools and the shores of water bodies where crustaceans are abundant.
Food:
The great majority of the Yellow-crowned Night-Heron's diet consists of crustaceans. They eat many kinds of crabs, including blue, ghost, and fiddler crabs, as well as crayfish. Other prey include insects, fish, snails, earthworms, marine worms, and leeches. Occasionally they've been found eating lizards, snakes, young birds, mice, and small rabbits.
Nesting:
Both sexes help build the nest, which can be as high as 60 feet or so, away from the trunk on a horizontal limb, often hanging over water. The female stands on the nest site while the male carries sticks to her as part of the pair-bonding process. As the nest comes along, the female begins to gather sticks as well—the birds typically strip sticks from the limbs of dead trees rather than gathering them from the ground. Sticks can be up to about 2 feet long and 1 inch thick. The twig nest is sometimes lined with leaves, vines, or Spanish moss. The nest takes about 11 days to build initially, night-herons use them for several years, adding to them each year. Nests can be 4 feet across, with just a shallow depression inside for the eggs.
Nest Placement:
Yellow-crowned Night-Herons typically nest in small colonies of several pairs up to several hundred pairs on islands that are safe from predators. Colony sites can remain in use for more than 20 years. Nest sites are near water in trees such as pine, oak, wax myrtle, and red mangrove.
Behavior:
Foraging birds stand still or slowly stalk crabs and other prey along shorelines, marshes, and fields. Once in striking range they lunge at their prey and seize it in their bill. They swallow small prey whole, but often shake apart, crush, or spear larger prey. They forage on their own, typically keeping other individuals at a distance of 15 feet or more. Courting Yellow-crowned Night-Herons make display flights around their colonies, sometimes with the neck conspicuously extended. Courting pairs make a neck-stretching display, slowly raising and then quickly pushing the head back between its shoulders, while fanning the long shoulder plumes. Males do this first and females sometimes follow.
Conservation:
Yellow-crowned Night-Herons are protected in some states near the edge of their range. They're more difficult to survey than many other wading birds (because they are dark-colored and nest in small colonies), but in general seem to have stable populations. Like all wetland birds they are vulnerable to habitat loss or degradation. Nine Yellow-crowned Night-Herons were collected in 2010 during the response to the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Historically, Yellow-crowned Night-Herons were hunted for their plumes or as a delicacy.
Be sure to stop by the Shorebird Habitat and see our Yellow Crowned Night Herons on your next visit
or you can see our Shorebirds now on our Live Video Feeds - Camera #3
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BLACK CROWNED NIGHT HERON
With a range that spans five continents, including much of North America, the Black-crowned Night-Heron is the most widespread heron in the world.
It is most active at dusk and at night, feeding in the same areas that other heron species frequent during the day.
Cool Facts:
Young Black-crowned Night-Herons often disgorge their stomach contents when disturbed. This habit makes it easy to study its diet. The Black-crowned Night-Heron may nest in the same tree with ibises or other herons. Adult Black-crowned Night-Herons apparently do not distinguish between their own young and those from other nests, and will brood chicks not their own.
Habitat:
Various wetland habitats, including salt, brackish, and freshwater marshes, swamps, streams, lakes, and agricultural fields.
Food:
Aquatic invertebrates, fish, amphibians, lizards, snakes, rodents, eggs, and other foods.
Nesting:
A platform of sticks placed in tree or cattails. Nests colonially; more than a dozen nests may be in a single tree.
Behavior:
Grasps prey; does not stab with bill.
Conservation:
Overall, populations stable. Because of wide distribution and feeding habits, the Black-crowned Night-Heron is an excellent indicator of ecosystem health. You can help scientists learn more about this species by participating in Celebrate Urban Birds!
Be sure to stop by the Shorebird Habitat and see our Black Crowned Night Herons on your next visit
or you can see our Shorebirds now on our Live Video Feeds - Camera #3
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GREEN HERON
A small, stocky wading bird, the Green Heron is common in wet spots across much of North America.
It can be difficult to see as it stands motionless waiting for small fish to approach within striking range, but it frequently announces its presence by its loud squawking.
Cool Facts:
The Green Heron is one of the few tool-using birds. It commonly drops bait onto the surface of the water and grabs the small fish that are attracted. It uses a variety of baits and lures, including crusts of bread, insects, earthworms, twigs, or feathers. The Green Heron is part of a complex of small herons that sometimes are considered one species. When lumped, they are called Green-backed Heron. When split, they are the Green Heron, the widespread Striated Heron, and the Galapagos Heron. As is typical for many herons, the Green Heron tends to wander after the breeding season is over. Most wanderers probably seek more favorable foraging areas and do not travel far, but occasionally some travel greater distances, with individuals turning up as far as England and France.
Habitat:
Breeds in swampy thickets. Forages in swamps, along creeks and streams, in marshes, ponds, lake edges, and pastures. Winters mostly in coastal areas, especially mangrove swamps.
Food:
Small fish, invertebrates, insects, frogs, and other small animals.
Nesting:
Nest a basket of sticks, placed in small tree or shrub, usually over water. Nests in small, loose colonies.
Behavior:
Stands still next to water and grabs small fish with explosive dart of head and neck. One of the few birds that uses bait to attract fish, it drops such things as bread crusts, insects, and twigs onto the water.
Conservation:
Common and widespread. Populations difficult to census accurately, but appear stable.
Be sure to stop by the Shorebird Habitat and see our Little Green Heron on your next visit
or you can see our Shorebirds now on our Live Video Feeds - Camera #3
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CATTLE EGRET
A small white heron of pastures and roadsides, the Cattle Egret is more at home foraging in grass than in water.
It follows cattle, horses and tractors to catch the insects they stir up.
Cool Facts:
The Cattle Egret is native to Africa and Asia and only reached the Americas in the late 19th century. It was first found in Northeastern South America in 1877 having probably arrived there from Africa. It reached the United States in 1941 and started nesting by 1953. In the next 50 years it became one of the most abundant of the North American Herons. It has occured all the way to Alaska and Newfoundland and had bred in nearly all states. The Cattle Egret is an opportunistic feeder and will follow large animals or machines to catch insects they stir up. It is also attracted by smoke from a large fire. Egrets come from long distances to catch insects trying to escape the fire. The Cattle Egret occasionally adds birds to its diet. At Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas off the coast of Florida, migrating Cattle Egrets land on the large green lawn inside the fort, probably hoping for some nice grasshoppers. Because no insects are there to be had, the egrets try to catch the migrating warblers that have also stopped on the tiny island.
Habitat:
Breeds in colonies with other herons on islands, isolated woods and swamps. Found foraging in many habitats, terrestrial and aquatic, such as ponds, cattle pastures, roadsides, farmland, dumps, parks, sports fields and lawns.
Food:
Grasshoppers, crickets, spiders, flies, frogs and moths.
Nesting:
Shallow bowl shaped nest of sticks placed in trees and shrubs in colonies with other herons.
Behavior:
Follows and rides large mammals and catches insects they stir up. Forages in flocks.
Conservation:
May still be expanding breeding range, but populations in some areas are declining.
Be sure to stop by the Shorebird Habitat and see our Cattle Egret on your next visit
or you can see our Shorebirds now on our Live Video Feeds - Camera #3
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WHITE IBIS
A wading bird of the deep South, the striking White Ibis is frequently seen on lawns looking for large insects as well as probing for prey along the shoreline.
Cool Facts:
This is a bird of freshwater and estuarine wetlands, typically cypress swamps, bottomland hardwood and mangrove swamps, as well as feshwater and swale marshes. Ibises are known for frequent shifts in roost and colony sites, substantial dispersal and migration distances, and variable breeding seasons. Nomadic movements and flexible reproductive schedules allow the Ibis to exploit the changing availability of shallow water feeding sites and concentration of its main prey, crustraceans and small fish. Because of salt stress, nestlings do not develop normally on brackish water crustaceans, so nearby freshwater feeding sites are essential for successful breeding at coastal colonies. The dependence of White Ibis on favourable feeding conditions in wetlands, the conspicuous nature of their large flocks and colonies and their eye catching appearancehas made the species a symbol for wetland conservation and restoration especially in Florida where Ibis habitat is threatened by development, pollution and water management. Numerous studies have investigated trends in White Ibis distribution, abundance, reproductive success and Ibis contaminant levels and used this information to infer ecosystem health. No subspecies are recognized, but the Scarlet Ibis of South America is closely related and is considered by some to be a conspecific color morph.
Be sure to stop by the Shorebird Habitat and see our White Ibis on your next visit
or you can see our Shorebirds now on our Live Video Feeds - Camera #3
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PIED BILLED GREBE
A small diving bird with a chicken like bill, the Pied Billed Grebe is common on lakes and ponds across North America.
It is rarely seen flying and prefers to sink out of sight when danger threatens.
Cool Facts:
The Pied Billed Grebe is rarely seen in flight, it prefers to escape predators by diving and it migrates at night. However, it can fly and stray individuals have reached Hawaii and Europe. Although it swims like a duck, the Pied Billed Grebe does not have webbed feet. Instead of having webbing connecting all the toes, each toe has lobes extending out on the sides that provide extra surface area for padding. The downy chicks can leave the nest soon after hatching but they do not swim well at first and do not spend much time in the water in the first week. They sleep on the back of a parent held close beneath its wings. By the age of 4 weeks the young Grebes are spending day and night on the water. For the first ten days their response to danger is to climb on a parent's back. After that, when danger threatens, they dive under water.
Habitat:
Breeds on seasonal or permanent ponds with dense stands of emergent vegatation, bays and sloughs. Uses most types of wetlands in the winter.
Food:
Fish, crustaceans (especially crayfish) and aquatic insects.
Nesting:
An open bowl in a platform of floating vegatation.
Behavior:
Dives underwater for food in open water and among aquatic vegatation.
Conservation:
Common, Breeding populations declining in some areas, especially at edge of range.
Be sure to stop by the Shorebird Habitat and see our Pied Billed Grebe on your next visit
or you can see our Shorebirds now on our Live Video Feeds - Camera #3
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HERRING GULL
The Herring Gull is the quintessential basic "seagull", with no distinctive characters that immediately set it apart from other gull species.
The characteristic gull of the North Atlantic, it can be found across much of North America.
Cool Facts:
The Herring Gull is part of a complex of large white headed gulls that breed across the northern hemisphere. Some people consider all of the forms as one species, while others would recognize 10 or more species. The Lesser Black Backed and Yellow Legged gulls are currently recognized as different species, but birds intermediate between them and the Herring Gull occur. Only one form, the American Herring Gull is common in North America, but several others such as the Vega Gull and the European Herring Gull may be rare visitors. The Herring Gull has extended its breeding range southward along the Atlantic coast and may be displacing the more southern Laughing Gull from some areas. At the northern end of its range, however, the Herring Gull itself is being displaced by increasing numbers of the Great Black Backed Gull. Young Herring Gulls appear to be more migratory than adults. In some areas, such as the Great Lakes, most adults remain near their breeding grounds, but the nonbreeders move further south in the fall. The Herring Gull regularly drinks fresh water when it's available. If none is around, the gull will drink seawater. Special glands located over its eyes allow it to excrete the salt. The salty excretion can be seen dropping out of the gulls nostrils and off the end of its bill.
Habitat:
Breeds on Islands. Forages and winters at sea, along beaches and mudflats, at dumps and other areas where human produced food is available. Rests in open areas, including parking lots, fields and airports.
Food:
Fish, marine invertabrates, insects, bird eggs, carrion and garbage.
Nesting:
Nest is a scrape in sand or dirt lined with vegatation, feathers, plastic or nothing at all.
Behavior:
Captures prey while walking or swimming, dips food from surface of water. Steals food from other birds. Drops large hard food items on rock or sand to break them open.
Conservation:
Be sure to stop by the Shorebird Habitat and see our "HARRY" our Herring Gull on your next visit
or you can see our Shorebirds now on our Live Video Feeds - Camera #3
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LAUGHING GULL
A smallish gull with a black head, the Laughing Gull is abundant along the southern Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
Infrequently found away from the ocean, it takes advantage of human habitat modifications, foraging in parkinglots and dumps and breeding on dredge spoil islands.
Cool Facts:
Nest colonies in the northeastern United States were nearly eliminated by egg and plume hunters in the last century, following protection. The male and female Laughing Gull usually build their nest together. If a male cannot find a mate, he may start building a nest platform and then use it to attract a female. The adult Laughing Gull removes the eggshells from the nest after the eggs hatch. If the shells are not removed, a piece can become lodged on top of the slightly smaller unhatched third egg and prevent it from hatching. The Laughing Gull is normally diurnal, being active during the day. During the breeding season it forages at night as well. It usually looks for food along the beach at night, but will also hover to catch insects around lights.
Habitat:
Nests in marshes, on beaches and on islands along the coast. Found along coasts, in estuaries, bays and inland lakes. Feeds along the ocean, on rivers, at landfills and in urban parks.
Food:
Aquatic invertabrates, terrestrial invertabrates, fish, squid, garbage, flying insects and berries.
Nesting:
A flat platform of marsh grasses. Nests in colonies.
Behavior:
Forages while walking or swimming. Will steal food from Terns and Pelicans
Conservation:
Be sure to stop by the Shorebird Habitat and see our Laughing Gulls on your next visit
or you can see our Shorebirds now on our Live Video Feeds - Camera #3
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RING BILLED GULL
A familiar parking lot gull, the Ring Billed Gull breeds primarily inland in North America.
It can be found along the coasts but many of the "seagulls" never see anything except fresh water all their lives.
Cool Facts:
Young Ring Billed Gulls tested at only two days of age showed a preference for magnetic bearing that would take them in the appropriate direction for their fall migrations. Many, if not most Ring Billed Gulls return to breed at the colony where they hatched. Once they have bred, they are likely to return to the same breeding spot every year, often nesting within a few meters of the last year's nest site. Many individuals return to the same wintering sites each winter too. Although it is considered a typical large white headed gull, the Ring Billed Gull has been known to hybridize only with smaller black headed species, such as Franklin's, Black Headed and Laughing Gulls.
Habitat:
Nests on Islands. Found around fresh water, landfills, golf courses, farm fields, shopping areas and coastal beaches.
Food:
Fish, insects, earthworms, rodents, grain and garbage.
Nesting:
Nests in a scrape on ground or vegatation filled with twigs, sticks, grasses, leaves, lichens and mosses. Nests in colonies.
Behavior:
Forages while walking on land, dips for food on surface of water, skims shallow water for small fish and hawks for flying insects.
Conservation:
Hunting for the millinery trade nearly extirpated it from parts of its range in the 1800's. Now common and widespread and is expanding its breeding range.
Be sure to stop by the Shorebird Habitat and see our Ring Billed Gulls on your next visit
or you can see our Shorebirds now on our Live Video Feeds - Camera #3
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SANDWICH TERN
A bird of marine coasts of the southeastern United States and the Carribbean, the Sandwich Tern is readily identified by its shaggy crest and yellow tipped black bill.
Cool Facts:
The two subspecies of Sandwich Tern breeding in North America and Eurasia have black bills with yellow tips. A third subspecies known as the "Cayenne Tern" is found in the Southern Carribbean and the Atlantic Coast of South America which has an all yellow bill.
Habitat:
Seacoasts, bays, estuaries, mud flats and occaisionally ocean far from land.
Food:
Small fish and some invertabrates
Nesting:
On the ground.
Behavior:
Flies over water with bill pointing down, plunges into water to catch fish.
Conservation:
Major declines noted in Old and New World during the 19th century mostly due to millenery trade and egg collecting. Recent increases in population size noted in most of range.
Be sure to stop by the Shorebird Habitat and see our Sandwich Terns on your next visit
or you can see our Shorebirds now on our Live Video Feeds - Camera #3
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CASPIAN TERN
As large as a big full, the Caspian Tern is the largest tern in the world.
Its large coral red bill makes it one of the most easily identified terns throughout its world wide range.
Cool Facts:
The oldest known wild Caspian Tern lived to be more than 26 years old. The average lifespan of Great Lakes Caspian Terns is estimated to be 12 years. The Caspian Tern aggressively defends its breeding colony. It will pursue, chase and attack potential predatory birds and can cause bloody wounds on the heads of people who invade the colony. The entire colony will take flight, however, when a Bald Eagle flies overhead, exposing the chicks to predation from gulls. The largest breeding colony in North America is off the east coast of Oregon. Increasing numbers of terns at this site have caused problems with young salmon releases, some of them an endangered species. Efforts are being made to move the colony to other areas. Young Caspian Terns appear to have a difficult time learning to catch fish efficiently. They stay with their parents for long periods of time and are fed by them even on the wintering grounds. Many young terns do not return to the nesting grounds for several years remaining instead on the wintering areas.
Habitat:
Breeds in a wide variety of habitats along water, such as salt marshes, barrier islands, dredge spoil islands, fresh water lake islands and river islands. During migration and winter found along coastlines, large rivers and lakes. Roosts on islands and isolated spits.
Food:
Almost entirely fish, occaisionally crayfish and insects.
Nesting:
A scrape in the ground lined often with dried vegatation, small pebbles, broken shells and other debris. May have an elaborate rim of sticks. Nesting colonies occur on island beaches, often near colonies of other bird species.
Behavior:
Flies over water with bill pointing down, plunging into water to catch fish.
Conservation:
Numbers increasing across North America using man made dredge spoil islands and dikes for breeding. Declining in Europe. It is listed as rare or vulnerable in some areas because of the scattered nature of breeding colonies. Beach nesting areas are vulnerable to disturbance and predation.
Be sure to stop by the Shorebird Habitat and see our Caspian Terns on your next visit
or you can see our Shorebirds now on our Live Video Feeds - Camera #3
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ROYAL TERN
A large orange billed tern, the Royal Tern is found only along ocean beaches.
Cool Facts:
The Royal Tern makes its nest scrape on the ground on low lying islands. The pair defecates directly on the nest rim, perhaps to reinforce the nest against flooding. After a few weeks the nest rim hardens. Young Royal Terns leave the nest scrape within one day after hatching and congregate together ina group known as the Crache. Eventually all of the chicks in a colony come to the Crache which can have thousands of chicks ranging in age from two to 35 days old. A pair of Royal Terns will feed only their own chicks, managing to find it in the crowd, probably recognizing its call.
Habitat:
Shoreline
Food:
Fish
Nesting:
A scrape on the ground. Nesting colonies occur on island beaches.
Behavior:
Flies over water with bill pointing down plunging into water to catch fish.
Conservation:
United States population appears stable.
Be sure to stop by the Shorebird Habitat and see our Royal Terns on your next visit
or you can see our Shorebirds now on our Live Video Feeds - Camera #3
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