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