Piping Plover and the Least Tern

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Piping Plover and the Least Tern endangered birds 7/10/02 11:51 AM Page 1 Interior Least Tern © Bob Gress © Bob Gress For further information about Piping Plovers and Least Terns, please contact: Piping © Bob Gress Colorado State Parks John Martin Reservoir State Park Plover PO Box 149 The Least Tern is a small swallow- Hasty, CO 81044 like bird with black outer wing 719-336-1690 The adult breeding Piping Plover is a small feathers and a slightly forked tail. www.parks.state.co.us sandy-gray colored bird with a white breast The black head, white forehead with Colorado Division of Wildlife and one distinctive dark band around its black eye stripes, yellow legs, and Lamar Area Office throat. Smaller than a robin, the Piping yellow bill contrast with its pale 1204 East Olive Plover has orange legs and an orange bill Lamar, CO 81052 gray body and white belly. Least with a black tip. The Piping Plover searches 719-336-6600 Terns eat mainly small fishes and the shorelines for insects to eat. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers catch them by diving into shallow John Martin Reservoir water areas. 29955 County Road 25.75 Sharing Hasty, CO 81044 719-336-3476 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 755 Parfet Street, Suite 361 Shoreline Lakewood, CO80215 303-275-2370 Help us conserve © Bob Gress www.fws.gov ress the Least Terns G b o B Cover photos: Piping Plover hatchling © Bob Gress; and Piping Plovers © Piping Plover and Interior Least Tern © D. Robert Franz Printed on recycled paper with at least 30% post-consumer waste endangered birds 7/10/02 11:51 AM Page 2 The Interior Least plovers for nesting. Both birds nest in small, shallow It is impossible to mark all of birds and their young may reside at John Martin AREA CLOSED Tern and the Piping depressions that they excavate and raise their TO ALL PUBLIC the nesting sites. Regardless Reservoir until late September before they begin ACCESS (INCLUDING PETS) Plover share the young along the shorelines and on man-made of whether or not the areas are their migration south. THREATENED AND shorelines of John islands. The nests are very hard to see. ENDANGERED SPECIES marked with signs, harassment LEAST TERN / PIPING PLOVER With continued public education and research, as Martin, Adobe NESTING AREA or harm of either terns or elson uane N Nesting success varies from year to year well as habitat protection and restoration, progress © D erns. Creek (Blue Lake), plovers (including adults, ast T ior Le depending upon water levels, vegetative is being made towards securing a future for these Inter Adult Great Plains, Timber Lake, and many young, eggs, or nests) is encroachment, local weather conditions, birds, but much remains to be done. Please help us other reservoirs of southeast Colorado with a a violation of both state and federal predators, and human disturbance. While conserve these endangered species by avoiding growing number of campers, fishermen, and other law. Violations are punishable by fines up to considerable research still needs to be done, active nesting areas and not disturbing the birds. outdoor enthusiasts. These two species of birds $100,000, up to three years in jail, suspension nest and chick loss appear to be a major factor are also threatened with extinction. of hunting and fishing privileges, and/or limiting the growth of both species. At John Martin forfeiture of any vehicles/vessels used The Least Tern was federally listed as endangered Reservoir, predation and human disturbance are in the disturbance. Any trespass into in 1985 under the Endangered Species Act and major causes of nest and chick loss. a closure area by people or pets listed by Colorado as endangered in 1996. Piping Of these causes, human disturbance is the most is viewed as harassment and/or Plovers were federally listed as threatened in manageable. In addition to public education efforts harm of an endangered species. January of such as this brochure, portions 1986 and The best action to take upon of the shoreline are closed added to observing a closure or an unmarked to all public access (including Colorado’s nest site is to avoid it completely! pets) during the nesting threatened An adult Piping Plover on the shoreline. © Duane Nelson and brooding season. This Both birds will lay creamy white to tan colored, list in 1996. action is necessary to speckled eggs in the nest. Terns typically lay up Outdoor prevent disturbance to or to three eggs and plovers up to four eggs. They enthusiasts destruction of nests, adult often share the same nesting areas but the Piping enjoy a birds, or hatchlings. Plover usually nests singly and Least Terns typically variety of nest in colonies. Terns defend their nesting colonies An Interior Least Tern nest. © Duane Nelson These closures are posted with recreation by calling and diving at intruders and dropping signs and/or simple fencing, alerting people on shore activities at John Martin Reservoir. Unfortunately, excrement on those that get too close to the nests. to the presence of active bird nesting sites. Buoys the shoreline areas that people use for recreation with signs warn boaters and swimmers to the Piping Plovers typically arrive in Colorado in mid- elson uane N are often the same areas used by terns and © D lings. presence of nesting sites. April and Least Terns arrive in mid-May. The adult hatch d new est an lover n ing P A Pip.
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