Harbor Heron Survey on Randall’s Island
Randall’s Island Park Alliance Natural Areas Department 14th Annual Meeting Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island December 11-12, 2018 Randall’s Island Bronx
Monitoring Sites Rand 7a Bronx Kill Rand 08 Rand 02 Manhattan Rand 01 Rand 09 Rand 10* Rand 06 Little Hell Gate Saltmarsh Rand 04 Rand 05 Rand 03
Queens Mill Rock Little Hell Gate Saltmarsh Mill Rock Bronx Kill Interesting Sightings • Juvenile Great Blue Heron at the Bronx Kill Saltmarsh • Resident Great Blue Heron in West Bronx Kill/Harlem River • Black Crowned Night Herons have not returned to West Bronx Kill/Harlem River site since Hurricane Sandy? 4 Juvenile Black Crowned Night Herons 12/5/18 Are Foraging Heron Populations Declining on Randall’s Island?
Harbor Heron Totals Per Site Heron Totals Over Time 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Rand 7a 8 4 3 19 4 20 4 100 Rand 08 6 1 6 2 4 5 6 4 90 Rand 02 8 6 0 0 0 0 1 1 80 Rand 01 22 4 1 0 0 1 1 0 70 Rand 09 15 27 7 2 5 5 2 4 60 Rand 10* 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 50 Rand 06 14 9 2 8 3 2 5 5 40 Rand 05 8 7 2 3 5 1 1 4 30
Rand 04 3 2 1 0 8 0 0 0 Number Individuals of 20 Rand 03 8 15 6 9 8 0 0 2 Randall's Island 10 Harbor Heron Totals 91 79 29 28 52 18 36 24 0 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Post-Hurricane Sandy Little Hell Gate Saltmarsh Mill Rock Bronx Kill Randall's Island Harbor Herons and Nearby Wader Nest Counts 450
400 No significant correlation between
350 South Brother Nests and Heron Totals on Randall’s Island 300 R=0.22 p= 0.63 250
Individuals 200
150 Significant correlation between Mill
100 Rock Nests and Heron Totals on Randall’s Island! 50 R=0.79 p= 0.03 0 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Randall's Island Harbor Heron Totals Mill Rock Wader Nests South Brother Wader Nests
The Living Shoreline Project Habitat enhancement and coastal resiliency The Living Shoreline Project Habitat enhancement and coastal resiliency
Upcoming Events on Island
Participation in the 119th Audubon Christmas Bird Count- December 16th
Winter Audubon Walk – January 26th
Spring and Fall Audubon Migration Walks – TBA
Birding Bonanza – Spring 2019 Resources and Contacts
Help Us Help Our Wildlife: Christopher Girgenti – Natural Areas Manager eBird [email protected] iNaturalist Jennifer Adams– Restoration Associate Park-as-Lab (PAL) [email protected]
www.randallsisland.org Jessica Hoch– Park-as-Lab Coordinator [email protected]