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Poplar Island is the largest common tern nesting site in the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists working at Poplar Island and those with the U.S. Geological Survey's Eastern Ecological Service Center had a very busy summer experimenting with different management actions geared towards successful nesting of federally protected and state listed endangered and threatened common and least terns. Biologists from both agencies worked in close coordination putting in place several management actions to improve tern nesting success at Poplar Island.
Sharing knowledge, resources and sweat equity, vegetation management occurred in historic nesting areas to promote attractive nesting sites and reduce conflicts with people in other areas of the island. Other actions to protect nesting bird sites included the use of parallel overhead lines, predator kites and predator management. Predator management occurs at Poplar Island to promote ground nesting bird success. Due to increased black-crowned night heron predation, enclosures were bult around nesting areas. These enclosures are similar to ones used in Ontario, Canada to successfully prevent predation by black-crowned night herons (Arnold et al.).
To further dissuade nighttime predation, we replicated an experimental study using artificial light in nesting tern colonies (Jackson et. al. in Waterbirds). Five hundred solar powered low-voltage lights were placed in a grid throughout a portion of the nesting colony in hopes of reducing black-crowned night heron predation. After limited success, the team reached out to other colleagues involved in tern research for new ideas.
Biologists decided to replicate a nighttime sound successfully used to deter black-crowned night herons at a tern colony in Massachusetts. The team in Massachusetts has had varied success with playing different types of music in the nesting colonies after dark. Playing constant music is thought to deter predators due to the human sounds and provides a wall of sound to better conceal the calls of chicks. This was attempted late in the nesting season and results were inconclusive, but the team plans to attempt this again next season.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey also partnered over the last 2 years to sample birds for the highly pathogenic avian influenza. We sampled over 600 birds of 12 different species. Sampling of live birds includes capture, banding, taking bodily swabs and blood samples and recording bodily measurements. These samples give valuable information on active infection and antibodies from previous infection. This partnership has also led to studies in collaboration with St. Jude鈥檚 Medical Research Facility and University of Missouri, both of which are investigating avian influenza.
Arnold, J., Oswald, S., Tyerman, D., & Barker, M. (2003). Predator exclusion grids protect Common Terns from avian nest predators at Presqu鈥檌le Provincial Park, Lake Ontario. Ontario Birds, 41(3).
Jackson, W., Hopkins, A., Jodziewicz, R., Oswald, S., Hartman, R., LaBarr, M., Curtis, P., & Arnold, J. (2025). Can Artificial Light Deter Nocturnal Predators at Common Tern Nesting Sites? An Experimental Study. Waterbirds, 47(4).
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