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October 18^th, 2007: Press Release

Audubon North Carolina is seriously concerned about the future of waterbirds and shorebirds within the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, especially the seven species of birds that nest on Seashore beaches. In a relatively short period of time, Cape Hatteras National Seashore has gone from one of the most important places for beach-nesting waterbirds and shorebirds to one of the most threatened. The number of birds that nest on the Seashore’s beaches has declined precipitously in the past 10 years. The actions by the National Park Service in 2006 only exacerbate these concerns.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore supports seven species of waterbirds and shorebirds that nest on the beach strand and/or dunes. These include: Gull-billed Tern, Common Tern, Least Tern, Black Skimmer, American Oystercatcher, Piping Plover, and Wilson’s Plover.

The declines of terns and Black Skimmers have been most severe on Hatteras Island and the southernmost end of Bodie Island. From 1993 to 2004, the number of Least Terns declined from 610 pairs to 272; Common Terns declined from 385 pairs to 11; Gull-billed Terns declined from 11 pairs to zero; and Black Skimmers declined from 216 pairs to 13.

There are three primary reasons for these declines. They are human disturbance, predators (primarily non-native mammals), and habitat loss. Overall, the National Park Service has failed to address the causes of declines in nesting waterbirds and shorebirds, and they have failed to provide adequate protection for nesting birds.

There is a wealth of knowledge about waterbirds and shorebirds that nest on beaches and their responses to human disturbances and predators. There are also tried and proven methods of protecting beach-nesting birds in areas where human disturbances are high. These are outlined in numerous publications and they have been adopted by state agency and non-governmental wildlife managers in North Carolina.

It is Audubon’s position that the National Park Service should implement proven and science-based protection measures for beach-nesting waterbirds and shorebirds, and they should implement these protection measures in a timely manner; on or before April 1st at sites where waterbirds and shorebirds have nested in previous years, and immediately upon observing nesting behavior (territorial behavior, courtship, scraping, etc.) at sites where habitat is suitable. In addition, they should remove non-native predators from nesting sites. So far, the National Park Service has largely ignored the science and the recommendations from some of the country’s leading authorities on waterbirds and shorebirds.

Protection of nesting habitat for beach-nesting birds does not require vehicles to be banned from the Seashore’s beaches and we, at Audubon, have never suggested that vehicles should be banned from the Seashore’s beaches. Nesting birds and vehicles can co-exist on Cape Hatteras National Seashore beaches provided that proven and science-based protection measures are implemented to keep vehicles and recreation activity at a safe distance away from nesting birds and chicks. In some areas, this simply requires vehicles to be diverted around nesting sites and habitats where chicks are present. In other areas, the closure of oceanfront beach, ocean intertidal zone, ephemeral pool, or pond habitats is necessary to provide an adequate buffer between nesting birds and recreation activity, to prevent chicks from being killed, and to give shorebird chicks access to suitable foraging habitat, which they require to survive. The recommended duration of closures to protect nesting waterbirds and shorebirds in North Carolina is from April 1st to September 1st, or until all chicks have fledged.

There are approximately 51.4 miles of oceanfront beach on Hatteras and Bodie Islands that are within Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Only a small portion of the oceanfront beach within the Seashore was closed for bird protection in 2006. According the Seashore's public notices, 4.0 miles of ocean beach were closed for the protection of birds at the peak of the beach closures (June 22 to June 29). This lasted only 1 week. The average distance of ocean beach closed in May was 0.58 miles (range=0.2 to 1.5); in June it was 2.63 miles (range=1.7 to 3.6); in July it was 2.2 miles (range=1.8 to 2.4); in August it was 1.45 miles (range=1.2 to 1.8). The closures were implemented to prevent nests from being destroyed, to prevent chicks from being killed, and to provide shorebird chicks access to foraging habitat.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore receives more than 2.25 million visitors annually. A study by East Carolina University found that only about 10% of these visitors use ORVs within the Seashore. Even though ORV users comprise only 10% of the total visitors, many of the people that drive on the beach do so to enjoy the natural resources that Cape Hatteras National Seashore has to offer including fishing, bird watching, beach-combing, or water sports such as surfing, windsurfing, or swimming. For example, the Cape Hatteras Bird Club field trip participants frequently drive on the beach to get to birding hot spots, such as Cape Point.

You can help! Express your concerns for beach-nesting birds. Write Mary A. Bomar, Director of the National Park Service, and Mike Murray, Superintendent of Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

If reason and good science are allowed to prevail, I know birds and people can share the beach.