The Colonial Waterbirds of North Carolina:
Making It On A Wing And A Prayer.
A stately heron stalking
its next meal.
A flock of terns diving to catch small fish that swim
just below the water's surface. Majestic pelicans gliding
effortlessly above cresting waves.
These
are scenes playing daily along North Carolina's
coast -- scenes that are witnessed by residents
and visitors alike. To many, these birds embody
freedom and independence, so it's hard to imagine
that they are dependent on humans for their
survival.
But they are. Their vulnerability is a result of
human interference, and it's going to take humans
to ensure that these birds will be here for many
future generations. The National Audubon
Society's North Carolina Coastal Islands
Sanctuary is working hard to protect habitats for
many species of waterbirds.
And they could really use your help.
Each spring and summer, pelicans, herons,
egrets, ibises, terns, skimmers and gulls
gather on small islands and barrier beaches along
North Carolina's coast to nest and raise their
young. These birds nest in groups, called
colonies, and are often referred to as colonial waterbirds.
Colonial waterbirds depend on specific types of
habitats for nesting. Terns and skimmers usually
nest on sand or shell that is bare or sparsely
dotted with vegetation; pelicans typically nest
on grassy islands or in low shrubs; and wading
birds most often nest in shrub thickets or trees.
In recent years, biologists have expressed great
concern about the condition of waterbird nesting
sites along North Carolina's coast. Surveys
conducted in the 1970's and 1980's revealed an
alarming decline in the number of active nesting
sites, largely due to chronic human disturbances,
lack of suitable nesting habitats and erosion.
These factors led the National Audubon Society to
establish the North Carolina Coastal Islands
sanctuary system in 1989 and to intensify its
efforts to protect coastal birds and their
habitat.
Historically, waterbirds have faced many
problems. Around the turn of the century,
feathers became the fashion craze of the day.
Long filamentous plumes called
"aigrettes," as well as wings and
entire skins of birds were worn on hats and other
accessories. The sources of these feathers and
body parts were wild birds.
Great and snowy egrets were highly sought for
their aigrettes, while terns and gulls were
prized for their wings and skins. This great
demand for feathers resulted in these species
being shot by the tens of thousands. Because
these waterbirds nest in colonies, they were easy
targets for market gunners who often pursued them
as the birds tried to nest and tend their young.
One market hunter commented: "They don't
much like to leave their young. I have often shot
at these 'strikers' [terns] so fast that I had to
put my gun overboard to cool the barrels."
The driving force behind such wholesale slaughter
was quite simple: money. The nuptial plumes of
egrets became so valuable that, in 1903, one
ounce of plumes fetched $32.00, more than twice
the price of an ounce of gold.
This relentless shooting took a tremendous toll
on populations, and several species were nearly
pushed to the point of extinction. In the 1919
edition of Birds of North Carolina, the authors
wrote: "No bird in America has so melancholy
a history as the egret. Those of us living today
are witnessing the passing of a race, and we
doubt seriously if a single individual will be
alive in the United States 25 years hence."
Likewise, Least Terns, which once numbered in the
thousands, became a rare sight in the early
1900's.
Over time, citizens began to take notice and
speak out against the killing of birds for their
feathers. In 1886, George Bird Grinnell, then the
editor at Forest and Stream magazine, began a
movement that would sweep the nation. Grinnell
wrote of the decimation of bird populations to
support the feather trade and called for an
organization to be formed to combat this
practice. His organization was called the
"Audubon Society." State Audubon
Societies eventually began to spring up
throughout the country. The State Audubon
Societies later joined forces to form the
National Association of Audubon Societies for the
Protection of Wild Birds and Animals, which is
the predecessor of today's National Audubon
Society.
North Carolina played an important part in this
movement. The Audubon Society of North Carolina
was formed on March 11, 1902 under the leadership
of Thomas Gilbert Pearson. Pearson and the
Audubon Society worked to educate both children
and adults about the importance of birds and
other wildlife. They worked to enact laws that
prevented the killing of any bird not classified
as a game bird and set specific seasons for the
hunting of game birds. The Society also
established North Carolina's first statewide
system of game wardens and several wildlife
sanctuaries. Two such Audubon Sanctuaries were
Royal Shoal and Legged Lump, located in Pamlico
Sound near Ocracoke. Protection of these islands
was the responsibility of Audubon warden N.F. Jennett. Jennett defended nesting terns, skimmers
and gulls from the relentless onslaught of market
hunters, on sites where only a tiny fraction of
these once-abundant birds continued to nest.
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Today, Royal Shoal
and Legged Lump have succumbed to erosion and are
mere shoals that rarely exist above the water's
surface. Happily, nearby Beacon, North Rock and
Shell Castle Audubon Sanctuaries provide a safe
haven for the area's nesting waterbirds.
The practice of killing waterbirds for their
feathers has long since vanished, but equally
devastating problems continue to concern
biologists. Human disturbances, including
recreation activities, off-road vehicles and
uncontrolled pets have become significant threats
at many nesting sites. When disturbed adults rise
from their nests, leaving their eggs or young
exposed to extreme temperatures, it only takes
minutes for unattended eggs or young to die from
temperature stress. Nests might also be exposed
to predators such as crows or gulls, which are
often waiting for the opportunity to seize an
easy meal. Additionally, the nests, eggs and
youngsters of some species are so well
camouflaged that they are easily overlooked and
can be inadvertently stepped on or crushed by
off-road vehicles. .
Another serious problem is the number of animals
that become entangled in discarded fishing line
and other trash. Many birds, marine mammals and
turtles die each year from encounters with this
refuse. Once entangled, an animal can rarely free
itself from the strong line, and a prolonged
death almost certainly follows. This problem is
often compounded when birds become entangled,
then entangle others. At one North Carolina
colony site, five pelicans were discovered
entangled in the same length of fishing line only
one was able to be freed. At another site, six
gulls met a similar fate.
The proper disposal of fishing line and other
trash in refuse containers will help to greatly
reduce this needless loss of wildlife.
The nesting sites that exist today, most of them
found on natural islands, dredged-material
islands and barrier beaches, are the last that
remain for North Carolina's waterbirds. But
nesting sites alone are not enough to ensure the
survival of these birds. Food and foraging
habitats are equally important. The vast wetlands
that border rivers, lakes, streams, sounds, bays
and barrier islands provide food for waterbirds
food that is essential to their survival.
The National Audubon Society established the
North Carolina Coastal Islands sanctuary system
with the primary goal of safeguarding critical
habitats for waterbirds. To this end, Audubon is
working to: acquire, protect and manage waterbird
habitats; conduct research that will lead to a
better understanding of these birds and aid in
the development of successful management and
protection strategies; and raise awareness about
the vital importance of maintaining a healthy
coastal environment.
Presently, Audubon protects sanctuaries that
stretch along much of North Carolina's coast.
These sanctuaries provide vital habitats and safe
havens for thousands of pelicans, seabirds and
wading birds, fully one-third of North Carolina's
nesting waterbird population, as well as habitat
for other species.
Audubon sanctuaries are vital to the future of
North Carolina's waterbirds and the Society is
presently working to expand the sanctuary system
to include additional important habitats.
Yet the long term protection of North Carolina's
waterbirds takes more than the efforts of the
National Audubon Society and other organizations.
It takes a commitment and respect from everyone
to ensure that future generations can witness the
beauty of pelicans, wading birds, terns, skimmers
and gulls along our coast; scenes that may seem
commonplace today.
(Go to the top)
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Learn more about the Colonial
Waterbirds of North Carolina.
Go to the Audubon North Carolina home page.
National Audubon Society
North Carolina Sanctuaries
3806-B Park Avenue, Wilmington, NC 28403, 910-798-8376
wgolder@audubon.org
This page and all contents are
copyright © 1997, all rights reserved.
All photographs © Walker Golder and James F. Parnell.
Written by Odette Arnold and Walker Golder.
Pages created and managed by
Modular Graphic Services,
Wilmington, N.C.
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