American Oystercatcher Breeding Distribution

and Population Estimate in North Carolina

Susan Cameron and David Allen

NC Wildlife Resources Commission

Introduction

• 2004 represents the first year NC has conducted a coast-wide survey for breeding oystercatchers

• In the past, breeding surveys have been focused at just a few sites– complete surveys along Cape Hatteras

National Seashore beginning in 1999 – complete surveys along Cape Lookout

National Seashore beginning in 1998

AMOY Breeding Population Trends at Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Marcia Lyons, NPS

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

year

# pa

irs

average

AMOY Breeding Population Trends at Cape Lookout National Seashore

Jeff Cordes, NPS

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

year

# pa

irs

average

Introduction• 2004 represents the first year NC has

conducted a coast-wide survey for breeding oystercatchers

• In the past, breeding surveys have been focused at just a few sites– complete surveys along Cape Hatteras

National Seashore beginning in 1999 – complete surveys along Cape Lookout

National Seashore beginning in 1998

• This presentation will focus on the 2004 surveys

General Description of Coast

• NC’s coastline extends approximately 311 miles from VA to SC

• NC has distinct northern and southern regions– North of Cape Lookout characterized by large back

barrier sounds and long barrier islands with few inlets– South of Cape Lookout characterized by small back

barrier sounds and short barrier islands with numerous inlets

• Human disturbance and predation is a concern at most barrier island sites and some estuarine sites

• Currituck Sound – primarily fresh and has no inlets to the ocean and no dredge islands; beach front has very little overwash and heavy human disturbance

• Pamlico Sound – large brackish sound with three inlets; dredge islands around inlets; east side has narrow barrier islands subject to overwash and the west is extensive brackish marshes

• Because the tides are primarily wind driven in northern sounds, intertidal flats are not extensive except for areas adjacent to inlets

Northern Coast

• Core Sound and smaller southern sounds – high saline estuaries with lunar driven tides

• From Morehead City south is a chain of dredge islands created during the construction on the AIWW in the 1930s

• Groups of dredge islands also clustered around inlets and in the Cape Fear River

• Shell rakes present along estuaries south of Morehead City

Southern Coast

Dare

Brunswick

New Hanover

Onslow

Pender

Carteret

Pamlico

Beaufort Hyde

Dare

Currituck

Pamlico Sound

Albemarle Sound

Cape Fear

Cape Lookout

Cape Hatteras

Ocracoke Inlet

Oregon Inlet

Hatteras Inlet

New River Inlet

NC Survey Areas

Morehead City

Methods

• Most surveys conducted in conjunction with this year’s colonial waterbird surveys and piping plover surveys (from early May – early July)

• Surveyed additional areas along AIWW and Core Sound by boat and on foot

• Covered portions of Pamlico/Albemarle Sounds by air with some ground truthing

Results• 337 pairs of oystercatchers counted• Majority found in southern half of NC• Many found on remaining undeveloped barrier

islands (e.g. Masonboro, Core Banks, Hatteras)

County # Territorial Pairs

# Non-territorial Pairs

# Single Birds

Total

Brunswick 53 1 0 108

New Hanover 61 0 7 129

Pender 22 0 1 45

Onslow 18 5 5 51

Carteret 123 4 12 266

Hyde 15 0 0 30

Dare 35 0 2 72

Total 327 10 27 701

2004 Population Estimate of Breeding American Oystercatchers in North Carolina

2004 Distribution American Oystercatchers by Nesting Habitat in NC Counties

# pa

irs

county

2004 Distribution American Oystercatchers by Nesting Habitat in NC Counties

CountyBarrier Island

Beach

Natural Island

Dredge Spoil Island Other TotalSand Bank Shell Bank Marsh

Brunswick 12 18 4 0 16 3 53

New Hanover 52 3 0 0 6 0 61

Pender 14 3 5 0 0 0 22

Onslow 0 8 7 0 3 0 18

Carteret 53 33 11 13 11 2 123

Hyde 14 1 0 0 0 0 15

Dare 20 3 0 0 12 0 35

Total 165 (50%) 69 (21%) 27 (8%) 13 (4%) 48 (15%) 5 (2%) 327

Future Work

• Hope to repeat coast-wide surveys every few years so can begin assessing state-wide trends in abundance and distribution

• Increase protection efforts at some sites (e.g. Masonboro Island)

Records of NC Breeders Banded on Wintering Grounds

• Sunset Beach– 1 banded in SC in 2001

• Wrightsville Beach– 1 banded in SC in 2002

• North Topsail/New River Inlet– 2 banded in SC in 2004– 1 banded in GA in 2003

Acknowledgments

• We are extremely grateful to Walker Golder with NC chapter of National Audubon for all of his help with the surveys

• Special thanks to Marcia Lyons of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Jeff Cordes of Cape Lookout National Seashore and Shiloh Schulte of NC State University for providing their breeding data

• Many thanks also to staff of various State Parks and to the many volunteers who contributed to survey efforts