Why are we interested in Interior Least Terns and Piping Plovers?
Interior Least Tern and Piping Plover populations have declined due to:
- broad-scale alteration of natural river systems
- loss of midstream river nesting habitat
- loss of overwintering habitat
- hunting for the restaurant and millinery trades in the late 1800s and early 1900s
Amount of midstream river sandbar nesting habitat has been reduced by
- invasive plant species
- construction of dams and reservoirs
- river channelization
- bank stabilization
- island armoring
- hydropower generation
- water diversion
Threats to overwintering habitat for both species include
- sea level rise
- global climate change
- residential, industrial, and commercial development
Tern and Plover Field Season
May through August