American Oystercatcher Research and Monitoring 2004 Status Report North Carolina’s Outer Banks and Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, MA

Monomoy NWR Northernmost AMOY study site Monomoy is one of the highest density nesting site for AMOY in the Northeast Well protected site (from humans) – potential production site for the Northeast region Supports the largest fall staging flock of AMOY in the Northeast

Monomoy NWR The Refuge consists of two primary islands, North and South Monomoy, a small sandbar accreting to the west, “Minimoy” and a small portion of the mainland

Monomoy NWR Second year of research Collaborative effort between Monomoy NWR and NCSU Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Advisory support in 2004 from Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences

Monomoy NWR No. Breeding Pairs No. of Clutches % Nests Hatching Young No. of Chicks Fledged Fecundity (# Chicks Fledged/ Pair) Productivity from

Monomoy NWR Causes of Nest Failure Nests monitored 69 Failed to Hatch – Coyotes % – Avian % – Weather % – Failed to Hatch 6 8.7% – Unknown %

Monomoy NWR Expanded on banding efforts begun in 2003 Banded 21 adults and 9 chicks Monitored banded birds through the breeding season and into fall staging flocks

Monomoy Resightings

North Carolina NC Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Shiloh Schulte Ted Simons US National Park Service Jeff Cordes Marcia Lyons National Audubon Society Walker Golder

Methods and Study Sites Cape Lookout and Cape Hatteras National Seashores Over 160 km of barrier island habitat Locate nests and track their status every 3 to 4 days Determine causes of failure Monitor chick survival Trap and band adults and chicks

Productivity from 1995 through No. of Breeding Pairs No. of Clutches % Nests Hatching Young No. of Chicks Fledged Fecundity (No. chicks/ pair/year) South Core Banks North Core Banks South Core Banks 2004 North Core Banks 2004

Productivity – continued Bodie Island Hatteras Island Ocracoke Island Total Ocracoke Island 2004 Hatteras Island 2004 Bodie Island 2004 Total 2004 No. of Breeding Pairs No. of Clutches % Nests Hatching Young No. of Chicks Fledged Fecundity (No. chicks/ pair/year)

North Carolina

Productivity spike in 2004 Exploring the use of habitat models to interpret pre and post Hurricane Isabel conditions in terms of their value to breeding AMOY Possible explanations –Significantly improved nesting habitat –Rejuvenated foraging areas –Reduction in predators –Larger buffer between humans and nests due to increased habitat (NCB primarily)

North Carolina Banding –95 Oystercatchers banded in NC this summer! –62 chicks and 33 adults –Adults were trapped using the decoy and noose carpet method –Chicks were captured between ages 21 and 37 days

North Carolina resightings