Interior Least Tern and Piping Plover Predators

The endangered interior least tern (Sternula antillarum athalassos) and threatened piping plover (Charadrius melodus) migrate to the Central Platte River Basin in Nebraska, during late April to mid-August to nest on exposed river islands and off-channel habitat (sand and gravel mines) along the Platte River. The Platte River Recovery Implementation Program (PRRIP) and its partners have constructed and manage approximately 60 hectares (150 acres) of off-channel nesting habitat that is protected and monitored for interior least tern and piping plover productivity annually. Prevention of predation by terrestrial and avian predators are important objectives for increasing productivity of interior least terns and piping plovers. As such, potential predator perches near the nesting areas are removed and permanent electrified fences are placed across the entrance to each nesting area that otherwise is moated by water. Non-electrified fence panels are positioned on the ends of the permanent fence and extend 2–3 meters into the water. However, predation is still a factor for reducing productivity within these managed off-channel nesting sites. Identifying predation events and the species responsible are truly difficult to determine if the event is not seen firsthand and no sign of predation (i.e., tracks in the sand, etc.) is left behind.

It is our goal to identify predation events and the species responsible by collecting predator species data utilizing remote cameras to survey the nesting sites. Once predator species types are identified, we will evaluate additional strategies that could be implemented to reduce predation at these off-channel nesting sites.