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Project Start Date: 2000
Background:
The California Least Tern is listed as endangered by both the federal and state governments. Terns began breeding at the Naval Air Station in Alameda, California in 1976. The colony was monitored by the Golden Gate Audubon Society from 1979–1999, the Point Reyes Bird Observatory from 2000–2001, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service from 2002–present. We began studying tern diet and foraging ecology in 2002.
Objectives:
(1) Determine which fish species terns are foraging for by collecting fish dropped in the colony.
(2) Determine which of those species are important prey items for terns by analyzing fecal samples collected from the colony.
(3) Determine how often chicks are fed by conducting all-day watches at the colony.
(4) Determine where terns forage by conducting surveys in the nearshore waters adjacent to the colony. |
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California Least Tern Chick.
Focal Species:
California Least Tern
Habitat Type:
Runway complex of the former Alameda Naval Air Station, consisting of tarmac, gravel, dirt, and some vegetation. A large part of the area is in the process of being designated a national wildlife refuge.
Partners:
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Port of Oakland
Army Corps of Engineers
Tetra Tech, Inc.
Tenera Environmental
Contacts:
Meredith Elliott
Jennifer Roth
Christine Abraham
Map outlining Least Tern distribution and associated behavior near the Alameda Point tern colony.
