BLACK SKIMMER (RYNCHOPS NIGER) NESTING SUCCESS TRENDS ALONG THE EASTERN SHORE OF THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY, CALIFORNIA | |||
| David Riensche; driensche@ebparks.org; Meredith L. Elliott, Point Blue Conservation Science | |||
The Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger), a distinctive colonial waterbird species, is listed as a California Species of Special Concern. Factors affecting their breeding population include limited suitable open nesting habitat, human disturbance, varied food availability, predation (feral animals and gulls), extreme weather, and environmental pollutants. Typically, islet-breeding skimmers are in close proximity to nesting tern species, which provide early warning and defensive behaviors against intruders. Since 2001, the East Bay Regional Park District, California, has been working to establish and enhance a California Least Tern (Sternula antillarum browni) colony at Hayward Regional Shoreline located along the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay. In the efforts to assist in the recovery of this state and federally listed endangered species, it resulted in the attraction of breeding Black Skimmers to the site in 2015. For a total of eight breeding seasons between 2015 and 2025, the Black Skimmer has nested successfully, with greater than 90% of the nests hatching at least one egg; fledging success is greater than 1.56 fledglings produced per breeding pair. During this same 11-year period, the endangered California Least Tern, and the threatened Western Snowy Plover (Anarhynchus nivosus nivosus), American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana), and Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) have also nested successfully at this location. The results presented on Black Skimmer breeding chronology, hatching, fledging success, and diet in the northern portion of the species range answers data gaps that may help inform future research, protection, and management measures for this special status bird. | |||
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