Breeding Success of the Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) in Aialik Bay, Harris Bay and Northwestern Fjord, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska
Romano MD, Garding L, Tetreau M. 2001. Breeding Success of the Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) in Aialik Bay, Harris Bay and Northwestern Fjord, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska. Seward, AK
To assist in the management of overnight backcountry visitor use of beaches within the breeding habitat of Black Oystercatchers in Kenai Fjords National Park we monitored the breeding success of nesting pairs in the most heavily visited fjords of the park. We identified oystercatcher breeding habitat within Aialik Bay, Harris Bay, and Northwestern Fjord, and monitored nests to determine productivity. There was no significant difference in the clutch size, hatching success, and fledging success of nests found in Aialik Bay, and those found in Northwestern Fjord/Harris Bay. Likewise, we found no significant difference in clutch size, hatching success, and fledging success of nests found on beaches that received moderate to high camping pressure, and those that received low or no camping pressure. However, the data suggest a possible trend toward greater hatching success for nests on beaches with low or no camping pressure that our sample size may be inadequate to capture. Nests found on islets and islands had a significantly greater hatching success than those found on the mainland, and we theorize that this may be due to the greater accessibility of mainland nests to mammalian predators.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Romano, Marc; Garding, Louis; Tetreau, Michael
- Date of Issue
- 2001
- Units
- KEFJ
- Keywords
- Aialik Bay, Birds, Black oystercatchers, Haematopus bachmani, Harris Bay, Northwestern Fjord, Seabirds