Daily survival rate for nests of Black Skimmers from a core breeding area of the southeastern USA

• Published in: The Wilson journal of ornithology 2014-09, Vol.126 (3), p.443-450
• Main Authors: Brooks, Gillian L., Sanders, Felicia J., Gerard, Patrick D., Jodice, Patrick G. R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Black Skimmer; Environmental aspects; Environmental protection; MAJOR ARTICLES; Marine; Natural resources; Nest building; nest predation; nest success; nest survival; Rynchops niger; South Carolina; Studies; Wildlife conservation
• ISSN: 1559-4491; 1938-5447
• DOI: 10.1676/13-136.1

Little is known about the reproductive success of Black Skimmers (Rynchops niger) throughout the southeastern USA where availability of undisturbed beaches for nesting is limited. Daily survival rates (DSR) of nests were examined at three nesting sites in Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge (CRNWR), South Carolina, USA, 2009–2010. The percent of successful nests (n  =  346 nests) ranged from 42–69% among colony sites when data were pooled across both years. The DSR of nests was primarily related to colony site, predation risk, height of high tide, and clutch size. Predation and overwash were the principal causes of identifiable nest loss, each accounting for ∼33% of nest failures during the two study years. Because of the challenges of resighting skimmer chicks, we were not able to measure chick survival effectively and therefore accurate measures of productivity remain elusive. High variability in nest success among sites within close proximity to each other (