OutdoorNebraska

Conservation Efforts in Nebraska? I n the late summer of 2017, two hurricanes hit the U.S. Gulf Coast: Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Hurricane Irma in Florida. How could these storms, along with Hurricane Maria which hit Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands, impact conservation efforts in Nebraska? Piping Plovers spend the winter in areas frequently hit by hurricanes. If their beaches were eroded by winds, waves, and storm surges, plovers might have difficulty finding safe places to feed. If they were hurt, plovers might not survive their injuries or be taken by predators. If any plovers were lost in the hurricanes or their aftermath, it makes our efforts to protect plover nesting areas in Nebraska even more important. We'll use our population of banded plovers to answer the question "how did our birds fare during the storms?" after they return next spring. With support from the Nebraska Wildlife Conservation Fund to monitor and protect Piping Plovers and Interior Least Terns, the Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership (TPCP) has banded 809 Piping Plovers (157 adults and 652 chicks) along the lower Platte River since 2008. The TPCP works cooperatively with partners to protect terns and plovers at nesting sand and gravel mines and housing developments in eastern Nebraska. We have 260 nesting season sightings of our plovers; 223 returned to the lower Platte River, 4 moved to the central Platte River, 25 moved to the Missouri River, 5 moved to the Niobrara River, and 3 moved to the alkali lakes region of North Dakota. The majority of plovers re-sighted on the lower Platte River were banded as adults, while the majority of plovers re-sighted away from the lower Platte River were banded as chicks. We have 96 winter sightings of our plovers, from Texas to the Florida Keys and north along the Atlantic Coast to South Carolina; the reports come from 7 states and 30 counties. It is unlikely that most of our terns were impacted by the hurricanes since they spend the winter farther south, off the coasts of Central and South America. We're looking forward to the birds' return next year. ✔ By Mary Bomberger Brown, Coordinator for the Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership 3 Location of winter sightings of lower Platte River Piping Plovers, note the number of plovers in the areas impacted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in Texas and Florida. Piping plover PHOTO BY CHRIS HELZER PHOTO BY GERRY STEINAUER MAP DEVELOPED BY LAUREN DINAN, NONGAME BIRD BIOLOGIST, NEBRASKA GAME AND PARKS COMMISSION

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