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Virginia Banding Schemes:
2005-Present: Duplicate Black bands on upper legs with 2 engraved White letters/numbers
2003:
Colors used: Red, Dark Blue, Lime Green, Orange, White, Black
Upper Left: one or two color bands
Lower Left: No band or two color bands
Upper Right: Red over Dark Blue color bands
Lower Right: Red color band over USFWS metal band
PARTICIPANTS
Nature Conservancy - Virginia Coast Reserve
Center for Conservation Biology and Dept. of Biology at The College of William and Mary
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
CONTACTS
Barry Truitt – The Nature Conservancy Virginia Coast Reserve
Bryan Watts – College of W&M, Center for Conservation Biology
Ruth Beck – College of W&M
Alexandra Wilke – College of W&M, Center for Conservation Biology
Ruth Boettcher – Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
Current Reasearch:
Annual breeding survey
Since 2001, The Nature Conservancy Virginia Coast Reserve (TNC) and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) have combined resources in order to conduct Piping Plover, Wilson’s Plover and American Oystercatcher surveys along the coast of Virginia. VDGIF, TNC, USFWS and other partners have conducted Piping Plover surveys along the Virginia coast since 1986. Wilson’s Plovers were added to the annual survey effort in 1989. In 2001, plover survey participants were asked to record breeding American Oystercatchers as well since the three species use the same breeding habitat on the barrier islands. Combining the surveys of the three solitary nesters reduces the amount of disturbance to the nesting areas, is an efficient use of resources and will continue in the future.
2003 statewide breeding survey
2003 represents the first year Virginia has attempted to obtain a statewide breeding population estimate for oystercatchers. This was achieved by combining data collected from the annual plover/oystercatcher survey described above, the Eastern Shore Lagoon System oystercatcher productivity study described below, breeding black duck productivity surveys in the lower Chesapeake Bay, and the 2003 coastal plain waterbird survey. We hope to repeat this large-scale effort every several years to begin assessing statewide trends in the distribution and abundance of breeding oystercatchers in Virginia.
Winter roost surveys
Over the past four years, winter surveys on the Eastern Shore have revealed that the marshes of the lagoon system provide wintering habitat for close to two thousand American Oystercatchers. The surveys have documented the locations and habitat descriptions of major roost sites and have highlighted their importance to wintering oystercatchers. Continued winter survey efforts will help track population trends, locate banded birds and possibly assess productivity levels.
Productivity on Virginia’s Barrier Islands and Mammalian Predators
For the past three years, we have monitored oystercatcher productivity on two or three of Virginia’s barrier islands. We have focused our efforts on islands with and without mammalian predator removal programs in order to assess the effectiveness of these programs for increasing oystercatcher reproductive success. This data also contributes to baseline productivity information for the state. We anticipate continuing these efforts in the future, at least on islands where habitat enhancement programs are active.
Productivity in the marshes of the Eastern Shore Lagoon System
Recent productivity monitoring in the marshes of the lagoon system of the Eastern Shore has revealed that the habitat supports over 220 pairs of breeding oystercatchers, approximately 40% of Virginia’s known breeding population. Very little is know about the long term success of birds breeding in this habitat, although close to 100% reproductive failure was documented during the 2003 breeding season. We anticipate continuing the monitoring of birds breeding in the lagoon system in order to assess their long-term productivity and major threats to breeding.
Habitat dynamics
Recently, we have been exploring questions concerning the dynamic nature of the barrier islands that oystercatchers use for breeding. The islands are systems that are constantly re-worked and changed by the forces of the ocean, of storms, sediment supply and sea level rise. These forces are responsible for maintaining the type of habitat that oystercatchers require for breeding, but are also a major cause of reproductive failure. Recently, there is concern over what the impact of sea level rise will be on the balance that is maintained within these systems and how beach nesting bird species such as oystercatchers will be impacted. Our interest lies in understanding how oystercatchers are using the habitat within these systems and what the relationship is between what the species requires and how those optimum conditions are maintained or not maintained within the system over time. We have begun exploring these questions by collecting high precision elevation data from oystercatcher nests, and continue to pursue high precision topographical data for the barrier islands.
Color banding
Researchers have not banded American Oystercatchers in Virginia since the early 1980’s. Responding to the overwhelming interest and call to color band oystercatcher populations, we initiated banding efforts on three of Virginia’s barrier islands in 2003. We anticipate continuing these efforts for both adults and chicks in the near future in order to contribute to the need for data on migration patterns, survival rates, site fidelity, habitat use etc.
The linked Excel file contains a current list of color band combinations and re-sightings for birds banded in Virginia. Banding data were provided by The Virginia Coast Reserve and The College of William and Mary. This dataset should not be published or distributed without permission. For more information contact Barry Truitt , Bryan Watts , or Alexandra Wilke.
Virginia banding records (xls)
The maps below show (1) locations where color-banded oystercatchers were resighted in Virginia and (2) locations throughout the US where oystercatchers banded in Virginia were resighted.
