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Lake Champlain Colonial Waterbird Database Project
Black Tern
The Vermont state threatened Black Tern
was first documented nesting in the extensive marshlands along
Lake Champlain in the late 1930's. Black Terns have been know
to use at least eight different nesting locations, seven of
these on Lake Champlain and one on Lake Memphremagog. Since
1999 the entire Black Tern population has been centered in
the northern end of Lake Champlain at Mud Creek Wildlife Management
Area and Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge with the majority
of the birds occurring at the refuge. The population, estimated
to be around 300 pairs in the 1970's, has hovered between
50-100 pairs over the last decade.
Black Terns have been monitored annually
since 1990. Attempts have been made to enhance nesting locations
for Black Terns at several locations, however the number of
nesting locations continue to contract and the population
size continues to remain small albeit relatively stable. Factors
limiting this population have been difficult to determine.
Estimated Number of Black Tern Breeding
Pairs
On Lake Champlain and Lake Memophremagog, 1990-2004.
| Year |
Missisquoi NWR |
Mud Creek |
Dead Creek |
Little Otter Creek |
South* Bay |
Total* |
| 1990 |
37 |
** |
12 |
6 |
4 |
59 |
| 1991 |
43 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
4 |
71 |
| 1992 |
51 |
24 |
2 |
8 |
** |
95 |
| 1993 |
43 |
20 |
** |
** |
2 |
** |
| 1994 |
48 |
15 |
7 |
2 |
5 |
74 |
| 1995 |
41 |
17 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
64 |
| 1996 |
26 |
8 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
44 |
| 1997 |
42 |
5 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
59 |
| 1998 |
64 |
8 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
77 |
| 1999 |
94 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
100 |
| 2000 |
58 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
63 |
| 2001 |
47 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
53 |
| 2002 |
65 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
66 |
| 2003 |
66 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
67 |
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| * South Bay on Lake Memphremagog
is the only nesting site for this species |
| outside of Lake Cahmplain and is
included for this reason. |
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** no data
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Source
Shambaugh, N. 2002. 2002 Black Tern Population Survey and
other marsh bird
monitoring activities in Vermont. Unpupl. Report to the Vermont
Department
of Fish and Wildlife. Waterbury, VT.
Nathanial, Shambaugh personal communication.
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