Black Tern Conservation at St. Clair Flats

Jul 8, 2020  12:00 - 13:00

(GMT -5:00) Eastern Time

Event URL:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-tern-conservation-at-st-clair-flats-tickets-109203825582?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch
Cost:  $0 – $30
Hosted by: Detroit Audubon

The largest Black Tern breeding colony in Michigan resides in St. Clair Flats. Studies have shown that many smaller breeding colonies are disappearing, making the St. Clair Flats colony especially valuable. Black Terns spend half their life flying over the ocean off the coast of Central and South America, and half breeding in U.S. and Canadian Marshes. The birds create their nests on mats of vegetation floating in the water. Despite their charm and unique lifestyle, the birds are not well understood and their populations are decreasing.

Due to the urgent need for action, the Black Tern is receiving increasing attention from federal and state agencies. Only with continued research can we determine the causes of Black Tern population decline in Michigan and across North America. Detroit Audubon has partnered with Audubon Great Lakes and National Audubon to monitor the St. Clair Flats Black Tern colony since 2013. Hear more about this exciting and necessary program from Detroit Audubon Research Coordinator, Ava Landgraf, who monitors and bands the Black Terns on St. Clair Flats.