Least terns, a bird historically found each summer along many of Delaware’s bay and Atlantic Ocean beaches, have faltered in recent years into their current listing as a state endangered species – leading the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to take a new approach for giving the birds a lift into a better future.
Identified by their small size, silvery-gray back and wings, yellow bill, and black cap with a white triangle on their forehead, least terns can be a common sight at Cape Henlopen State Park from May through August. A beach-nesting species, the terns form small colonies above the high tide line where breeding pairs typically lay two eggs on the sand in small scrapes – putting their nests at risk from predation and severe weather events.
Continue reading “Delaware Takes New Approach to Improve Breeding Success”
