American Oystercatchers
Nesting in South Carolina
Oystercatchers nest in
coastal areas having little vegetation or cover. They
lay their eggs in a shallow depression on sandy beaches
or shell mounds. Parents are very territorial and
protective of nest sites. To estimate the South Carolina
breeding population, potential nest sites were surveyed
from late April to mid May, during the peak nesting period. Surveys
were conducted for three seasons (2001-2003). All shell
mounds, beachfronts and sand spits were surveyed by boat,
on foot or ATV. Locations of pairs were
recorded with a GPS unit. The average number
of breeding pairs was 400. This is approximately
20% of the Atlantic breeding population. Unfortunately,
most nests fail because eggs are destroyed by avian and
mammalian predators, washed away by high tides and
boat wakes or nests are abandoned
due to human disturbance. Low
chick production may be placing this species in peril. |
South Carolina nesting distribution. |
