Government and habitat

[Michael Gochfeld]

It's not always so benign.  In the 1980's the Long Island State Park 
Commission grew tired of complaints from beach goers about the nasty 
Common Terns that nested by the hundreds along the park entry road. They 
planted a dense stand of Beach Grass to render the area unsuitable for 
terns partly by reducing the open sandy areas and partly by making the 
area attractive for rats which prey on tern eggs and chicks. They were 
successful in eliminating one of the major Common Tern/Black Skimmer 
colonies in the country. 

M. Gochfeld

 
 ------------------------------------------------------------ 

   For subscription and related information about LEPS-L visit:

   http://www.peabody.yale.edu/other/lepsl