Population of black skimmers has plummeted
As a result of predators, weather and interference by humans, the population of black skimmers, a unique variety of tern-like sea birds, has plummeted drastically in recent decades.
Black skimmers are unique in that they are the only variety of bird in America with a bottom bill larger than the top, a feature, which contributes to their hunting style, and also gives them their eponymous name. Black skimmers will dive over water, lowering their bottom bill into the surface and quickly snatching up small fish as they glide along the surface.
Currently, black skimmers are considered a threatened species in Maryland, where the Worcester County Atlantic Coast of Worcester County serves as a summer breeding ground, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Regional ecologist for the Department of Natural Resources Dave Brinker, who has worked in the coastal bays area for over two decades, explained the threats to the black skimmer population.
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"It's a combination of a lot of different things," Brinker said. "Often when people stop boats on breeding grounds, the mothers will become scared and flee."
Brinker explained that having a dedicated breeding ground is crucial for the species' survival to avoid predators, such as gulls and hawks. When these areas are encroached upon, the chances of survival becomes threatened.
In the Worcester County area, Skimmer Island, located just north of the Route 50 bridge, is representative of a crucial environment for breeding skimmers; isolated, small islands which are relatively void of predators. Skimmer Island is a collection of small islands created as a result of the formation of the Ocean City inlet in 1933.
"While the threat of people and predators has been a big factor in the past, weather is also a major concern," Brinker said. "Hermine, for example, left half of the island underwater."
While Brinker said it's difficult to know the exact number of breeding pairs in the area, he estimated that in 2015, there were approximately 12 to 15 total pairs of black skimmers nesting in the coastal bays. Comparatively, in 1986, when records began being tracked, there were just under 300 breeding pairs.
In 2015, the first recorded instance of a black skimmer nest in the Ocean City area in 20 years was spotted on skimmer island, prompting the Department of Natural Resources to issue a notice for boaters to limit their speed and wakes when traveling in the area, a potential threat to the colonies, known as "tribes."
Brinker explained that the skimmers nesting in these specific areas leaves them vulnerable on a larger scale than other birds.
"They're not like robins, where you have one in your backyard and one in your neighbor's backyard," Brinker said. "They establish like cities, where many birds will nest in the same area."
With the landing of boats and interaction by people being a threat to the species, landing on Skimmer Island is restricted during spawning season, between May and August. A first offense can carry a maximum of a $1,500 fine, and a second offense can carry a maximum of a $4,000 fine or one year in jail.
However, with the summer season at a close and Hermine effectively burdening a crucial breeding ground, the future of one of America's most unique birds in Maryland is unknown, as the few remaining fly southward to their winter homes in Florida and the Carolinas.
"It's the same with any other type of wildlife," Brinker said. "People need to be considerate, to stay away from breeding grounds, to watch them with binoculars and to be careful with their boats. We may not have the resources to build habitats or prevent the weather, but the individual can still make a difference."