Status of the Great Lakes Piping Plover & the Emerging Threat of Type-E E Botulism

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1 Status of the Great Lakes Piping Plover & the Emerging Threat of Type-E E Botulism By Jack Dingledine Region 3 Piping Plover Coordinator US Fish and Wildlife Service East Lansing Field Office

2 Status of the Great Lakes Piping Plover & the Emerging Threat of Type-E E Botulism Species Life History & Ecology Past & Current Distribution in the Basin Disease Threat of Type-E E Botulism Recommendations

3 Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) Sidney Maddock

4 North American Range of the Piping Plover

5 Observations of GL-PIPLs Breeding and Wintering locations confirmed sightings possible sightings JHS, 1/02

6 Historic distribution Piping Plovers in the Great Lakes Ontario Breeding locations Minnesota Wisconsin Michigan New York Illinois Indiana Ohio Pennsylvania (Cottrille 1956, Russell 1983)

7 Current distribution Piping Plovers in the Great Lakes Ontario Breeding locations Non-breeding observations Minnesota Wisconsin Michigan New York Illinois Indiana Ohio Pennsylvania

8

9 Nesting Behavior and Chronology 3-4 month breeding period Arrive in April, initiate nesting in May and may extend to July Incubate for days Sparsely vegetated beaches with cobble/debris 3-4 eggs Photo:Van Zoeren Sexes share incubation duty Photo:Van Zoeren May re-nest, once

10 Nesting Behavior and Chronology Young Piping Plover Chick

11 Multi-partner Recovery Program National Park Service US Forest Service Michigan and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources University of Minnesota Canadian Wildlife Service American Zoo and Aquarium Association Great Lakes Tribes Non-governmental Organizations (Nature Conservancy)

12 Recovery Plan Piping Plover Recovery Plan Published September 2003 Five criteria Recovery action outline Implementation schedule

13 Multi-partner Recovery Program Survey, Nest Protection and Monitoring Salvage Captive Rearing Banding

14 Nest Protection and Monitoring

15 Salvage Captive Rearing

16 Banding Program 2007 Season Summary 82% of adults uniquely banded (n = 95 of 120) 95% of fledged chicks banded (n = 126 of 135) 151 chicks banded in 2007

17 Population Status '01 '03 '05 '07 Year Breeding Pairs Listing Exclosures Captive rearing

18 Breeding Success Estimates Fledging Rate Total Lower Michigan Upper Michigan Wisconsin Canada

19 Current distribution Great Lakes Piping Plovers Ontario 63 pairs in 2007 Wisconsin Michigan New York Illinois Indiana Ohio Pennsylvania Nesting Locations

20 Breeding Pair Distribution 32% 8% 60% Lake Michigan Lake Huron Lake Superior 1997

21 Breeding Pair Distribution 1% 14% Lake Michigan Lake Huron Lake Superior 85% 2007

22 Land Ownership 28% Great Lakes Region Federal State Township Private 4% 55% 13%

23 Land Ownership 0% 14% Lower Penins ula, MI Federal State Towns hip Private 19% 67%

24 Breeding Pair Distribution 70 Number of Piping Plover breeding pairs at SLBE relative to the Great Lakes population Number of pairs Glen Haven & Sleeping Bear Point Tiesma (includes Railroad) Platte Point (includes Old Indian) NMI (Dimmick's & Donner's) Other pairs in the Great Lakes Region Year Source: NPS at SLBE

25 Outbreak of Disease, Type E Botulism Photo:Van Zoeren

26 Photos:Van Zoeren

27 June, 2007 Photo:Van Zoeren

28 Type E botulism cycle in Great Lakes Eagles Hawks Dabbling Ducks Coots, Shorebirds Piscivorous Birds Loons, Cormorants, Herons, Mergansers, Gulls Piscivorous Fish Freshwater Drum, Smallmouth Bass, Sturgeon? Diving Ducks Long-tailed Ducks Scaup, Redhead Mudpuppies? Turtles: Map, Softshell, Mud? Round Goby??? Carp, other fish? Non-mussel Invertebrates? Sediment Mussels? Algae? Image courtesy of USGS

29 Type C (E?) Botulism Maggot Cycle

30 Type E botulism Exposure in Shorebirds Photo:Van Zoeren

31 Type E botulism Exposure in Shorebirds Photo:Van Zoeren

32 Piping Plover Vital Rate Estimation Parameter Value Mean Chicks Fledged per Female (SD) 1.53 (+ /-.4) % Likelihood an Egg Survives to Fledge (+ /- 8.77) Mean 1st year Survivorship % (+ /- SD) (+ /- 2.15) Mean > 1st year Survivorship % (+ /- SD) (+ /- 1.91)

33 Vital Rate Sensitivity Analysis Sensitvity Reproductive Rate > 1st Year Survival 1st Year Survival Vital Rates VORTEX GLPP Sensitivity ~ Slope of mean growth rate regressed against 80 to 120% of baseline values for reproductive and survivorship rates Source: Univ. of Minn.

34 Population Projections No 12 Immigration Losses per year 66 Immigrants/Year Losses per year 12 Modeled Immigrants/Year population Great Lakes Population population

35 Conclusions 1) GL PIPL population shift towards Lake Michigan shoreline 2) Public lands increasing important 3) Restricted distribution increases threat potential 4) Population recovery sensitive to adult survival rates 5) Early season outbreaks of disease impacts reproductively active adults and chicks 6) Continual loses from disease threaten recovery gains

36 Recommendations 1) Continue to manage GL PIPL habitat at a variety of federal, state and local sites across the GL basin 2) Conduct daily patrols of GL PIPL nesting areas, inclusive of all species potentially at risk 3) Remove/bury any dead birds or fish from beaches as soon as possible 4) Investigate the feasibility of grooming beaches when cladophora mats present

37 Recommendations (cont.) 5) Evaluate the feasibility of administration of an anti-toxin toxin to affected birds 6) Conduct additional research to confirm pathways of exposure