Beach Driving Fact Sheet
Decline of shorebirds since 1995
The number of colonial waterbirds nesting on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore beaches has declined from a high of 1311 nests in 1997 to 212 nests in 2007 - an 84% decline in 10 years.
| Bird | Population in 1995 | Population in 2007 | Percent decline |
|---|---|---|---|
 Gull billed tern |
108 | 0 | 100% |
 Black Skimmer |
454 | 0 | 100% |
 Common tern |
739 | 18 | 97% |
 Least tern |
464 | 194 | 58% |
 American Oystercatcher |
41* | 20-22 breeding pairs | 49% |
* numbers are based on 1999 data.