Nesting Islands
Seabirds live over the open ocean, returning to land
only once a year to nest. Maine's coastal islands
provide nesting places for a diverse assemblage of seabirds, including
terns (Arctic, Common and the endangered Roseate), puffins, guillemots,
razorbills, cormorants (Double-crested and Great), Leach's storm petrels, gulls (Herring, Great Black-backed and Laughing) and the Common Eider (although not a true seabird).
Machias Seal Island Light |
Their survival depends on suitable
nesting habitat. Of the 4,600 coastal
islands in Maine, 294 have been designated by the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service as nationally significant seabird nesting
islands. There is some form
of federal, state or private protection for 169 of these nesting
islands. But the remaining 125 are under increasing pressure
from coastal developmnt and recreational uses.
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Two Bush Island Light |
Friends
of Maine Seabird Islands brings together groups
and individuals who are committed to preserving and protecting
these islands and the bird species who are dependent
upon them.
Restoring Seabirds in the Gulf of Maine
Metinic Island |
What
do kayakers and gulls have in common? They both pose a hazard
for nesting tern colonies on Metinic Island. Since 1991, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service biologists and other wildlife biologists have been
restoring terns by removing or scaring away gulls and restricing public access (more about seabird restoration...).
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