IBA Home     Contacts     Criteria for Site Selection     IBA Map     IBA Sites     Links     Nomination Form      Technical Committee     TWRA Home

IBA symbol

Mississippi River
Least Tern Breeding Colony - Nebraska Point Dikes
(Upper and Lower)

    TWRA symbol

MAVLauderdale Co.Least Tern Surveys in the Mississippi River

Note: Least Tern breeding colonies that contain >1% of the total inland Least Tern breeding population can qualify as a separate IBA. In Tennessee, the site must meet this requirement 4 out of the last 5 years (2001-2005). Nebraska Point Dikes (Upper and Lower) are part of the IBA site, Mississippi Alluvial Valley in Tennessee.

Surveys: Interior Least Tern surveys have been conducted since 1985 by the Memphis District Army Corps of Engineers. In the period 2001-2005, a small boat survey technique was used to census the birds. Upon spotting a likely colony, terns were counted in the air and on the land from the boat as it drifted downstream. After this preliminary count, the site was usually surveyed on foot to count adults, nests, eggs, and chicks. (Jones 2005).  See Least Tern Surveys in the Mississippi River for a summary and each county for a county breakdown--Lake County and Obion County, Dyer County, Lauderdale County, Tipton County, and Shelby County.

Location:  Nebraska Point Dikes (Upper and Lower) (Ruckers Point), Lauderdale County, Tennessee.
Physiographic Province:  PIF 05 (Mississippi Alluvial Valley); BCR 26 (Mississippi Alluvial Valley)
Tennessee IBA Site Map - Nebraska Point Dikes.bmp
Geographical Coordinates:
    Nebraska Point Dikes (Upper)--2005. Lat. 358719N  Long. 0897663W
    Nebraska Point Dikes (Lower)--2005. Lat. 358553N  Long. 0897492W
    Nebraska Point Dikes            --2004. Lat. 358577N   Long. 0897545W
    Nebraska Point Dikes            --2003. Lat. 358583N   Long. 0897550W
    Nebraska Point Dikes            --2002. Lat. 355135N   Long. 0894534W
    Nebraska Point Dikes (Upper)--2001. Lat. 355145N  Long. 0894546W
    Nebraska Point Dikes (Lower)--2001. Lat. 355127N  Long. 0894506W
Elevation Range:
     About 230' Nebraska Point Dikes
Size:  acres
USGS 7.5' quad:  Armorel

Description: 

YEARSubstrateVegetationVegetation To Nearest Nest
(feet)
2005
(Upper)		SandGrass/Forbs100'
2005
(Lower)		SandGrass/Forbs60'
2004Sand/DebrisGrass/Forbs/Willows/Cottonwoods0'
2003Sand/DebrisGrass/Forbs/Willows50'
2002Sand/DebrisSmall Forbs100'
2001
(Upper)		SandNone0'
2001
(Lower)		SandPopulous/Grass/Forbs0'

IBA Criteria:  1

Ornithological Importance:  Nest site of inland race of Least Tern, a Tennessee and Federal Endangered species, containing >1% of the total inland Least Tern population for that year.
    Note 1a. 2005. Upper. Surveyed July 9. Nesting site on left bank, approximately 200 feet from the river to the center of the nest site. Adults 21. Nests: 1. Chicks: No. "Low, flat, clean sand bar between dikes with one tern sitting inland, the rest observed at the waterline. Coyote tracks abundant." TN Side. Map No. 45, A-I-13. Field Data Sighting Sheet A-II-30. (Jones 2005)
    Note 1b. 2005. Lower. Surveyed July 9. Nesting site on left bank, approximately 150 feet from the river to the center of the nest site. Adults 12. Eggs. 2 egg clutches. Nests: 1. Chicks: No. "Unattached, long, narrow, flat-topped sand bar with several wrack lines. Mobbing and other reproductive behavior observed. Coyote tracks along waterline and wrack lines. Last year's count yielded 649 adults at this site, with hundreds of chicks and nests." TN Side. Map No. 45, A-I-13. Field Data Sighting Sheet A-II-31. (Jones 2005)
    Note 2.  2004. Surveyed July 23. Nesting site on left bank, approximately 50 feet from the river to the center of the nest site. Adults: 649. Juveniles: Yes. Eggs: 1,2,3 egg clutches. Chicks: Yes. "Large, high (20 ft.), unattached sand bar with colony concentrated on highest points along wrack lines. Mobbing intense with nests containing eggs and chicks (and their tracks) of all ages all across the bar. No predator tracks or other signs of disturbance. Terns fishing on both sides, 76 on the opposite bank. 12 sandpipers." TN Side. Map No. 45, A-I-11. Field Data Sighting Sheet A-II-27. (Jones 2004).
    Note 3.  2003. Surveyed July 14. Nesting site on left bank, approximately 100 feet from the river to the center of the nest site. Adults: 600. Eggs: 1,2,3 egg clutches. Chicks: Yes. "Large, high, unattached sand bar with 2 well defined wrack lines and colony over 3/4 mile long. Nests and chicks of all ages all across the bar, one dead chick, cause unknown. No predator tracks or other signs of disturbance. Terns fishing on both sides, Gizzard Shad fingerling and Great Horned Owl feather. Heronry in back chute and 8 Canada Geese resting on downstream point." TN Side. Map No. 45, A-I-13. Field Data Sighting Sheet A-II-33. (Jones 2003).
    Note 4.  2002. Surveyed July 8. Nesting site on left bank, approximately 800 feet from the river to the center of the nest site. Adults: 410. Eggs: 2-3 egg clutches. Chicks: Yes. "High, flat, wide bar with colony over 1 mile long. Chicks abundant from newly hatched to 1 week of age. Many scrapes and abandoned eggs in vegetation. No predator or human signs. Birds breasting, fishing on river side and resting river side waterline." TN Side. Map A-I-16. Field Data Sighting Sheet A-II-29. (Jones 2002)
    Note 5a.  2001. Upper. Surveyed July 20. Nesting site on left bank, approximately 50 feet from the river to the center of the nest site. Adults: 86. Eggs: 1,2 egg clutches. Chicks: Yes. "Huge, flat, featureless sand bar with some mud. No tracks or other disturbance. Intense mobbing with chicks up to 5 days old and nests with 1 to 2 eggs. Three chicks banded, two blood and feather samples taken." TN Side. Map A-I-12. Field Data Sighting Sheet A-II-52. (Jones 2001)
    Note 5b. 2001. Lower. Surveyed July 20. Nesting site on left bank, approximately 30 feet from the river to the center of the nest site. Adults: 130. Eggs: 1-2 egg clutches. Chicks: Yes. "Large, high, steep, sandbar that is barely attached by breached dike. Colony in low vegetation and attached to colony upstream. No wrack lines, but scattered grasses and forbs. Chicks abundant up to 2 weeks of age. One nest located in shade of seedling cottonwood. Many eggs buried in silt within scrapes inundated by heavy rains. Fingerling Godly and many Shad. 16 Canada Geese in back chute." TN Side. Map A-I-12. Field Data Sighting Sheet A-11-53. (Jones 2001)

River Mile

2005
(Total Inland Population/>1%)
9,563/94 (a)
10,960/110 (b)

2004
(Total Inland Population/>1%)
9,061/91 (a)
11,239/112 (b)

2003
(Total Inland Population/>1%)
8,082/81 (a)

2002
(Total Inland Population/>1%)
5,802/58 (a)

2001
(Total Inland Population/>1%)
6,361/64 (a)

Source2

807--649
(See Note 2 above)		600
(See Note 3 above.)		410
(See Note 4 above.)		--7
807.721 (Upper)
(See Note 1a above.		------86 (Upper)
(See Note 5a above.)		7
806.812 (Lower)
(See Note 1b above.)		--------7
806.5--------130 (Lower)
(See Note 5b above.)		7
(a) Least Tern survey 2001-2003 was from Cape Girardeau, Missouri to Vicksburg, Mississippi, for a total of 577 river miles.
Number reflect survey of 577 river miles.
(b) Least Tern survey 2004-2005 was extended 200 miles to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for a total of 777 river miles.
Numbers reflect extended survey to 777 river miles.
Season1   B = Breeding, W = Wintering, SM = Spring Migration, FM = Fall Migration 
Source 2  1-Atlas Breeding Birds of Tennessee 2-Breeding Bird Surveys 3-Christmas Bird Counts
4-Point Counts 5-Refuge Counts 6-Personal observations 7-Other (Ken Jones, John Rumancik, et al.)

 

Ownership:  US Army Corps of Engineers
     Contact:  John Rumancik, Department of the Army, Memphis District Corps of Engineers, 167 North Main Street, B-202, Memphis, TN 38103-0894, (901) 544-3975,  John.P.Rumancik@mvm02.usace.army.mil.

Conservation Concerns:  Major concerns are predation and disturbance to birds.

Management Program:

Submitted by:

Additional Contributors:  Kenneth H. Jones, Associate Professor of Biology, Dyersburg State Community College, 1510 Lake Road, Dyersburg, TN 38024, 731-286-3367, kjones@dscc.edu.   John Rumancik, Department of the Army, Memphis District Corps of Engineers, 167 North Main Street, B-202, Memphis, TN 38103-0894, 901-544-3975,  John.P.Rumancik@mvm02.usace.army.mil.

References:
Jones, K. H. 2005. Population Survey of the Interior Least Tern on the Mississippi River from Cape Girardeau, Missouri to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Memphis District, Corps of Engineers.
Jones, K. H. 2004. Population Survey of the Interior Least Tern on the Mississippi River from Cape Girardeau, Missouri to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Memphis District, Corps  of Engineers.
Jones, K. H. 2003. Population Survey of the Interior Least Tern on the Mississippi River from Cape Girardeau, Missouri to Vicksburg, Mississippi. Memphis District, Corps  of Engineers.
Jones, K. H. 2002. Population Survey of the Interior Least Tern on the Mississippi River from Cape Girardeau, Missouri to Vicksburg, Mississippi. Memphis District, Corps  of Engineers.
Jones, K. H. 2001. Population Survey of the Interior Least Tern on the Mississippi River from Cape Girardeau, Missouri to Vicksburg, Mississippi. Memphis District, Corps  of Engineers.

Approved under the umbrella IBA site Mississippi Alluvial Valley:  February 2006--Yes 7  No 0


This page was last updated on 02/19/06.