Friday's Foto

There are four species of terns that are listed as either threatened or endangered in New York State. They are Least Tern (Threatened), Black Tern (Endangered), Roseate Tern (Endangered) and Common Tern (Threatened). Despite being the most widespread and abundant of the tern species in NYS, Common Terns have suffered significant declines in populations primarily due to increased human use of beaches for recreation, predation and competition with both Great Black-backed and Herring Gulls. During the late 19th century their populations were decimated by the millinery trade. Common Terns primarily winter along the coasts of Central and South America as far south as Peru and Argentina with small numbers along the Gulf Coast from central Texas to western Florida. One of the more unusual local breeding colonies is on a disused section of the Yankee Pier on Governor's Island in Buttermilk Channel.