Official 2025 Nesting Season Results!

It is finally time to share the official results of the 2025 shorebird nesting season! Over the past several months, our team has compiled all of the data collected by field staff and volunteers throughout the 2025 nesting season. This is a tremendous effort, and we would like to thank you all again for your valuable contributions to this dataset. Overall, Connecticut shorebirds had a productive nesting season in 2025, in addition to achieving few exciting milestones that I highlighted below.

I will be in touch at the beginning of the new year to share details about the 2026 nesting season. We hope to have many of you join us again on the beaches next year! Until then, stay warm and enjoy the winter birds in our backyards and on our beaches. As always, reach out to ctwaterbirds@gmail.com with any questions!

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Volunteer Effort Summary:

• Total number of volunteer reports submitted in 2025: 719
• Total volunteer monitoring hours in 2025: 1507
• Number of beachgoers engaged in conversations about birds/conservation: 1098

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Additionally, we would like to recognize the following volunteers for their outstanding efforts:

Volunteers who contributed the highest number of monitoring hours in 2025:

• Carolyn Arnold: 48 hours
• Jackie Kirby: 39 hours
• Patrice Favreau: 37 hours

Volunteers who engaged the highest number of beachgoers engaged in conversations about birds/conservation in 2025:

• Nicole Crane: 83 beachgoers
• Larissa Graham: 78 beachgoers
• Jackie Kirby: 46 beachgoers

Thank you each and every one of our amazing volunteers!

Piping Plover. Photo: Katherine Wittgenstein/Audubon Photography Awards

Piping Plover Summary:

Piping Plover season highlights:

• 2025 had the highest number of Piping Plover chicks fledged per pair since monitoring in Connecticut began in 1984!
• 2025 had the second highest number of nesting Piping Plover pairs ever recorded (81 pairs in 2025, 83 pairs in 2024)

American Oystercatcher. Photo: Nicholas Wetzel/Audubon Photography Awards

American Oystercatcher Summary:

American Oystercatcher season highlights:

• 2025 had the highest number of American Oystercatcher chicks fledged per pair since monitoring began in Connecticut!
• Productivity on offshore islands was very high (predation and human disturbance tend to be higher at mainland sites)

Lest Tern. Photo: Martin Culpepper/Audubon Photography Awards

Least Tern Summary:

Least Tern season highlights:

• Least Tern productivity in 2025 was higher than 2023 and 2024

Common Tern. Photo: Michael Rickershauser/Audubon Photography Awards

Common Tern Summary: (Note: no data table since Common Terns did not nest at volunteer-monitored sites)

• 442 pairs in 2025
• Common Terns nested on 13 islands, 7 small colonies ranging from 1-10 pairs
• High hatching success on offshore islands

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Thanks for reading! More information about the 2026 season will be coming soon!

Marissa

Audubon CT Volunteer Coordinator