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Habitat Suitability Index Models: Forster's tern (breeding) - Gulf and Atlantic coasts

January 1, 1987

The nesting range of Forster's terns hosts three allopatric breeding populations. The first and most important breeding area, in terms of the number of nes t i ng pairs, includes the western guIf coas t from the Louisiana-Mississippi border to northern Tamaulipas, Mexico (American Ornithologists' Union [AOUJ 1983). In addition, small numbers of Forster's terns have nested in Mobile County, Alabama (Imhof 1976). Although this species has not been recorded nesting in Mississippi (J. Jackson, Mississippi State University, Starkville; pers. comm.), it is observed in the coastal regions of that State every summer, and several thousand nest in adjacent Louisiana (Portnoy 1977; Clapp et ale 1983). The two largest colonies of Forster's terns documented in the literature were both in Louisiana: one of 2,750 pairs in Lake Borgne on the Louisiana-Mississippi border and one of 2,263 pairs in Calcasieu Lake (Portnoy 1977).

Publication Year 1987
Title Habitat Suitability Index Models: Forster's tern (breeding) - Gulf and Atlantic coasts
Authors Richard P. Martin, Phillip J. Zwank
Publication Type Report
Publication Subtype Federal Government Series
Series Title FWS/OBS
Series Number 82/10.131
Index ID fwsobs82_10_131
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization U.S. Geological Survey