Common terns are declining in the Great Lakes region and represent a population relatively distinct from that of eastern North America. On an artificial site, I studied the substrate and vegetation preference and productivity of nesting terns at two scales: general habitat and nest-site. Terns nested later and less successfully in large river rock (13 to 25-cm diameter) compared to more diverse substrate and limestone (2.5-5.0 cm) when it was free of dead vegetation. Within a habitat, terns chose to nest where substrate was most diverse in rock size, soil, and non-vegetative debris. Percent standing cover did not affect hatching success, but did have a positive effect on fledging success. I monitored predation and nocturnal desertion and determined the behavior was variable between pairs and the detection of a black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) predating chicks at night did not lengthen the nocturnal nest desertion time of common terns.
","abstract_html":"<p>Common terns are declining in the Great Lakes region and represent a population relatively distinct from that of eastern North America. On an artificial site, I studied the substrate and vegetation preference and productivity of nesting terns at two scales: general habitat and nest-site. Terns nested later and less successfully in large river rock (13 to 25-cm diameter) compared to more diverse substrate and limestone (2.5-5.0 cm) when it was free of dead vegetation. Within a habitat, terns chose to nest where substrate was most diverse in rock size, soil, and non-vegetative debris. Percent standing cover did not affect hatching success, but did have a positive effect on fledging success. I monitored predation and nocturnal desertion and determined the behavior was variable between pairs and the detection of a black-crowned night heron (<i>Nycticorax nycticorax</i>) predating chicks at night did not lengthen the nocturnal nest desertion time of common terns.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Norwood, Gregory J."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Open Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Biology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Peter Bednekoff, PhD, Chair","Steve Francoeur, PhD","Mike Kielb, M.Sc."],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2011,"date_issued":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:44Z","subjects":["nest-site selection","nocturnal nest desertation","Sterna","Detroit River","colonial waterbirds","Biology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.emich.edu/theses/346","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Peter Bednekoff, PhD, Chair","Steve Francoeur, PhD","Mike Kielb, M.Sc."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Norwood, Gregory J."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2011-10-26T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["nest-site selection","nocturnal nest desertation","Sterna","Detroit River","colonial waterbirds","Biology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/346"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Common terns are declining in the Great Lakes region and represent a population relatively distinct from that of eastern North America. On an artificial site, I studied the substrate and vegetation preference and productivity of nesting terns at two scales: general habitat and nest-site. Terns nested later and less successfully in large river rock (13 to 25-cm diameter) compared to more diverse substrate and limestone (2.5-5.0 cm) when it was free of dead vegetation. Within a habitat, terns chose to nest where substrate was most diverse in rock size, soil, and non-vegetative debris. Percent standing cover did not affect hatching success, but did have a positive effect on fledging success. I monitored predation and nocturnal desertion and determined the behavior was variable between pairs and the detection of a black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) predating chicks at night did not lengthen the nocturnal nest desertion time of common terns.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Nest-site selection, nocturnal nest desertion, and productivity in a common tern (sterna hirundo) colony at Detroit River, Michigan"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Peter Bednekoff, PhD, Chair","Steve Francoeur, PhD","Mike Kielb, M.Sc."],"dc:creator":["Norwood, Gregory J."],"dc:date.available":["2011-10-26T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Common terns are declining in the Great Lakes region and represent a population relatively distinct from that of eastern North America. On an artificial site, I studied the substrate and vegetation preference and productivity of nesting terns at two scales: general habitat and nest-site. Terns nested later and less successfully in large river rock (13 to 25-cm diameter) compared to more diverse substrate and limestone (2.5-5.0 cm) when it was free of dead vegetation. Within a habitat, terns chose to nest where substrate was most diverse in rock size, soil, and non-vegetative debris. Percent standing cover did not affect hatching success, but did have a positive effect on fledging success. I monitored predation and nocturnal desertion and determined the behavior was variable between pairs and the detection of a black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) predating chicks at night did not lengthen the nocturnal nest desertion time of common terns.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/346"],"dc:subject":["nest-site selection","nocturnal nest desertation","Sterna","Detroit River","colonial waterbirds","Biology"],"dc:title":["Nest-site selection, nocturnal nest desertion, and productivity in a common tern (sterna hirundo) colony at Detroit River, Michigan"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:44Z"}