Federally endangered interior least tern observed by Biological Science Technician, Wildlife, Kevin Lowry on 30 May 2008. Outreach program provided on 28 June 2008 in Jacob, IL, Photo credit: USFWS

Kevin Lowry connects children with nature by offering informational and inspirational outreach program on the life history of the federally endangered interior least tern on 28 June 2008. Photo credit: Robert Cail, USFWS.

With squally winds blowing, dark gray clouds blocked the sun’s rays all morning on Saturday, June 28, 2008.  But the gloomy weather did not prevent citizens from the small Illinois township of Jacob from taking “terns” to get a bird’s eye view of a new neighbor that moved into town in late May.  Service employees from Middle Mississippi National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and Ecological Service’s (ES) Marion sub-office put together an event to introduce the people of Jacob to the endangered least tern.

The project got its start when local terns decided to nest on a gravel road in Jacob.  Generally, the bird makes its home on open sandbars along the Mississippi River, but high water levels forced the bird to make Swan Pond Road its temporary home.  The road floods at least once every two to three years, leaving behind sand and small gravel, which the birds used to camouflage its two or three buff, lighted spotted eggs in a shallow scrape in the substrate.  To protect the terns, county officials closed the road until the birds complete their nesting cycle. 

During the outreach event, the Service provided spotting scopes and binoculars to help visitors view the nesting terns from a distance.  But participants got a bonus: one adult male decided to put on a show -- as television news cameras rolled -- by elegantly flying overhead into the strong winds, loudly and sharply announcing “kellick kip-kip-kip-kiddeek,” or in other words “Hey, watch this!”

The bird hovered in one spot over the inundated farm fields for nearly eight seconds, peered downward in search of an appetizer to bring its mate, folded its wings and slammed into the water.  “Holy cow, did you just see that?” said Missy Klein of Jacob.  Another woman screamed, “Woooooow, cool!”  While the audience continued to look on in amazement, the adult male exploded out of the water and flew off with a small minnow in its beak, bringing it back to the nesting female.

Those who attended the outreach program were treated to gift bags, courtesy of Ecological Services, full of bird-related stickers, pencils, posters, coloring books, as well as a least tern beanie baby, which when squeezed, makes the actual call of a least tern.

Administrative Assistant Shelley Simmonds from the Marion ES Field Office and Assistant Field Supervisor Joyce Collins ordered and filled all gift bags and handed them out to members of the audience.  Collins, along with Refuge Manager, Robert Cail enthusiastically answered additional questions after the program ended.  "What a great day and experience this has been for Service staff and local citizens alike," Cail said.   

“This is a wonderful outreach opportunity to inform and inspire not only adults but also our youth, who will be the decision makers in the future” said Kevin Lowry, Biological Science Technician who instructed the Migratory Bird Program on interior least terns.  Lowry was also interviewed by WSIL News Channel 3. “We are aware the road closure is an inconvenience to some local residents.  However, this can be looked at from a positive point of view as well.  Bird watchers from other towns in Illinois and Missouri will visit Jacob to view the federally endangered birds, ensuring increased visibility to local businesses,” Lowry pointed out.

Ten-year-old Timmy Korondo, a local resident, ecstatically said, “My favorite bird used to be a red cardinal, but now it’s the interior least tern!”  After the program came to an end, senior citizen Larry Clemons said, “I am 87 years old and I just learned something new today.  Thank you for that.” 

The interior least tern is a very small white tern with black cap, white forehead, pale gray back and wings, black-tipped yellow bill and very shallow wingbeat.  The interior population was listed as endangered in 1985 after populations declined due to threats such as habitat loss and degradation and disturbance of nesting sites.

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