Abstract
Efforts to protect the endangered northwest Atlantic population of Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii) have typically focused on a small number of breeding colonies distributed from Nova Scotia to New York. Yet the species is also potentially vulnerable at staging sites used by adults and recently fledged juveniles preparing for their southward migration to South America. My study found no evidence of pronounced changes in the overall distribution of Roseate Tern fall staging flocks over 5 decades. Coastal Massachusetts, especially Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard, annually support large numbers, representing a significant portion of the North Atlantic breeding population, from mid-July through late August. This work provides a long-term review of Roseate Tern fall staging behavior in northeastern North America and a foundation for ongoing and future studies aimed at clarifying specific threats faced by this species at specific staging sites during the post-breeding period.
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