6A the university daily kansan
news
monday, march 15,2004
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Nutritious and delicious
Jane Leek, Olathe junior, downed some Indian cuisine Thursday at Veggie Lunch, a free vegetarian meal offered every Thursday at Ecumenical Christian Ministries. Leek, who frequents the lunch, said Thursday's was one of the best she's had.
Birds' numbers dwindle
Kansas conservationists worry about least tern's future
By Bill Cross
bcross@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
A tiny bird that once made its summer home along rivers in Kansas has largely died out.
The Army Corps of Engineers is taking measures to halt the least tern's disappearance from Kansas waterways. The bird appears on state and national endangered species lists.
The least tern has been near extinction since the late 1800s. Because of its aesthetic appeal—least terns have sharply pointed wings, a forked tail and bright white undersides—it was hunted to adorn fancy women's hats, according to the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center.
Though that practice was outlawed over a century ago, the least terms were unable to recover their numbers because of habitat loss at interior waterways such as the Kaw and Arkansas rivers.
The birds flocked to Kansas after the floods of 1993. William Busby, associate scientist with the Kansas Biological Survey, said the post-flood conditions were ideal for the small birds, which make their homes on sandbars.
Since then, Busby said, conditions have become worse. Sandbars are washing away, and vegetation, which attracts predators, has begun to re-appear near natural habitats.
"It was great for terms because they love nesting in sites with no vegetation." Busby said at Thursday's Water and the Future of Kansas Conference in Lawrence.
Busby said conditions for the least tern have worsened by the construction of dams and other man-made water controls. He said water control has affected the water levels responsible for sandbar formation.
The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center said human interference with breeding and nesting
was an important factor. Sand-bars are used for recreation, a fishing spot or a campground. Humans can easily and inadvertently kill the tiny eggs.
The Army Corps of Engineers has posted signs, erected fences and built habitats for the least tern. Busby said the fences and signs deter predators and humans, and the habitats save some terms from flooding. The habitats are man-made sand-bars.
Despite these efforts, the bird will not thrive without a natural habitat, Busby said. Sandbars are created by high spring river flows followed by low summer flows, according to American Rivers, a conservation group.
—Edited by Collin LaJoie
The efforts of the Army Corps of Engineers have helped prevent extinction, but Busby said water management would continue to cause problems.