<\/a>An Arctic tern nest is untended near the Nugget Falls Trail near Mendenhall Glacier. (Courtesy Photo | U.S. Forest Service)<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t
Baluss said a wolf wiped out seven nests, a rare-for-Juneau peregrine falcon preyed upon terns and a dog may have also caused that count.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
[Bird colony may have been attacked by dog<\/a>]<\/ins><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t The wolf event was especially surprising, Baluss said, because of its timing, location and the species involved.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t While wolves are known to eat both birds and eggs, Baluss said it was unusual for a wolf to be present near the visitor center at 2 a.m., when the nests were preyed upon, and to bother eating the terns’ relatively small eggs of birds. Arctic terns only grow to be about 5 ounces in weight.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “It’s certainly something new for here,” Baluss said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t She said loose dogs near where Arctic terns nest are also a concern. Whether the dogs cause harm to the birds or their eggs, the presence of potentially predatory animals disturbs Arctic terns, Baluss said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t During her talk, Baluss said Juneau’s colony is just a small piece of a global picture, but the worldwide status of the birds isn’t necessarily encouraging.<\/p>\n An adult Arctic tern stands near Photo Point near Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. Male and female Arctic terns appear similar from a distance and the birds only weigh at most about 5 ounces. (Courtesy Photo | Gwen Baluss)<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t “They are considered a conservation priority in the North American Waterbird Conservation Plan,” Baluss said. “They are likely to be affected by climate change.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Terns are fairly long-lived birds, Baluss said, and one geolocator-sporting bird was recorded as living to the age of 34. That longevity could potentially be masking population decline, Baluss said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t While watchers may not yet see significantly decreasing numbers of Arctic terns, Baluss said, it’s possible there are fewer new birds being hatched or surviving past being fledglings and an aging population could be prone to a sudden dropoff.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “I consider them to be ambassador birds,” Baluss said. “Hopefully, they make us care about climate change.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t More about the birds<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Baluss’ Arctic tern talk, which was the latest installation in a series of free ecological series, also included a number of facts about the birds who have one of the longest migrations in the world.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>