Oregon Islands

Oregon Islands NWR https://www.fws.gov/refuge/oregon_islands https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Islands_National_Wildlife_Refuge Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge is located off the southwestern Oregon Coast. It is one of six National Wildlife Refuges comprising the Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The Oregon Islands provides wilderness protection to 1,853 small islands, rocks, and reefs plus two headlands, totaling 371 acres (150 ha) spanning 1,083 acres (438 ha) of Oregon's coastline from the Oregon–California border to Tillamook Head. Except for Tillamook Rock Light and its surrounding 1-acre (4,000 m2) rock, all the islands are closed to public access. Boats must remain at least 500 feet (150 m) away. However, good viewing is possible from Coquille Point in Bandon and other locations suggested by the Oregon Coast Birding Trail.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge Coquille Point Unit Clatsop, Tillamook, Lincoln, Lane, Coos, and Curry Counties, Oregon R 14 W 124°26'0"W Coquille Point Unit Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge t K ison ! ³ A Bandon M ad Pacific Ocean 0 t. W Av e . 4th S 5th S Miles 5 t. W OREGON t K Area of map 0 Kilometers 5 6th S t. W m ! Seaview Ct. Table Rock 7th St. W 43°7'0"N m ! 8th St. W North Coquille Point Rock Newport Ave. T 28 S Coquille Point Unit 9th St. W [! ! Õ! ] Middle Coquille Point Rock Portland Ave. Interpretive Trail Ö ! 11th 11th St. W i ! m ! Elephant Rock 10th St. W Newport Ave. T 28 S Lincoln Ave. 43°7'0"N St. W 1 1t hS t. W Legend Refuge Lands Help Protect Wildlife è S ! Jennie St. All Rocks, Reefs and Islands are Closed to Public Access. [ ! Wildlife Viewing Area Õ ! Interpretive Panel ] ! Seasonal Volunteer Wildlife Interpreter m ! Beach Access i ! Parking Trail 124°26'0"W PRODUCED IN THE DIVISION OF REFUGE PLANNING NEWPORT, OREGON LAND STATUS CURRENT TO: 10/20/06 MAP DATE: 11/7/07 BASEMAP: 2005 NAIP IMAGERY MERIDIAN: WILLAMETTE FILE: ORG_COQ_PUBLIC_110707.MXD R 14 W 0 0 0.05 0.05 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 Kilometers Miles UTM ZONE 10 NAD 83 

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Seabirds of the Pacific Northwest Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex 2127 SE Marine Science Drive Newport, OR 97365 541-867-4550 www.fws.gov/oregoncoast Washington Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Complex 715 Holgerson Road Sequim, WA 98382 www.fws.gov/washingtonmaritime Refuge System Information 1-800-344-WILD U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service March 2008 The Significance of Seabirds Seabirds are ocean-dwelling birds that live off the bounty of the sea, coming to land only to breed and raise their young. Largely unseen by humans in fall and winter, these birds are easily observed in spring and summer when they return from sea to colonize coastal islands, rocks, and precarious cliffs by the hundreds of thousands. A seabird’s life on land is gregarious and chaotic. As spring arrives flotillas of thousands of seabirds can be seen around nesting islands as they reinforce pair bonds and prepare to mate. Longer days bring seabirds to the height of the breeding season. Some fly underwater in pursuit of prey while others cruise the ocean surface and glean food to bring back to growing chicks. The wild and rocky Pacific Coast provides seabirds with ideal nesting habitat. Thousands of coastal rocks and islands dot more than 500 miles extending from Washington into Northern California. Though small in size they provide safe breeding habitat for 14 species of seabirds with a population exceeding two million. Most of these rocks and islands are protected as National Wildlife Refuges and/or National Wilderness Areas and are closed to public use at all times. Like the canary in the coal mine, seabirds are harbingers of harmful conditions in their environment. Whether natural or human-induced, disturbance and changes in ocean health are quickly reflected in reproductive success and survival. Some species of seabirds are declining and in these cases every effort must be made to protect them. © Ram Papish Western Gull Tufted Puffin Rhinoceros Auklet Leach’s Storm-Petrel Double-crested Cormorant A Niche of One’s Own Space on an island is limited, but numerous species can coexist by exploiting different areas. Seabird species are found in predictable spots largely due to their different nesting strategies. They nest on the ground, on cliff ledges, in underground burrows, and in rocky crevices. Tufted Puffins stand guard at burrow entrances high on grassy slopes, Common Murres pack tightly together on level ground, and Pigeon Guillemots tuck away in dark crevices lower on the rock. Listen for the high, shrill call of Black Oystercatchers as they prowl the rocky intertidal for invertebrates. Black Oystercatcher Brandt’s Cormorant Common Murre Birds of the Summer Seas The rocky marine islands of the Northwest remain uninhabited during the short days and long nights of winter. But come summer the islands are again bustling with the raucous atmosphere of tens of thousands of seabirds returning to raise young. Fourteen different species all vie for suitable space on the islands where they can lay their eggs. Over time this wide variety of birds has adapted to each other and flourishes in this concentrated community. Pelagic Cormorant Pigeon Guillemot Why Islands? Seabirds are clumsy on land making them vulnerable to land predators. Inaccessible islands and cliffs offer safety from predatory mammals and intrusive humans. For this reason, predators have played a selective role in seabirds’ choice of nesting habitat. Cassin’s Auklet Common Murre Common Murre are gregarious, clustering in dense colonies on the flat tops and wide ledges of islands. The birds nest shoulder to shoulder and may be so tightly packed that single birds returning from sea often land on the heads of others to settle in. A stark white breast contrasts sleek black feathers to create counter-shaded plumage on a bird that stands upright. Murres lay a single pear-shaped egg on bare ground. At only 4 weeks of age, the still flightless chick jumps from the cliff into the sea to join its father who teaches it to fish and avoid predation. Brandt’s Cormorant Common Murre Cormorants Double-crested Cormorant The smallest cormorant on the Pacific, Pelagic Cormorant have glossy purple-black feathers and bold white flank patches. They have the long, sleek necks found in all cormorants but also show a conspicuous red face and throat pouch. They nest singly or in loose colonies on narrow shelves of steep cliffs and use guano to cement together a nest of sea weeds and grasses. Cormorant use their feet to propel them when pursuing small fish in underwater dives. Pelagic Cormorant Brandt’s Cormorant are only found in estuaries and open ocean. These colonial nesters make a nest of guano, seaweed, and grasses on the top of rocky islands often in association with murres. A stout cormorant with glossy black feathers and a thick neck, it really stands out in the breeding season when the gular, or throat pouch, is coba