Delaware Bay American Oystercatcher Project
Monitoring New Jersey's Understudied Population of American Oystercatchers Nesting along the Delaware Bay
Conservation Efforts
Since 2022, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey (CWF), in collaboration with The Wetlands Institute (TWI) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), has spearheaded the first comprehensive effort to monitor American oystercatchers nesting along New Jersey’s side of the Delaware Bay. These charismatic shorebirds, known for their vibrant orange beaks and specialized shellfish diet, live and breed in New Jersey’s coastal habitats. Like many other coastal species, they face increasing threats from habitat loss, flooding, predation, and human disturbance, making their conservation a priority. While American oystercatcher populations along New Jersey’s Atlantic Coast have been closely monitored since 2003, significant portions of the state’s oystercatcher population that utilize alternative habitats like salt marshes, rooftops, and bay beaches have been historically understudied and unmonitored.
In 2021, a CWF-led census survey confirmed the presence of over a dozen nesting oystercatcher pairs along New Jersey’s Delaware Bay beaches. To shed light on this understudied population, CWF and its partners launched the first comprehensive monitoring program for these birds in 2022, made possible through funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund. The Delaware Bay American Oystercatcher project aims to track breeding success, evaluate nesting habitat characteristics, and explore how restoration efforts, such as beach replenishment and Phragmites removal, can support oystercatcher productivity. By combining tools like game cameras, banding, and GPS transmitters, researchers are gathering detailed insights into the birds’ productivity, movement patterns, and foraging behavior. The data gathered over the years will be used to inform future management decisions and restoration strategies on the Delaware Bay.
Habitat Restoration
Habitat restoration is a significant aspect of our efforts to support the American oystercatcher population along New Jersey’s Delaware Bay. Bayshore beaches are narrower and lower in elevation compared to ocean beaches, making them prone to flooding and erosion. To study nest site selection, we assess habitat characteristics at each nest site including precise elevation measurements. We are evaluating the use of restoration techniques that improve, restore, or create nesting habitat. For example, we have targeted high-priority nesting sites to enhance breeding habitats by removing invasive Phragmites, which can encroach on critical nesting areas. Restoration activities also include monitoring the effectiveness of existing beach replenishment and living shoreline projects, to assess their potential impact on nesting success and habitat use. Using insights gained from this work, we aim to develop best practices and provide guidance for future habitat restoration projects, ensuring these areas remain suitable for oystercatchers and other species that depend on the Delaware Bay such as migratory shorebirds and horseshoe crabs.
Tracking Movements
We are researching American oystercatcher movement patterns to better understand how these birds utilize the Delaware Bay and beyond. As part of our project, we are banding breeding adults and pre-fledged chicks to monitor site fidelity, survival, and dispersal. Currently, around 42% of the Delaware Bay breeding population is banded, allowing us to gain valuable data from multiple birds. Already, band resights have confirmed wintering locations in Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, and New Jersey.
In 2024, we partnered with The Wetlands Institute, Cellular Tracking Technologies, and The Cape May Point Science Center to expand our tracking program by deploying GPS transmitters on Delaware Bay oystercatchers. This technology allows us to track fine-scale movements of individual birds in near real-time, providing more robust data than band resights alone. Over time, these transmitters will collect data on migration, foraging ranges, nesting site use, and habitat preferences, including the utilization of living shorelines and restored areas. By combining these tracking methods with in-the-field observations, we are building a comprehensive picture of how oystercatchers interact with their environment, which will guide future conservation strategies and habitat management efforts.
Learn More
Contact
Emmy Casper, Wildlife Biologist
emmy.casper@conservewildlifenj.org
Project Partners



