Marsh Madness 2026 T-Shirt

Description

Least Terns
The beautiful bird on this year’s Marsh Madness T-shirt is the Least Tern. The Least Tern is a state endangered species that visits Goose Pond every spring. We actually have a special area on Goose Pond called Tern Island that is carefully managed for this species. Least Terns depend on gravel islands in rivers and other water bodies for nesting. Each spring, we prepare the Tern Island for their arrival by spraying and raking the gravel. The marsh bird program in the Division of Fish, Wildlife, and Nature Preserves then places decoys to attract the birds to the island and monitors for nesting. Nest shelters are placed and nest success and fledglings are carefully monitored throughout the summer. During this time, public access to the area is restricted to encourage ethical wildlife watching and limit disturbance to these birds and their fledglings.