Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Southern coastal waders, like the little blue heron, are expanding their range northward along the New England coast-
line.
Southern coastal waders and shorebirds are expanding their range northward along the New England coast-
line—among them, great egret, snowy and cattle egrets, little blue heron, glossy ibis, American oystercatcher,
and willet. Oystercatchers and willets may be recovering from intensive hunting, which was not curtailed until
the 1920s, and the showy waders, likewise, may be rebounding from the era when they were hunted for their
plumes, and their general population increase is now pushing them northward. Populations of southern forest
birds—Carolina wren, red-bellied woodpecker, blue-gray gnatcatcher, worm-eating warbler, and orchard ori-
