SMART NEWS

Nesting Shorebirds Are Mobbing Drones on New York City Beaches

The drones, equipped with inflatable life rafts, were intended to help improve public safety for humans this summer—but they’re also upsetting orange-beaked birds called American oystercatchers

Sarah Kuta

Daily Correspondent

Two large birds standing next to a chick
American oystercatchers use their orange bills to pry open shellfish. Rhododendrites via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 4.0

For the first time, the New York City police department began using drones equipped with inflatable rafts to help improve public safety on the city’s beaches this summer. The unmanned gadgets, which are equipped with cameras, are intended to drop the flotation devices near distressed swimmers and serve as an extra set of eyes for lifeguards, as they scan for sharks in the water.

So far, the pilot project has had some success: Last week, the NYPD said a drone spotted a shark off Rockaway Beach, which prompted officials to close part of the shoreline to protect swimmers.

But not everyone is thrilled about the buzzing, remote-controlled vehicles with rotating blades. American oystercatchers—shellfish-eating shorebirds with long orange beaks—are attacking the drones in an apparent bid to protect their nests.

The interactions are raising concerns about the safety of the birds, which could become injured by the drones’ fast-moving blades. (The drones can be up to three feet long.) Additionally, by mobbing the drones, the birds are expending precious time and energy that could be used for tending to their chicks or protecting their nests from predators like raccoons and crabs.

Worst-case scenario: The American oystercatchers may become so stressed by the presence of the whirling, man-made gizmos that they abandon their nests altogether, which could affect the vulnerable species’ population numbers.

“Wildlife in New York is often an afterthought,” says Chris Allieri, a bird advocate and founder of the NYC Plover Project, to Jake Offenhartz of the Associated Press (AP). “We should be asking ourselves how we can use this technology in a way that works for all New Yorkers, and that includes those with feathers.”

an american oystercatcher on the sand with a crustacean in its beak
An American oystercatcher probes for food on a beach. Kelly Colgan Azar via Flickr under CC BY-ND 2.0

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists American oystercatchers as a species of “high conservation concern” in its U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan. The birds are also protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.

American oystercatchers are striking. They have black feathers on their heads, chocolate brown feathers on their wings and backs, and white feathers on their undersides. Their beaks are bright orange, and their eyes are yellow. They also have vibrant orange rings around their eyes.

They use their long beaks to pluck oysters, clams and other shellfish from the sand, then skillfully pry them open to reveal the soft flesh inside. They primarily inhabit the coasts of the Americas, as well as throughout many Caribbean islands.

American oystercatchers face several threats to their survival. Their habitat often overlaps with human recreation and development areas, and the birds are sensitive to dogs, vehicles and pedestrians. They’re threatened by rising sea levels and more frequent and intense storms caused by climate change. And their eggs and chicks are being gobbled up by feral cats, skunks and other animals.

The species nests along the coast of New York, along with other shorebirds, including piping plovers, terns and black skimmers. But so far, the other birds don’t seem to mind the drones. Most of the attacks have been carried out by American oystercatchers.

After learning about the conflict, the city’s drone operators agreed to launch the unmanned aircraft farther from American oystercatcher nests. The city’s police, fire and emergency management departments have also been holding briefings about the birds, which have included an educational component about their life cycles.

But those steps don’t seem to go far enough: After the adjustments, American oystercatchers were still seen mobbing drones, per the AP.

“Oystercatchers, in particular, are very defensive of their young, and they see drones as real predators for themselves or their chicks,” says Shiloh Schulte, an ornithologist who leads the American Oystercatcher Recovery Program for the bird conservation organization Manomet, to the New York Times’ Michael Levenson. “They think the drones are some form of raptor, so that’s why they’re attacking them. They see them as some sort of threat.”

Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

Sarah Kuta

Sarah Kuta is a writer and editor based in Longmont, Colorado. She covers history, science, travel, food and beverage, sustainability, economics and other topics.