Important Bird Area: Yarmouth Beaches
Site Summary
Nominated By
Matt Bailey, Scott Hecker
Size
300 acres
Towns and Counties
Yarmouth; Barnstable
Ownership
municipal, private
Major Habitats
salt marsh, coastal beach, marine/tidal
Land Use
nature & wildlife conservation/land trust, other recreation or tourism
IBA Criteria
- Category 1: Sites important for long-term research and/or monitoring projects that contribute substantially to ornithology, bird conservation, and/or education.
- Category 5: Sites regularly holding significant numbers of an endangered, threatened, vulnerable, or declining species.
Site Description
This strip of beach runs along the south side of Cape Cod and is on Nantucket Sound. The east end of the site is a very busy public beach belonging to the town of Yarmouth, called Seagull Beach, and the west end on Great Island has relatively low recreational use as a private beach. Piping Plovers nest throughout.
Current Conservation Status
The primary issues at these sites are recreational use and beach nourishment projects. Mass Audubon's Coastal Waterbird Program (CWP) staff work with town officials and private landowners to minimize these effects.
Ornithological Significance
This site has been a significant nesting area for coastal waterbirds for at least the past seven years. Mass Audubon's CWP has been monitoring the site for fifteen years.
Other Flora or Fauna of Significance
None known.
Data Sources
MassWildlife Piping Plover Reports. Extensive records of Piping Plover breeding status from Mass Audubon CWP Records.