1,500 Tern Eggs Left Abandoned After a Drone Crashes in California

A drone was reported to have crash-landed on a tern nesting site in Huntington Beach, Calif which drove away around 2,500 elegant terns, leaving behind 1,500 unhatched eggs.

Authorities in Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve where the nesting site was located are currently in search for the drone operator since the crashed drone remained unclaimed for three weeks now.

The environmental scientist and manager of the reserve told The New York Times that she had never seen such disaster in her 20 years of working in wildlife and in the field. "My gut is wrenching. It's awful to see," she exclaimed.

The Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve had been a safe but critical habitat for elegant terns, including the endangered California least tern and the Ridgway's rail. Although other common hazards have frequently disturbed the reserve by bikes, dogs and predators such as coyotes and peregrine falcons, biologists believe that drones should not be among one of them.

Elegant Tern Migration

Elegant terns, a family of gulls and terns with a pointed orange bill, generally inhabit coasts, bays, and beaches or oceans close to shore over shallow waters. Reports say elegant terns migrating from Central and South America every month of April have been reaching California in increasing numbers since about 1950. At this time, among 800 species rely in the sands of the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, which encompasses 1,300 acres of coastal estuary.

The reserve also includes open water, mudflats, salt marsh, coastal dunes, seabird nesting islands, riparian, and freshwater marsh and among one of the last remaining protected coastal wetlands in Southern California.

While terns are not considered a species of endangered birds, some of them specifically the California Least Tern or Sterna antillarum browni and Ridgway's Rail, previously called California Clapper Rail are and they currently rely on the reserve for sanctuary and protection.

The Reserve Calls for More Protection

The entire elegant tern population have reached about 100,000 to 150,000 worldwide. However, the 1,500 lost eggs were still considered as a grave loss for biologists and what happened with the crashed drone is troubling.

Officer Nicholas Molsberry of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife had already asked for a search warrant so that he can review the contents of the drone's memory card, and fortunately identify the operator. Misdemeanor criminal charges may be filed against the offender relevant to the damaged eggs and nests, harassment of wildlife and use of drone in a closed ecological reserve.

Ms. Loebl said that the drone was a big threat and 'predator' for the terns that absolutely terrified them and led them to flee. A similar incident happened on May 13 where illegal drone scared away thousands of birds, abandoning 2,000 eggs.

Although drones have already been prohibited in the reserve under California rules, the reserve hopes a federal rule will be issued by the Federal Aviation Administration to reduce popularity of drones in the area, disturbing several thousands of nesting seabirds.