Crescent Island becomes a focal point as multiple predator colonies return

Researchers said Crescent Island has become a management concern after passive dissuasion was discontinued and multiple predator species re‑established large colonies. Alan Evans described vegetation removal and the return of multiple predator species on Crescent Island in 2025, noting that the island then hosted large colonies of Caspian terns, double‑crested cormorants and American white pelicans and produced the highest cumulative predation rates observed in their monitoring.

Evans said these patterns were partly driven by colony failures elsewhere (e.g., pelican and cormorant colonies that failed and displaced birds), and that successful dissuasion has to be continuous or adaptive to prevent recolonization. The researchers urged focused management consideration for Crescent Island because multi‑species colonies there now contribute disproportionately to plateau predation pressure.