Fire Island Wildlife
Wildlife
Whales
There are three main types of Whales that can be spotted; the fin whale, the humpback whale, and the northern right whale.
The fin whale weighs about 40-80 tons. It is about 75-85 feet long and lives for approximately 80 – 90 years. Fin whales are the second longest whales that have a distinct V shaped head. The population of Fin whales consists of roughly 100,000 to 119,000 fin whales across the world. Fin whales are indigenous to all oceans making sightings of the whale rarer.
Humpback whales are known for their long fins that can be 15 feet long. They range from 40 – 52 feet long. Humpback whales weigh on average of 79 tons. Humpback whales are the most watched whale. They are intriguing because of the songs they produce during mating. These songs last from 20 to 25 minutes. The population of humpback whales today consists of about 80,000 whales worldwide. These whales can be sighting from Fire Island through the months of June and September.
The northern right whales weigh about 70 tons. They are 45-55 feet long. Their lifespans consist of 50 years. Northern right whales can be distinguished by the size of their heads. The head is about one fourth of the size of the body and the lack of a dorsal fin. These whales are one of the most endangered whales that exist today with only 400 known whales. 40 percent of these whales consist of blubber and will float on top of the water when they die.
Many of these whales have died due to whaling. The population of these whales has significantly dropped due to human causes. Many whales are killed and sold; others are hit by boats and ships. It is truly a rare sight to see one of these whales and there seems to be no better place to see such a variety of endangered whales than on Fire Island.
Birds
Preservation society members and volunteers often secure eggs that aren't laid in nesting areas so that they aren't disturbed by humans on the beach.
Piping plover courtship and mating usually occurs from late March through early June. By early April, males begin to establish and defend their territory. Following courtship, the female bird lays three to four speckled eggs resembling small pebbles in a shallow scraped depression in the sand. Nests are usually on the beach above the high tide or wrack line, but may be situated in wash overs or blowout areas behind the primary dune line. Plovers may also nest where suitable dredge material has been deposited.
Deer
Over the last 40 years the deer population has increased on Fire Island. In 1974 Fire Island's deer herd was estimated at 50 individuals and by 1989 it was close to 500. In 2003 the deer population on Fire Island was estimated to be between 500 and 700, and today the population is between 300 and 500. The number of deer, however, is not as important as the impacts they have on the park's resources and the public.
Males re-grow their antlers every year. About 1 in 10,000 females also have antlers, although this is usually associated with hermaphroditism.[11] Bucks without branching antlers are often termed "Spikehorn", "spiked bucks", "spike bucks" or simply "spike". The spikes can be quite long or very short. Length and branching of antlers is determined by nutrition, age, and genetics. Rack growth tends to be very important from late spring till about a month before velvet sheds. During this time frame damage that may be done to the racks tends to be permanent. Healthy deer in some areas that are well fed can have eight-point branching antlers as yearlings (one and a half years old).[12] The number of points, the length or thickness of the antlers are a general indication of age but cannot be relied upon for positive aging. A better indication of age is the length of the snout and the color of the coat, with older deer tending to have longer snouts and grayer coats.
There are three main types of Whales that can be spotted; the fin whale, the humpback whale, and the northern right whale.
The fin whale weighs about 40-80 tons. It is about 75-85 feet long and lives for approximately 80 – 90 years. Fin whales are the second longest whales that have a distinct V shaped head. The population of Fin whales consists of roughly 100,000 to 119,000 fin whales across the world. Fin whales are indigenous to all oceans making sightings of the whale rarer.
Humpback whales are known for their long fins that can be 15 feet long. They range from 40 – 52 feet long. Humpback whales weigh on average of 79 tons. Humpback whales are the most watched whale. They are intriguing because of the songs they produce during mating. These songs last from 20 to 25 minutes. The population of humpback whales today consists of about 80,000 whales worldwide. These whales can be sighting from Fire Island through the months of June and September.
The northern right whales weigh about 70 tons. They are 45-55 feet long. Their lifespans consist of 50 years. Northern right whales can be distinguished by the size of their heads. The head is about one fourth of the size of the body and the lack of a dorsal fin. These whales are one of the most endangered whales that exist today with only 400 known whales. 40 percent of these whales consist of blubber and will float on top of the water when they die.
Many of these whales have died due to whaling. The population of these whales has significantly dropped due to human causes. Many whales are killed and sold; others are hit by boats and ships. It is truly a rare sight to see one of these whales and there seems to be no better place to see such a variety of endangered whales than on Fire Island.
Birds
Preservation society members and volunteers often secure eggs that aren't laid in nesting areas so that they aren't disturbed by humans on the beach.
Piping plover courtship and mating usually occurs from late March through early June. By early April, males begin to establish and defend their territory. Following courtship, the female bird lays three to four speckled eggs resembling small pebbles in a shallow scraped depression in the sand. Nests are usually on the beach above the high tide or wrack line, but may be situated in wash overs or blowout areas behind the primary dune line. Plovers may also nest where suitable dredge material has been deposited.
Deer
Over the last 40 years the deer population has increased on Fire Island. In 1974 Fire Island's deer herd was estimated at 50 individuals and by 1989 it was close to 500. In 2003 the deer population on Fire Island was estimated to be between 500 and 700, and today the population is between 300 and 500. The number of deer, however, is not as important as the impacts they have on the park's resources and the public.
Males re-grow their antlers every year. About 1 in 10,000 females also have antlers, although this is usually associated with hermaphroditism.[11] Bucks without branching antlers are often termed "Spikehorn", "spiked bucks", "spike bucks" or simply "spike". The spikes can be quite long or very short. Length and branching of antlers is determined by nutrition, age, and genetics. Rack growth tends to be very important from late spring till about a month before velvet sheds. During this time frame damage that may be done to the racks tends to be permanent. Healthy deer in some areas that are well fed can have eight-point branching antlers as yearlings (one and a half years old).[12] The number of points, the length or thickness of the antlers are a general indication of age but cannot be relied upon for positive aging. A better indication of age is the length of the snout and the color of the coat, with older deer tending to have longer snouts and grayer coats.