Endangered Birds Call Shore Causeway Home

Lots of people complain about all the traffic at the shore.  But one flock of birds doesn't mind.

KYW's Margie Smith reports the Longport Bridge Causeway connects Ocean City with Longport and Margate.  That means lots of cars.  But right there, off the side of the road, the endangered Black Skimmer has been enjoying the late-summer sunshine.

Christina Kisiel is with the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife's Endangered Species program:

"We have a humongous colony there! They're a beautiful, graceful bird.  A lot of people, the first time seeing them say, 'Oh, that looks like a bird that belongs in the tropics.'"

The Black Skimmer has black wings, a white underside, and a bright orange bill to rival the neon of Atlantic City.

Kisiel says the birds nesting so close to all this civilization is a good sign.

"Yes, these birds are endangered, but if we give them just a little bit of space and give them some protection, they can be really successful -- even amidst all this development."