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Ralstin Island
Ralstin Island is an important rookery in the Great Salt Plains Reservoir. This island, which used to be more than 25 acres has eroded down to around 6 acres. The evermoving lake and the winter ice have contributed to the islands' size change.
Salt
Plains Mgmt
Elements
of Habitat
What
is Mgmt?
Fire
Farming
Moist-soil Mgmt.
Ralstin Island
Bird Identification
Tree Identification
Because it is an important rookery (place for colonial birds to nest), the island has been an important project for the refuge. The addition of steel structures on the southeast end of the island have trapped the eroding soil and kept the island from losing more acreage.
Over 25 species of birds use this island to nest. These birds range from herons, egrets and ibis to crows and canada geese.
Island use this as a rookery because it offers protection from predators and is near to the birds’ food supply.
By nesting with many other birds, there is a degree of safety in numbers. From each bird’s perspective, if a predator intrudes upon the rookery, the chance that another bird’s nest will be attacked is good.
Even in the nest, a young bird competes with its siblings for food, sometimes the first born, being larger, will keep the younger birds from getting necessary food from the parent birds, thus many baby birds do not survive. This harsh fact is one of nature’s ways of making sure that the population of these birds does not exceed the habitat’s ability to provide food and shelter.
Wildlife
WebCams
Osprey
Great
Horned Owl
NY
Bald Eagle
MA
Bald Eagle
Squirrel
Webcam
Nests on the top branches of these trees belong to the largest birds of the rookery: Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets and the Double-crested Cormorant.
Below them, you will find
the nests of Little Blue Herons, Black-crowned Night Herons, Green Herons, Snowy Egrets, Cattle Egrets and currently the only known nesting place in Oklahoma for the Tri-colored Heron.
On the ground and the base of the trees, the smallest birds of the rookery nest: the White-faced Ibis and the Glossy Ibis.
Ralstin Island and its immediately surrounding area are closed to the public. Come into the refuge office and the state park office to view live footage of the island from our remote cameras! (Available April through October).
Live WebCam coming soon!
