Events:
August 12: Bird Chat - Shorebird Migration Through Central Florida hosted by Orange Audubon Society
August 18: Break with the Birds: The Terns Turn at Rookery Bay NERR
Reminders:
The final count window for the Breeding Bird Protocol ends on August 11th! Read the FSD article below to learn more about the importance of late-season chick data. Happy counting!
The 2021 FSA Monitoring Data at Work Annual Report is Here!
The 2021 “Florida Shorebird Alliance Monitoring Data at Work” annual report is now available on the FSA website.
While each breeding season has its own unique obstacles to overcome, the 2020 season brought with it the unprecedented challenge of a global pandemic. FSA partners faced this challenge with increased collaboration and innovative solutions to continue to protect and monitor Florida’s beach-nesting birds while still prioritizing human health and safety. This year’s report highlights some of the conversation success stories from the 2020 breeding season and introduces the abundance estimates for American oystercatchers, snowy plovers, and Wilson’s plovers.
The 2021 report features:
- Highlights of shorebird conservation efforts in the face of a global pandemic
- Abundance estimates for American oystercatchers, snowy plovers, and Wilson’s plovers
- Summaries of monitoring and posting efforts
- Rooftop-nesting habitat highlight
- Updated priority species fact sheets
THANK YOU to all shorebird monitors, stewards, and FSA partners. This report is a reflection of your hard work, resilience, and dedication during an extra challenging season, and we are thankful to be your partner in shorebird conservation! Please email us with any questions.
Report cover photo by Britt Brown
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New Animated Shorebird Videos Support Disturbance Reduction Outreach Efforts
The Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Initiative (AFSI), Florida Shorebird Alliance, and BiodiversityWorks are thrilled to announce the availability of three animated videos to support partner-led disturbance reduction outreach efforts. Each video is in English and Spanish and follows a family demonstrating ways to be a good shorebird neighbor. The videos are available to all shorebird conservation partners to use in outreach efforts.
Addressing general human disturbance, disturbance to migrants, and dog disturbance, the videos can be viewed on YouTube and the AFSI website. They will also soon be on the FSA website. To embed the videos on your website and social media, request the original files by emailing shorebird@myfwc.com or Debra_Reynolds@fws.gov.
Watch and share the videos:
We hope the videos support your ongoing efforts to reduce threats to nesting, resting, and migrating shorebirds and seabirds. Please email us with any questions!
Collaborators included Debra Reynolds, US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS); Shea Armstrong, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Florida Shorebird Alliance; Luanne Johnson, BiodiversityWorks; and Joseph Marchionno, FWC, Florida Wildlife Research Institute. Special thanks to Danielle Belleny, BlackAFinSTEM Collective for cultural representation review and Vianey Ramirez, Manomet; and Miguel Garcia-Bermudez, USFWS for Spanish translation.
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Late Season Chick Data
Even though the breeding season is winding down, there is still valuable data to collect! All late-season surveys capture important information about this year’s juveniles, especially fledglings. Remember to report which nest the chicks came from, if you have that information. Every time you record a chick during your surveys, we learn more about where young birds are spending time, how old they are, and how many adults are with them. This data is used to refine population and productivity estimates, and inform adaptive management.
To help you prepare for your surveys, the FSA provides aging guides for identifying chick stages in many shorebird and seabird species. In addition, the monitoring report includes a timeline on p.15 that helps you know when you can expect to see chicks during your surveys. Keep up the great monitoring work, everyone!
Wilson's plover chick photo by Mia McPherson
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