Shorebird Abundance Estimates Webinar 

The FWC Shorebird Data Team is hosting a webinar about the details of the analysis used to develop the shorebird abundance estimates featured in the 2021 annual report. 

In 2021, the FWC Shorebird Data Team finalized a process to calculate the most accurate abundance estimates possible with ranges for American oystercatchers, snowy plovers, and Wilson’s plovers based on information available in the Florida Shorebird Database (FSD). With this advancement, the FSD will serve as the data source to update statewide shorebird abundance estimates and to assess progress toward species recovery goals. 

To accomplish this task, the team developed a custom analysis strategy that uses all data reported to the FSD. The analysis produces an estimate of the number of breeding adults in Florida and overcomes analytical challenges related to the facts that birds move among routes during peak nesting season and nesting does not occur simultaneously across all breeding sites. 

Developing abundance estimates using data from the FSD has been a long-term priority for shorebird conservation partners. More than a decade of consistent monitoring by FSA partners has made this achievement possible. 

If you want to know more about the details of the analysis, join the FWC Shorebird Data Team for a recorded webinar on November 9, 10-11:30am EST.  

Register here for the webinar! 

The Florida Shorebird Database is Closed for the Season!

A huge thank you to everyone who was able to monitor this year! Thank you for each and every monitoring record you submitted in the 2021 breeding season. Your data are essential for advancing shorebird and seabird conservation in Florida!

Did you know that every monitoring survey you record is reviewed by a member of our team? We review the information piece by piece to better understand what’s happening with shorebirds statewide. When we want to know more, we check the comments you entered. And if we have questions, we ask the experts – you!

Fall is a great time to do some housekeeping with your FSD profiles. If you know of a rooftop that is no longer suitable for nesting and needs to be retired, you can remove it from your profile. Reviewing your rooftops a few times a year helps keep the list of suitable rooftops up to date.

How to Retire a Rooftop:

1. Log in to the FSD
2. Under ‘My Rooftops,’ find the unsuitable rooftop and click ‘View/Edit’
3. Under ‘Site Summary,’ click ‘Remove from my data’
4. Select ‘Rooftop unsuitable’ from the dropdown menu
5. In the additional comments, tell us why the rooftop is unsuitable (e.g., it was reroofed) and when it became unsuitable (e.g., November 2021)

Shorebird and Seabird News & Events

Want to share local news or events related to shorebirds and seabirds in Florida? Email Shorebird@myfwc.com to explore options for publishing in the Wrack Line newsletter.