Audubon Florida provides update on Cayo Costa shorebird breeding
The Friends of Cayo Costa State Park recently shared the results of this past summer’s shorebird breeding season on Cayo Costa as reported by Southwest Florida Shorebird Project Manager Rochelle Streker, with Audubon Florida.
According to Streker, breeding pairs of the main focal species — American oystercatchers, snowy plovers, Wilson’s plovers, least terns and black skimmers — nesting in Lee County were monitored and protected. Despite threats to nesting birds, they documented many chicks that hatched and successfully were raised until they could fly. As for on Cayo Costa, Streker shared the following for the season:
AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS
Cayo Costa had the only nesting pair in Lee County, with a single pair that fledged two chicks. American oystercatchers are a state-designated threatened species in Florida, easily identified by their large size — compared to other shorebirds — and long, bright, red-orange bill. While they are seen throughout the county during the winter, breeding pairs are rare in Southwest Florida.
SNOWY PLOVERS
This year Cayo Costa had a few nesting pairs of snowy plovers — another state-designated threatened species — and fledged at least one chick from the north end of the island.
WILSON’S PLOVERS
Multiple Wilson’s plover chicks fledged from Cayo Costa, where they nested in the middle and south ends of the island.
LEAST TERNS
A state threatened species, least terns nested on Cayo Costa. However, Hurricane Elsa quickly put an end to nesting on the island and they did not return to North Captiva this year. Least terns are the smallest tern in North America and their yellow beaks makes them easily recognizable on Southwest Florida’s beaches.
Streker explained that breeding season is always full of successes and failures, but overall the beach-nesting birds on Cayo Costa and throughout Lee County had a good year. The goal is to get the baby birds in the sky, and while the road to flying can be long and filled with threats such as heat exposure, predators, storms and disturbances, there are many ways to help nesting shorebirds and seabirds.
During nesting season, Audubon Florida recommends giving nesting birds at least 100 feet of space. While signs will alert you to nesting areas, if a bird is diving or calling at you, you are probably too close and need to give it additional space. Also, be sure to remove all trash and food scraps, which can attract predators to the beach. Where pets are permitted, keep them leashed and away from the birds.
Streker reported that now that the breeding season is over, people will soon see lots of migrants and wintering birds on the shorelines of beaches throughout Southwest Florida as they rest and relax. Avoid walking through flocks of birds while recreating on the beach during the winter.