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Imperiled Coastal Birds of Florida and the State Laws That Protect Them

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Imperiled Coastal Birds of Florida and the State Laws That Protect Them Reddish Egret Roseate Spoonbill Threatened (S) Threatened (S) Imperiled Coastal The rarest heron in North Using spatulala-shaped Birds of Florida America, Reddish Egrets bills to feel prey in shallow are strictly coastal. They ponds, streams, or coastal and the chase small fish on open waters, Roseate Spoonbills State Laws that flats. They nest in small nest in trees along the numbers on estuary coast and inland. Having Protect Them islands, usually in colonies barely recovered from with other nesting wading hunting eradication, these birds. This mid-sized heron birds now face extirpation is mostly gray with rust- from climate change and colored head, though some sea-level rise. birds are solid white. Wood Stork Florida Sandhill Threatened (F) Florida Statutes and Rules Crane This large wading bird Threatened (S) is the only stork in the 68A-27.003 Designation and management of the state- This crane subspecies is Americas. Breeding areas listed species and coordination with federal government for resident year-round in have shifted from south federally-listed species Florida, and defends a Florida and the Everglades nesting territory that is northward. Wood Storks 68A-19.005 General Regulations relating to state- must have abundant prey adjacent to open upland designated Critical Wildlife Areas foraging habitat. Nesting concentrated in shallow in shallow ponds, adults wetlands in order to feed 68A-4.001 Controls harvest of wildlife only under permitted defend their eggs or chicks their young. Prey items from predators including include fish, crayfish, and conditions; also forbids attacting “varmits”, and feeding coyote or bobcat. snakes. pelicans if local populations are affected, and feeding bears and Sandhill Cranes This brochure was Many thanks to our contributing Whooping Crane photographers: produced by State-assumption of responsibility for federal Endangered (F) • Bald Eagle, Tricolored Heron, Reddish Egret 68A-16.001 Audubon Florida with - Tom Bell Statutes and Regulations relating to the International With its historic range funding from: • Roseate Spoonbill – Lee Martin • Red Knot – Carol Cassels Migratory Bird Protection Act reduced, an experimental • Piping Plover – Pat Leary flock has been introduced • American Oystercatcher – Jim Gray • Black Skimmer – Mary Lundeburg 68A 19.002 and 68A 19.004 Establishment and regulations into central Florida. Large • Least Tern & Roseate Tern – Jean Hall regarding Bird Sanctuaries birds are all white with • Snowy Plover – Lou Newman black wing-tips. Whooping • Sandhill Crane - Nancy Zeglin/Audubon Photography Awards 16 U.S. Code § 668 Bald and Golden Eagles Protection Act Cranes are wetland For more information, contact • Little Blue Heron – Kurt Wecker/Audubon foragers and nesters, using Audubon’s Florida Coastal Islands Photography Awards Sanctuaries, 813/623-6826 Note: this guide includes State-listed (S) and Federally-listed (F) habitats similar to Sandhill • Whooping Crane – Charles Lee fl.audubon.org • Wood Stork – Lee Martin species. Cranes. Red Knot American Roseate Tern Threatened (F) Oystercatcher Threatened (F) Threatened (S) Winter and migratory These medium-sized visitors to Florida, Red Oystercatchers defend seabirds have deeply Knots feed mostly on territories on beaches and forked tails and underparts coquinas and horseshoe coastal islands and on that develop a pink “blush” crab eggs along the coast. gravel beach-like rooftops. during courtship. In Florida, Long-distance migrants, They lay speckled, light- Roseate Terns nest from Red Knots nest in the tan eggs. Feeding mostly Marathon to the Dry Arctic and some spend along oyster bars, they Tortugas on isolated islands winters as far south as eat oysters and other and gravel rooftops. They the southern tip of South invertebrate animals. forage on small schooling America. fish. Black Skimmer Little Blue Heron Piping Plover Threatened (S) Threatened (S) Threatened (F) Unusual feeding technique Nesting on sand bars This smallish wading bird is entails flying with their and beaches in northern dark blue with light grayish longer lower bill slicing North America, Piping legs and a bi-colored beak through calm waters Plovers arrive in Florida in with a dark tip. Yearling until they feel a fish, then July for the winter. Note birds are white, growing scooping it up. They nest the yellow legs. Some their blue plumage at one in colonies on Florida’s birds are banded to allow year old. Little Blue Herons coastal beaches and individual identification for eat small fish, insects, sometimes on rooftops. population studies. frogs, and other small, wetland animals. Snowy Plover Least Tern Tricolored Heron Threatened (S) Threatened (S) Threatened (S) One of Florida’s rarest America’s smallest tern These small wading species, Snowy Plovers species, Least Terns winter birds inhabit wetlands nest on white sandy in South America and and coastal areas. They beaches on the Gulf Coast. return to nest in Florida in sometimes nest in trees Well-camouflaged eggs April, selecting beach or in colonies with other and young make nests roof sites as a colony. They wading birds. Active visual difficult to spot. They eat actively chase predators hunters, Tricolored Herons tiger beetles and other away from the colony generally forage for prey in insects from the seaweed to protect their eggs or open water areas, actively and algae in the wrack line. young. chasing fish, tadpoles, small snakes, and other wetland animals..
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