
Over 100 chicks have been banded on Sand Dollar Island. The project will provide a better understanding of how these birds move around the state and beyond. Photos by Jean Hall
In a typical year, black skimmers fledge mid-August, but this year we will be seeing chicks into September. The colonies lost in the Panhandle are here in Marco Island with late chicks.

Read and Report: Focus on their legs. Note the time and location and send your sightings to adinuovo@audubon.org.
When a chick is caught, Adam is trained to handle it carefully to avoid stressing or injuring the chick. It is measured, weighed and examined for any signs of injury or illness. These are the first banded black skimmers in Collier County.

Also getting on the “band wagon” and taking the lead in protecting nesting shorebirds, Marco Island’s Beach and Coastal Resources Advisory Committee has partnered with Audubon of Western Everglades for the 2018 Black Skimmer Banding Project.
What to do if you see a banded black skimmer on our beaches? Bring a pair of binoculars to the beach and whenever you see a colony of black skimmers, focus on their legs. The green bands are located on the lower right leg with a white letter C, followed by a series of numbers. read the band and report it, no matter how often you see it. Note the location and time and send your sightings to Adam DiNuovo at adinuovo@audubon.org. To take part in funding the 2018 Black Skimmer Banding Project, please email Adam DiNuovo.
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