Nesting Birds Declining in Collier County

As the flocks are growing in number on the beach, Audubon Western Everglades is transitioning from our summer stewardship to our fall/winter stewardship! Thank you to the Coastal Breeze News for sponsoring our winter shorebird steward Jeanene Jewett (aka JJ) and her incredible volunteers spreading education on beaches in Collier County. Our summer stewards, Austin Dremman and Mike Pratscher, along with volunteers, did an amazing job out on Dickman's Island near Caxambas. Wilson's Plovers successfully nested in this area while American Oystercatchers attempted for a second season without success in fledging their young. We continue to pick up trash to prevent increased predators during nesting season. 

Sand Dollar Critical Wildlife Area (CWA) sadly had another pivotal loss with zero success in Wilson's Plovers nesting, the first time in decades. Neither black skimmers nor least terns successfully nested on the critical wildlife area which has continued every season since the constant dredging and habitat changes of Hideaway's dredge project that is ongoing. Second chance has, for many years, supported a separate colony of nesting birds than the colony that historically resided on Sand Dollar. We are seeing a decline in nesting birds and the size of the migratory flocks in Collier County. Birds are extremely sensitive to habitat changes when choosing where to nest, from the substrate of the sand to changes of vegetation density, to predators, to human disturbance, etc. Constant manmade habitat changes on top of the habitat loss they are already facing is negatively impacting all shorebird species. Wading bird surveys in the Tigertail lagoon continue to show a decline in species until storms create shallower areas for them to forage. These shallow areas are frequently dredged out. To prevent erosion, coastal areas need a focus on preserving seagrasses, mudflats, mangroves, and dune plants as well as planting more of these native plants. Sand will not protect inland areas alone.

We have continued to rescue high numbers of sick birds on Marco Island. Our water quality sampling efforts and deceased bird collections will be compiled into a report by the end of 2026 with the help of Collier County, NOAA, and FWC. If you find a sick bird, please use a towel, net, or box to contain it for transportation to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Additionally, we are expanding our research down south into the 10,000 Islands specifically for red knots but also for all shorebird and wading/waterbird species. Captain Nick Thorstenson and volunteers are surveying and collecting water samples.

Please give birds space and help us educate visitors to walk around the flocks! If you are interested in volunteering, email us at audubonwe@live.com! To support our programs, check out our website at audubonwe.org.