The Cost of a Single Step: Protecting Florida’s Nesting Shorebirds

Visiting Florida’s beautiful beaches is an enjoyable way to spend the weekend, but for the shorebirds that nest there, these beaches are home — essential habitat where they lay their eggs and raise their young.

Florida’s shorebird nesting season generally occurs from February through August, making nearly six months of the year an especially vulnerable time for these birds. During this period, Audubon Florida works with partners to protect nesting shorebirds and their habitat from human disturbance. Shorebirds like Wilson’s Plovers, Snowy Plovers, American Oystercatchers, Least Terns, and Black Skimmers nest and raise their young on Florida’s sandy shores. Their eggs and chicks can be well camouflaged and hard for beachgoers to notice, so it's important to follow posted nesting areas and wildlife protection laws.

Many beachgoers might see a nesting area enclosed by ropes, stakes, or signs and think that a quick step inside isn’t going to do any harm. However, when beachgoers get too close, adults may become stressed and “flush” from their nests. When birds leave, Florida’s hot weather and predators could threaten their eggs or chicks. After just a few minutes of direct sun exposure, an egg’s temperature could reach a dangerous or even lethal level. Repeated disturbances also mean birds spend more time responding to threats and less time incubating eggs, feeding, and caring for their chicks, ultimately decreasing reproductive success.

Dogs can introduce another big disturbance. Even if a dog is friendly and would never attack wildlife, a nesting bird will still see it as a predator. Birds do not understand the difference between someone’s pet and a natural predator, such as a coyote, so they naturally feel threatened. A dog repeatedly approaching a nesting colony could cause multiple birds to abandon their nests, potentially exposing eggs or chicks.

This is also why Audubon bird stewardship exists!

Stewards chat with beachgoers about protecting vulnerable species. The birds themselves can also show when someone is too close. Least Terns may dive toward people approaching their nesting colonies, while Wilson’s Plovers may produce alarm calls or perform a broken-wing display to draw a threat away from their eggs or chicks.

State and federal laws protect some of Florida’s imperiled beach-nesting birds. Florida classifies the American Oystercatcher, Snowy Plover, Least Tern, and Black Skimmer as threatened species, and the Wilson’s Plover is a candidate species for the same protections against harming or harassing imperiled beach-nesting birds. Researchers who handle or closely interact with protected birds for wildlife research require the proper permits and training.  

Violating wildlife protection laws can have serious consequences. Under Florida law, intentionally killing or wounding a State-designated Threatened species, or intentionally destroying its nest or eggs, can result in a third-degree felony. Federal violations involving protected migratory birds can also carry serious penalties. Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, a misdemeanor violation can result in a fine of up to $15,000, up to six months in jail, or both. Knowingly taking a migratory bird with the intent to sell or barter it, or knowingly selling or bartering one, is a felony that can result in a fine of up to $2,000, up to two years in prison, or both.

The good news is, beachgoers don’t have to stop enjoying Florida’s coastline to protect these birds. People should never enter areas with shorebird nesting signs, should leave birds plenty of space, and should walk around groups of birds instead of through them. If birds seem agitated or are dive bombing people, the people are too close and should move away. Beachgoers should also refrain from intentionally making birds take flight for pictures or entertainment. Florida’s beaches are places people can enjoy, but they are also wildlife habitat. 

Other things to do include keeping dogs away from nesting areas and disposing of trash properly. This is especially important because food waste can attract predators like raccoons and crows to the beach, where they then prey on shorebird eggs and chicks. 

For a person, avoiding a posted boundary might only mean taking a few extra steps. For a nesting bird, those extra steps could mean the difference between being pushed away from an egg or chick or survival during one of the most vulnerable times of its life. Giving shorebirds the space they need is a small action that can make a significant difference in whether they successfully raise their young.