March is when avian love eternal returns to the beaches of Southwest Florida as shorebirds breed, then nest.
It’s also when anyone is most likely to step on a shorebird's little nest in the sand and end that happy home.
“We are asking that all beachgoers be aware of any nesting shorebirds while you make your way out to enjoy the beaches,” Megan Hatten, who is in charge of the region's shorebird program for Audubon Florida, said. “Please pay attention to any posted signs or marked areas you may come across these help protect nests and chicks that are often very hard to see.”
Millions of shorebirds use Florida's beaches and dune systems during nesting season, with about 20 species along the Gulf from February to August.
However, threatened species make up a fraction of that total. Audubon estimates Florida's year-round population of American oystercatchers runs about 400 nesting pairs.
Snowy plovers, least terns, and black skimmers are listed as state-threatened species, also with far smaller colonies under Florida's Endangered and Threatened Species Rule.
There are usually kindly Audubon or other volunteers present to remind sunbathers to give the birds the sand for a few months and just stay away.
And due to the state-threatened species label, there’s probably a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission police officer not too far away, should sun worshipers not listen to the volunteers.
The problem is that shorebirds learned to camouflage their eggs long before people decided that the Sunshine State’s Gulf beaches are so wonderful.
Shorebirds don't build elaborate nests — they scrape a shallow depression in the sand, sometimes nudging in a few shells or pebbles, and that's it.
The eggs are laid directly in that groove, mixed in to look like the surrounding sand and shell. It is, by design, nearly invisible.
That's exactly the problem.
Shorebirds have far more threats to worry about than just a big human foot.
On a hot Florida beach, an unshaded clutch of eggs can cook in as little as 10 minutes if the parents are flushed from the nest. The chicks can't regulate their own body temperature after hatching either, which means a parent bird forced away by a beachgoer or a dog isn't just startled — it may be leaving its young to die.
Some birds fight back in ways that count as theatrical. Least terns will dive-bomb intruders — and defecate on them relentlessly — until the threat retreats.
Plover parents fake a grave injury to distract attention from their young. Biologists call it a broken-wing display: dragging one wing along the sand, feigning injury, luring a predator or curious human away from the nest before "healing" and flying away once the threat has been drawn far enough.
It’s a deception that has evolved independently in dozens of bird species. When you see it, it’s hard not to be impressed.
Spring and summer are critical times of year for these vulnerable species, as they must avoid not just human disturbances, but storms, overwash, and predators.
While the Audubon volunteers warn people away from nesting colonies, other beaches are posted to keep people away.
In Collier County, the Second Chance Critical Wildlife Area is closed to boater access and landing from March 1 through August 31. The shell island is at the south end of Cape Romano, south of Marco Island.
Other areas limited during the shorebird nesting season include Dickman’s Key, Keewaydin Island, Big Marco Pass, and Morgan Pass beaches.
In Lee County, nesting areas on Fort Myers Beach and the Little Estero Critical Wildlife Area will be posted after April 1 in conjunction with those FWC officers.
“Our coastal birds depend on these quiet stretches of beach to safely nest and raise their young,” Hatten, from Audubon, said. “Our beaches are shared spaces, and by simply giving nesting birds the room they need and respecting posted areas, our community plays a vital role in protecting the future of Florida’s coastal wildlife.”
Environmental reporting for WGCU is funded in part by VoLo Foundation, a non-profit with a mission to accelerate change and global impact by supporting science-based climate solutions, enhancing education, and improving health.
Sign up for WGCU's monthly environmental newsletter, the Green Flash, today.
WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.
