Wrack Line - The Florida Shorebird Alliance Newsletter July 2026

Black skimmer adult with chicks. Photo by Jean Hall The Florida Shorebird Alliance Newsletter July 2026

In this Issue Events & Reminders Imperiled Beach-Nesting Bird (IBNB) Survey Experiences FSA News FSD Updates Ebb Tidings Events & Reminders July 8-15: This is the fifth count window for the breeding season. Please see the Breeding Bird Protocol for details.  All Summer: Beach stewards are needed at important beach nesting sites. Check out the Become a Bird Steward opportunities and get involved!  Imperiled Beach-Nesting Bird (IBNB) Survey Experiences The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is hosting several Imperiled Beach-Nesting Bird (IBNB) Survey Experience opportunities this year. IBNB Permitted Monitors are dedicated individuals with proven shorebird and seabird identification skills and avian survey experience. They are qualified to assist FWC Incidental Take Permittees with minimizing and avoiding harm or harassment of imperiled beach-nesting birds during project activities. See the survey experiences available in your region below:  South:  Dates: Ongoing (May-August)  Locations: Various  If you are interested in learning about opportunities in South Florida, contact Ricardo Zambrano at Ricardo.Zambrano@MyFWC.com. Please include a name, phone number, and address for each interested participant.   Northwest:  Dates: Ongoing (May-August)  Locations: Various  If you are interested in learning about opportunities in Northwest Florida, contact Nick Vitale at Nicholas.Vitale@MyFWC.com. Please include a name, phone number, and address for each interested participant.  FSA News The Florida Shorebird Database Celebrates 15 Year Anniversary!  American oystercatchers. Photo by FWC As the Florida Shorebird Database turns 15, we reflect on the tremendous contribution it has made on statewide conservation efforts. Established and launched in 2011, the FSD has grown into a powerful tool for understanding and protecting Florida’s shorebirds.  The FSD serves as the central repository for monitoring data collected by partners across the state. Through thousands of observations submitted each year, the database now houses an extraordinary wealth of information. Florida Shorebird Alliance partners and many others use this data to guide conservation, management, and protection efforts at every scale.  Over the past 15 years, monitoring data from the FSD have been instrumental in efforts to:  Guide management decisions at local, regional, and state levels  Establish population recovery goals and measure progress toward those goals  Evaluate the success of management, restoration, and conservation efforts, such as bird stewarding, habitat enhancement, and posting  Pinpoint areas in need of special protection (e.g., Critical Wildlife Areas) or increased law enforcement  Identify threats to nest success such as predators, overwash, or disturbance  Inform the need for specific permit conditions or mitigation to protect shorebird and seabird habitats  Inform damage assessment and restoration plans following natural or man-made disasters  Communicate current and previous nesting locations so sensitive areas are identified (e.g., oil spills, disaster preparedness, etc.)  Uncover research priorities to improve management and conservation  These actions are made possible by the dedicated FSA partners who contribute their time, expertise, and observations. This growing body of information also supports a deeper understanding of the breeding biology of Florida’s shorebirds and seabirds. Data entered into the FSD contributed to the Florida-specific information that was used to develop the newest monitoring resource for partners called the Breeding Biology of Florida’s Shorebirds and Seabirds. An example of how this resource can be used by monitoring partners is as a guide for when to expect eggs to hatch and chicks to fledge.  The ongoing collaboration and commitment to data driven science will continue to improve conservation outcomes for shorebirds and seabirds statewide for years to come.  Tips for a Shorebird‑Friendly Fourth of July  As Floridians and visitors flock to the coast to celebrate Independence Day, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is reminding everyone to help protect our vulnerable shorebirds and seabirds. Many chicks along Florida’s Atlantic and Gulf coasts are still too young to fly. State-threatened species including the snowy plover, least tern, black skimmer, and American oystercatcher depend on quiet, undisturbed beaches to successfully raise their young. Loud noises, such as the sounds from fireworks, can cause adults to flush from their nests and leave chicks exposed to predators, heat, and foot traffic. With a few simple actions, beachgoers can help ensure these birds have a safe holiday weekend. How to Celebrate Responsibly:  Leave fireworks to the professionals. Keep personal fireworks off the beach. Birds are easily startled by loud bangs and bright flashes, which can cause adults to abandon their nests long enough for eggs and chicks to overheat or fall prey to opportunistic predators.   Do the flock walk. Maintain a buffer of at least 300 feet from nesting birds, posted areas, or groups of resting birds. Nesting shorebirds use shallow scrapes in the sand, and their eggs blend perfectly with shells and sand, making them almost impossible to see. By giving both individual birds and flocks on the sand plenty of space and walking around them, you help prevent adults from flushing and leaving their young exposed.  Be mindful of chicks. Fill in holes you dig in the sand and level sandcastles that could trap or pose an obstacle for chicks, as well as sea turtles and their hatchlings. Be aware that chicks like to seek shelter in vegetation including the wrack line. Keep an eye out for adults calling and displaying, as they may have chicks nearby.  Properly stash all trash. Trash and food scraps draw predators, like crows and raccoons, that prey on shorebird eggs and chicks. Pack out everything you bring to the beach and double-check that fishing line is disposed of in designated monofilament recycling tubes. Clean beaches reduce hazards for both birds and sea turtles. To find a monofilament recycling station near you, visit mrrp.myfwc.com.  Leave dogs at home. Even the most obedient, well‑behaved dogs are perceived as predators by shorebirds. A single dog running through or adjacent to a nesting area can cause an entire colony to flush, separating chicks from their parents and disrupting critical feeding and brooding time. If you’re visiting a dog‑friendly beach, keep pets strictly leashed and well away from posted nesting areas, dunes, and wrack lines where birds feed, rest, and raise their young.  Look for and respect Critical Wildlife Areas (CWAs). Be on the lookout for signs designating Critical Wildlife Areas on the beach or coastal islands. These areas are closed to public access to protect high concentrations of wading birds and shorebirds while they nest and raise their chicks. Boaters and beachgoers can help nesting birds by keeping distance and noise volumes low near CWAs.  Practice disturbance‑free photography. When taking photos, please take great care to avoid disturbing the birds, and their nests and chicks. Florida’s wildlife photographers can be important advocates for shorebirds and seabirds when following guidance in the How to Be a Shorebird-friendly Photographer brochure.  Stay aware. Shorebirds and seabirds nest in a variety of coastal habitats, including beaches, shell rakes and small islands. Solitary nesting shorebirds are very cryptic, so remember to stay far away from posted areas even if you do not see nesting birds.  Spread the word. Share what you know with friends, family, and fellow beachgoers. A quick conversation or social media post can help others understand why giving shorebirds space is so important, especially during the busy July 4th weekend.  Report disturbance of nesting birds to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) or submit a tip at MyFWC.com/WildlifeAlert.  Thanks for doing your part to keep our beaches welcoming for both people and wildlife this holiday weekend!  FSD Updates Shorebird Nesting Summaries  Did you know that you can use the Florida Shorebird Database to look at nesting data for individual shorebird pairs?    Every time you enter nest site visits, re-nests, or include natal nest information for a roving chick, the data can be linked together into a nesting sequence. All you have to do is navigate to the MyData page, find the shorebird nest you're interested in, and click View/Edit.  On the View My Solitary Site page, you'll see a map showing all of the linked data. Below the map, the Site Summary table shows all of the nesting attempts, the distance between them, and whether each nesting attempt was an original nest or a re-nest. If you need to make any corrections, just click the Edit link.  Full details about every visit to the nest is shown in the Site Visit Summary table, along with any chick observations linked to the natal nest. You can see the nest status for each visit, the counts reported for the nest, and the number of roving chicks reported. Remember, the Breeding Bird Protocol defines three roving chick age classes, and the table uses a shorthand to present the chicks observed in each:  Downy / Feathered / Flight-capable  For example, the chick observation below is indicated by a 1 in the leftmost slot, indicating that one downy chick was observed during the 5/8/2024 survey.  Viewing the entire nesting sequence for a given pair helps you track how many nesting attempts they made, how many nests hatched, and how many roving chicks/staging young have been reported. It is encouraged to review nesting sequences regularly to help prepare yourself for the next day in the field and/or check your data for typos.  If you have any questions about viewing or editing nesting sequences on your My Data page, email us at FLShorebirdDatabase@myFWC.com.  Ebb Tidings Photo by Emily Hunter, FWC Did you know common nighthawks can sometimes be found nesting in Florida’s coastal habitats? As fellow ground-nesters, they are occasionally observed by FSA partners during shorebird surveys. When they are not camouflaging perfectly with the habitat, these agile birds can be seen zigzagging through early morning and late afternoon skies hunting for insects.

Want to get involved?   Email Shorebird@MyFWC.com for more information about your local partnership.     Join the flock on social media: Florida Shorebird Alliance Facebook Group The Florida Shorebird Alliance (FSA) is a partnership of agencies, non-government organizations, and individuals committed to shorebird and seabird conservation in Florida. FSA partners coordinate their independent work and collaborate to address research, management, education, outreach, and public policy needs.

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