In this IssueMarch 16: 6:30 p.m. (EST): Suncoast Rooftop Volunteer Training on Zoom. Contact Abigail McKay March 23: 6:30 p.m. (EST): Ft. De Soto Bird Steward Training. Register here April 15: 6:30 p.m. (EST): Sarasota Bird Steward Training. Register here April 22: 6:30 p.m. (EST): Three Rooker Islands Bird Steward Training. Register here April 23: 6:30 p.m. (EST): Pinellas County Black Skimmer Steward Training. Register here FSA Pre-season Partnership MeetingsSave the Date - Florida Shorebird Database WebinarsRemindersMarch 10: 1-2 p.m. (EST): FSD Webinar for New Surveyors March 11: 1-2 p.m. (EST): FSD Webinar for Returning Surveyors March 12: 1-2 p.m. (EST): FSD Webinar for Rooftop Monitors  Photo by FWC 2026 Breeding SeasonYour guide to participating in shorebird conservation The 2026 breeding season is here! Local Florida Shorebird Alliance (FSA) partnerships are organizing many activities this year. The best way to get involved is to attend a partnership meeting and learn about the conservation efforts in your area. Interested? Here are a few ways to get started: Be a mentor, or team up with one. Does your partnership have new members? If so, encourage them to join a local bird steward program or bring them along on a monitoring survey. If you're a new member, check with your partnership for training and mentoring opportunities. Get outreach materials. The FSA website contains helpful materials to support your outreach efforts. View the available resources and contact your FWC regional office to receive supplies. Prepare for route surveys. We recommend surveying routes and checking ground and rooftop sites weekly as soon as birds start nesting and until chicks become flight capable. The minimum survey requirements are once a month, during specific count windows. If you are unable to survey your route at least once per month during all six count windows, please work with your partnership to find someone to fill in or contact us for help. Remember to coordinate survey plans with your local partnership and register for a route or rooftop training webinar. Prepare for rooftop monitoring. Can you help monitor rooftops with nesting birds? If so, coordinate with your partnership or contact us. Please let us know if roofs are no longer suitable for nesting (ex: building was torn down or re-roofed). Read on for more details about getting involved this season!  Photo by FWC Posting is the process of installing signs and rope to create symbolic fencing around shorebird and seabird breeding habitat to protect breeding adults, nests, chicks and brood-rearing activities. Posting is often the best tool to protect shorebirds and seabirds from human disturbance on popular beaches and islands. To support birds in establishing territories and courting, when feasible, it is recommended to post an area before nesting begins. Detailed posting guidance can be found in the Guidelines for Posting Shorebird and Seabird Sites in Florida. If you find a shorebird nest or seabird colony that has not yet been posted, please notify the local land manager or an FWC regional shorebird contact immediately so that it can be posted. Parks usually have their own preferred signs and posting materials, but if not (or if the nest is on private property), supplies and assistance can be requested by contacting your FWC regional shorebird contact. Check out our sign selection – many can be printed and laminated. Before posting, consult with local managers and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and ensure that a monitoring plan is in place. Posting impacts local activities and has legal implications and is a cooperative effort between FSA partners.  Many shorebirds and seabirds depend on open sandy beaches to breed, feed and rest. One of the greatest threats beach-nesting shorebirds face is disturbance from people, pets and vehicles in the nesting area. Under these circumstances, signs posted around the nests are not enough to prevent people from disturbing nesting birds and it requires time and effort from caring individuals known as beach stewards to monitor the nests and chicks. Bird stewarding begins after nests and colonies are located and posted by biologists. While out on the beaches, stewards carry out two important tasks: 1) minimizing disturbance to the nests, and 2) educating visitors on Florida's breeding shorebirds and seabirds. Although the greatest need for stewards is on weekends and holidays, stewarding can be done anytime an area has active nesting. Shorebird steward programs are organized by shorebird partners throughout Florida. Where and when bird stewards will be needed is not fully determined until the birds have started nesting. This usually starts in March and can run into September, depending on the location and bird species. To volunteer as a bird steward this season, please check to see if there is a steward program near you. If so, apply through the web form or contact your FSA partnership coordinator to get involved. If there is not a bird steward program near you and you are interested in starting one, please contact us.  Breeding Bird Surveys and Training March 18-24 is the first breeding bird survey count window. You can find everything you need to know about how to participate in monitoring and enter your data on the Florida Shorebird Database (FSD) website. All monitors are encouraged to register for a training webinar. Details and instructions will be emailed to registered participants prior to the webinars. March 10: Webinar for new route surveyors. Learn the basics of the Breeding Bird Protocol and how to enter surveys into the database. March 11: Webinar for returning route surveyors. This refresher includes important updates to the database and review of the Breeding Bird Protocol. March 12: Webinar for new and returning rooftop monitors. Learn the basics of monitoring seabirds and shorebirds on rooftops and how to enter surveys in the database.  Rooftop Monitoring and Outreach Some seabirds and shorebirds nest on gravel rooftops in Florida, making rooftop monitoring and outreach important components of our work. There are hundreds of rooftops throughout the state where birds have historically nested and we need your help monitoring them. If you would like to become a monthly rooftop monitor, March - August, please review the rooftop section of the Breeding Bird Protocol and contact your local partnership to get involved. These actions can improve the chance of successful nesting at rooftops that are consistently used: - Review the Rooftop Resources section of the FSA website and download letters, postcards, signs and other outreach materials that support your outreach efforts.
- Talk to the property owners or managers early in the season to help make them aware of the protected species nesting on their roof; remind them to schedule rooftop repairs or air conditioning maintenance before the birds arrive.
- Leave contact information for building employees or residents to call in case of fallen chicks or other issues.
- Work with your local partnership to help with chick-proofing, chick-checking and to notify us of rooftops with new nesting.
 The Florida Shorebird Database is open for data entry!Now is a good time to review your Florida Shorebird Database (FSD) account: - Log in to your FSD account.
- If you already have an account but can’t remember your account information, DO NOT create a second account – just email FLShorebirdDatabase@MyFWC.com for help logging in.
- Make sure your contact information and partnership affiliations are up-to-date by clicking Manage Account.
- Review your list of routes and rooftops.
- Are you still planning to survey the routes and rooftops listed in your profile? If not, you may want to remove them from your profile.
- Are the descriptions for the routes and rooftops accurate? If not, you can update the information by clicking ‘View/Edit’, then editing the Description.
- Are the routes and rooftops still suitable for nesting? If not, email FLShorebirdDatabase@MyFWC.com to retire them.
If you have any questions during the season about the Breeding Bird Protocol, Count Windows, data entry, or any need assistance with the FSD, please reach out to us at FLShorebirdDatabase@MyFWC.com. Thank you for your dedication to shorebird and seabird conservation!  Winter Shorebird Survey HighlightPhoto by Pat Leary FSA Partners, Pat and Doris Leary, documented a group of 16 piping plovers during their Florida Winter Shorebird Survey count in the Cedar Key area. This is the largest group of wintering piping plovers ever documented along the Nature Coast. One individual was a chick that was banded by researchers along the Missouri River in 2025! The piping plover is a federally listed species, and this observation highlights the importance of Cedar Key for wintering shorebirds. Thank you to everyone who participated in the Winter Shorebird Survey!! | 
