Springtime is for the Birds

It's spring in the Florida Panhandle, and that means it's nesting season for many species of shorebirds and seabirds. Franklin County contains some of the most significant nesting areas in the panhandle, including the old St. George Island bridge causeway and "Bird Island" dredge spoil island, both managed by the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve (ANERR).

From April 1 to August 31, both areas are closed to all human and animal traffic. The old causeway is conferred the special designation of being a "Critical Wildlife Area" due to the high number of threatened and endangered birds that nest here and marine patrol will enforce this designation. Least terns, gull-billed terns, sandwich terns, Caspian terns, royal terns, black skimmers, American oystercatchers, and laughing gulls nest on the Causeway and all species but the laughing gull are protected by state or federal law. In the past decade these birds have laid more than 3000 nests per year in this area. Brown pelicans and American oystercatchers nest on Bird Island and are also both protected species. The brown pelican colony on Bird Island has grown in size in recent years and last year 700 nests were laid by the birds.

• More about Shorebird Nesting ...

Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas

~Conserving and Restoring Florida's Coastal and Aquatic Resources for the Benefit of People and the Environment

The Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas manages more than 4 million acres of the most valuable submerged lands and select coastal uplands. The Office manages 41 aquatic preserves and, in coordination with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, three National Estuarine Research Reserves and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas
3900 Commonwealth Blvd., MS 235
Tallahassee, FL 32399-3000
(850) 245-2094
FloridaCoasts@dep.state.fl.us