A Year of Surprises and Firsts for Beach-Nesting Bird Species

Seaside-nesting birds benefited from a mixture of storm results and had a banner nesting yr in 2025. A number of hurricanes and enormous storms in 2024 rearranged habitat throughout the Gulf Coast. The storm surge and winds tore out vegetation, leaving giant expanses of naked sand, excellent for nesting. Whereas some communities are nonetheless rebuilding, each birds and folks have been spared main impacts within the 2025 season. A scarcity of hurricanes this yr meant birds nesting within the newly uncovered areas might efficiently fledge with out contending with extreme waves, wind, or water, showcasing how resilient they are often with out human disturbance and growth.

NORTHEAST FLORIDA

This yr, our staff noticed encouraging outcomes for a lot of coastal fowl species, thanks largely to the dedication of our unbelievable shorebird steward employees and volunteers. Their tireless work to guard nesting areas and educate beachgoers resulted in sturdy nesting exercise and spectacular chick numbers at many websites. Whereas predation incidents continued at above regular ranges, total productiveness improved, and with continued administration, we anticipate even higher success within the years forward.

Amelia Island State Park supported greater than 150 Least Tern nests with stable fledging success. Huguenot Memorial Park once more hosted thriving colonies of Brown Pelicans, Laughing Gulls, and Royal Terns, with nearly 2,000 Royal Tern chicks flooding the seashore at one level.

Anastasia State Park supported exceptionally excessive nesting numbers and powerful outcomes, together with the most effective Black Skimmer season in many years with greater than 30 fledged younger, in addition to excellent Wilson’s Plover productiveness. Fort Matanzas noticed Least Terns return in good numbers after a number of years of low exercise, with promising success regardless of some losses to predation. At Summer season Haven, new sand deposits created supreme nesting circumstances and supported giant Least Tern colonies with reasonable success. Alongside the Tolomato River, American Oystercatchers and Wilson’s Plovers once more nested in wholesome numbers, although a number of websites have been affected by rising sea ranges and related tidal overwash.

PANHANDLE

Tyndall Air Pressure Base had an unbelievable yr with 39 Wilson’s Plovers fledging (a file) in addition to 16 Snowy Plovers. The Jap Panhandle additionally represented a excessive level for American Oystercatchers; Audubon employees have been delighted to see seven chicks on the St. George Island Causeway and the primary oystercatcher chick at Lanark Reef since 2021. Cape San Blas additionally fledged a Snowy Plover chick for the primary time since 2017.

Within the Western Panhandle, Audubon applauds the group members who noticed nesting colonies at building websites. One building web site in Navarre Seaside had an unbelievable yr and produced greater than 500 Least Tern fledglings and 45 Black Skimmer chicks. For the primary time in a number of years, Destin supported a big colony on Norriego Level, fledging greater than 100 Least Terns. General, the Western Panhandle fledged greater than 630 Least Terns, 45 Black Skimmers, and two Wilson’s Plovers, with an extra 17 Least Tern fledges from monitored rooftops.

FLORIDA COASTAL ISLANDS SANCTUARIES

After a tough yr in 2024, the nesting websites throughout the Tampa area’s Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries bounced again in 2025. General, the Audubon staff recorded 7,000 pairs of nesting seabirds, with file numbers of Royal Terns, Sandwich Terns, and Caspian Terns at 3D Island. American Oystercatchers took benefit of latest nesting habitat created by the 2024 hurricanes at 3D Island, and 11 chicks fledged throughout all websites. We additionally celebrated the return of 96 nesting Wooden Stork pairs to Dot Sprint Dit Essential Wildlife Space, with a complete of greater than 925 Wooden Stork pairs throughout all websites within the area.

TAMPA REGION

Lowered vegetation and open sandy seashore circumstances ensuing from the 2024 storms inspired Least Terns to discover new areas of seashore in addition to profitable nesting by many Wilson’s Plover pairs. We additionally recorded Black Skimmers laying eggs on St. Pete Seaside on April 26—the earliest ever for skimmers in Pinellas County! Throughout Pinellas and Sarasota counties, Black Skimmers fledged greater than 670 chicks.

Due to predation administration and partnership with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee (FWC), Fort De Soto Park had a file yr for Wilson’s Plovers, producing 14 fledges. Three Rooker Island continued to be a important nesting web site for American Oystercatchers, Black Skimmers, and Laughing Gulls, in addition to Royal, Caspian, and Sandwich Terns: a number of thousand birds fledged from this single island.

ROOFTOPS

Audubon additionally monitored 56 rooftops, 17 of which have been lively this yr throughout Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Sarasota counties. We recorded 11 American Oystercatcher pairs with not less than six fledged chicks, two Black Skimmer colonies, six Least Tern colonies, and three Killdeer pairs. Considered one of our Least Tern rooftops was lively for the primary time since 2019 on a historic USPS constructing. We coordinated with the publish workplace to conduct common chick-checks (USPS employees even helped out), and we returned 4 chicks to the roof after falls—thanks, USPS!

An enormous thanks to our 43 rooftop program volunteers who devoted 172 hours to observe websites, examine on chicks, and enter essential nesting knowledge.

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

Greater than 400 Black Skimmers and not less than 480 Least Terns fledged from websites up and down the coast. It was an awesome yr for Wilson’s Plovers, with fledges from Second Likelihood Essential Wildlife Space, Keewaydin Island, Morgan Island, Dickman’s Shoals, Bonita Seaside, Fort Myers Seaside, and Cayo Costa. It additionally proved to be a yr of firsts for this space: the first-ever recorded cases of Royal Tern and American Oystercatcher nesting in Collier County, the primary profitable Least Tern colony on Sanibel Causeway because the Nineteen Nineties, and the primary Least Tern colony at Bonita Seaside in ten years. We sit up for seeing these birds returning subsequent nesting season.

This text was printed within the Audubon Florida Naturalist Winter 2025 challenge.