East Coast Zoological Foundation (ECZF) is the lead partner in the Space Coast Shorebird Partnership. Our team collaborates with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Florida Shorebird Alliance (FSA) to monitor shorebirds and seabirds along our coastline and on rooftops throughout Brevard County.

From March through September, our team of volunteers and staff monitors native bird species populations, including least terns and black skimmers, during their breeding season. Our volunteers are assigned to specific rooftops and beach routes around the county and monitor during monthly count windows to see if birds have chosen to nest in these areas. If an area is active with nesting females, monitoring increases to weekly or daily, depending on if there are chicks present.

Habitat fragmentation from increased development and beach erosion in our area has led these birds to nest on rooftops rather than their natural sandy terrain. Since these rooftops can be precarious spots to raise a chick, our volunteers are equipped with “chick-a-booms,” a specially designed device made to safely return a chick to their parents if they fall out of their rooftop nests. We also make store owners and beach walkers aware of the birds’ presence and instruct them on proper protocols to not disturb the nesting birds.

This work is integral to the health of our local shorebirds. Our population counts provide important data and allow us and our partners to better understand various factors, such as the effects of habitat loss, predation and pollution on their populations. Based on the statistics received from monitoring, FSA partners can implement better, data-driven management strategies and develop conservation guidelines to help these birds out.

To learn more about our work, read our latest conservation news on our blog.