The beaches and coastal bayside wetlands along Florida’s panhandle are important to migrant and resident shorebirds, including species of conservation concern including Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) and Red Knots (Calidris canutus). Human disturbance and development, dredged and hardened inlets, and sea level rise have impacted much of the natural beach habitat in this region. Systematic surveys for non-breeding shorebirds have taken place either biweekly or monthly for the past 3-5 years. The objectives of this study are to use existing data and collect additional field data to:
(1) summarize/analyze regional data on non-breeding shorebirds using public lands along Florida’s Panhandle region, and (2) where data on banded birds permits, determine overwintering survival of select species (e.g. Piping Plover, Red Knot) at targeted sites along NW Florida beaches. This work will inform managers of potential areas that may need additional protection or alternative management to enhance survival of migrating and overwintering shorebirds.
