Bird Tips

During bird nesting season, March through August, please follow these tips:

• Never touch a shorebird chick, even if it’s wandering outside a staked nesting area.
• Teach kids not to chase birds – if they’re disturbed, bird parents may abandon nests.
• Don’t feed birds – our food is not good for their health, and it encourages them to fly at people aggressively.
• If birds are screeching and flying at you, you’re too close.
• Avoid posted bird nesting areas and use designated walkways to the beach.
• Keep pets away from bird nesting areas; dogs are not allowed on the beach by law.
• Keep the beach clean; food scraps attract bird predators such as raccoons and crows to the beach, and litter can entangle birds and other wildlife.
• If you see people disturbing nesting birds, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).