The Florida chapter of the Audubon Society has petitioned the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to list the Wilson’s plover, a small shorebird native to the Southeast U.S., as a Threatened Species under Florida’s Imperiled Species Rule.
The Wilson’s plover, whose year-round range in the United States is limited to southern Florida coastlines, is estimated to have a Floridian population of less than 1,000 birds.
The beach-dwelling bird has experienced severe population decline over the past ten years, with the current estimated Florida population of 917 birds down almost 7000 individuals from a 2012 survey.
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This population decline is driven primarily by human impact – beachfront development and rising sea levels both threaten the limited stretch of coastline the birds call home. Additionally, rising temperatures can cook unsheltered eggs in their nests when adult birds are startled off by beachgoers.
If Audubon Florida’s petition is successful, the Wilson’s Plover would join the ranks of several other threatened Floridian shorebirds in gaining a series of protections to their population, as well as their eggs, nests, and habitat.
Julie Wraithmell, Executive Director of Audubon Florida, says that the Threatened Species status could be critical to the species’ survival.
“Threatened status is a high bar, but the data is clear: Wilson’s Plovers are in trouble in Florida,” said Wraithmell.
“With the commonsense protections of Threatened status, we will have a better chance of ensuring this part of Florida’s natural heritage has a place in Florida’s future.”
To learn more about the Wilson’s Plover, visit the Audubon Society’s Field Guide: https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/wilsons-plover
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