The Important Bird Areas of Florida - National Audubon Society

More documents

Recommendations

Info

The Important Bird Areas of Florida: 2000–2002 – Pranty – 2-Jul-02 1221998 data by Bill Pranty (Audubon of Florida); all other data provided by Mike McMillian (Archbold BiologicalStation)OTHER RESOURCES: Numerous Indian mounds are found on the property; the Brighton IndianReservation is within 5 miles (8 km) to the southeast. • There are more than 500 isolated wetlands onthe ranch (although most are connected by drainage ditches).THREATS: development, human disturbance, feral hogsCONSERVATION ISSUES: Conservation issues revolve around water quality of a working cattle ranch. Acomprehensive study is in progress to quantify and resolve water quality problems caused by cattlegrazing operations. • The Ranch is working with the Federal Wetland Reserve Program, and hasoffered 1000 (400 ha) acres for wetlands restoration, including reestablishing a 50 acre (20 ha)hardwood swamp. Other proposed plans include the establishment of several small palm–oakhammocks and creating an island in an existing pond, primarily as a wading birds to roost andpossibly to nest.NOMINATED BY: Mike McMillian (Archbold Biological Station)WEBSITE:
The Important Bird Areas of Florida: 2000–2002 – Pranty – 2-Jul-02 123CAPE CANAVERAL–MERRITT ISLANDCape Canaveral Air Station (15,438 acres; 6175 ha), Canaveral National Seashore (57,661 acres;23,064 ha), and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (139,155 acres; 55,662 ha)Brevard and Volusia counties212,254 acres (84,901 ha)LOCATION: in northeastern Brevard County and extreme southeastern Volusia County, encompassingmost of the barrier island complex from New Smyrna Beach south to State Road 528.DESCRIPTION: a huge complex of barrier islands and a large peninsula jutting out into the AtlanticOcean, and containing the Banana River, Indian River Lagoon, and Mosquito Lagoon, all large,brackish estuaries. The National Seashore and Air Station are separated from most of Merritt Islandby the Mosquito Lagoon and Banana River, respectively. The Refuge and the Air Station are bothactive rocket launch facilities, and Space Shuttle missions also are launched from the Refuge'sKennedy Space Center. NASA purchased much of Merritt Island in the 1960s for its massive spacelaunch complex, and later deeded much of these lands to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service andNational Park Service to increase public use of non-essential acreage. Parts of the Refuge are offlimitsto the public at all times, and other areas are closed when a Space Shuttle is scheduled to belaunched. The Refuge receives over 2,000,000 recreationists and ____ hunters annually. [What aboutvisitation to the Air Station – none?]OWNERSHIP: U.S. Air Force (Cape Canaveral Air Station), National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration (Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge; managed by the U.S. Fish and WildlifeService, and Canaveral National Seashore; managed by the U.S. National Park Service)HABITATS: Canaveral National Seashore: *maritime hammock, *tidal marsh, *estuarine, *coastalstrand, pine flatwoods, xeric oak scrub, citrus groves. Cape Canaveral Air Station: *xeric oakscrub, *coastal strand, maritime hammock, freshwater marsh, cattail marsh, tidal marsh, artificial.Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge: *slash pine flatwoods, *maritime hammock, *xeric oakscrub, *mangrove forest, *freshwater marsh, *tidal marsh, *estuarine, citrus groves, coastal strand,artificial.LAND USE: Canaveral National Seashore: *conservation, *recreation, hunting. Cape Canaveral AirStation: *military and commercial space launching facility, conservation. Merritt Island NationalWildlife Refuge: *commercial launch facility, *conservation, recreation, huntingIBA CATEGORIES: significant populations of Endangered, Threatened, Special Concern, and FCREPAspecies; significant numbers of aquatic birds, wading birds, and larids; significant overall diversity;and significant natural habitatsAVIAN DATA: Together, these sites form a large, contiguous conservation area vital to several listedspecies, including the second-largest remaining population of Florida Scrub-Jays. Merritt Island alsocontains extensive wetlands, and supports large numbers of waterfowl, wading birds, shorebirds, andlarids. Peak concentrations of waterfowl can exceed 100,000 individuals in winter, mostly LesserScaup [so says the checklist; need to document this – got a nice recent reference for scaup, but stillneed other waterfowl data]. Canaveral National Seashore was one of two sites from which the largestmigration of Neotropical migrants in Florida (estimated at “hundreds of thousands” of birds) wasobserved—and many made landfall—in the span of about one hour 17 October 1999, the dayfollowing the passage of Hurricane Irene. Merritt Island Refuge formerly contained one of only twopopulations of the “Dusky” Seaside Sparrow, but impoundment of salt marshes on the Island,primarily for mosquito control, was one factor that caused its extinction. Bird diversity of all sitescombined is 313 native species. the fourth most diverse IBA in Florida. [Is a bird list available forCape Canaveral Air Station?].
Page 1 and 2:
MemorandumBill Pranty, Florida IBA
Page 3 and 4:
The Important Bird Areas of Florida
Page 5 and 6:
THE IMPORTANTBIRD AREAS OFFLORIDA:
Page 7 and 8:
Page 9 and 10:
Page 11 and 12:
Page 13 and 14:
Page 15 and 16:
Page 17 and 18:
Page 19 and 20:
Page 21 and 22:
Page 23 and 24:
Page 25 and 26:
Page 27 and 28:
Page 29 and 30:
Page 31 and 32:
Page 33 and 34:
Page 35 and 36:
Page 37 and 38:
Page 39 and 40:
Page 41 and 42:
Page 43 and 44:
Page 45 and 46:
Page 47 and 48:
Page 49 and 50:
Page 51 and 52:
Page 53 and 54:
Page 55 and 56:
Page 57 and 58:
Page 59 and 60:
Page 61 and 62:
Page 63 and 64:
Page 65 and 66:
Page 67 and 68:
Page 69 and 70:
Page 71 and 72:
Page 73 and 74:
Page 75 and 76: The Important Bird Areas of Florida
Page 125: The Important Bird Areas of Florida
Page 177 and 178:
Page 179 and 180:
Page 181 and 182:
Page 183 and 184:
Page 185 and 186:
Page 187 and 188:
Page 189 and 190:
Page 191 and 192:
Page 193 and 194:
Page 195 and 196:
Page 197 and 198:
Page 199 and 200:
Page 201 and 202:
Page 203 and 204:
Page 205 and 206:
Page 207 and 208:
Page 209 and 210:
Page 211 and 212:
Page 213 and 214:
Page 215 and 216:
Page 217 and 218:
Page 219 and 220:
Page 221 and 222:
Page 223 and 224:
Page 225 and 226:
Page 227 and 228:
Page 229 and 230:
Page 231 and 232:
Page 233 and 234:
Page 235 and 236:
Page 237 and 238:
Page 239 and 240:
Page 241 and 242:
Page 243 and 244:
Page 245 and 246:
Page 247 and 248:
Page 249 and 250:
Page 251 and 252:
Page 253 and 254:
Page 255 and 256:
Page 257 and 258:
Page 259 and 260:
Page 261 and 262:
Page 263 and 264:
Page 265 and 266:
Page 267 and 268:
Page 269 and 270:
Page 271 and 272:
(25) *pickerelweed (Pontedaria cord
Page 273 and 274:
Page 275 and 276:
“Southeastern” American Kestrel
Page 277 and 278:
Purple Martin (Progne subis)Tree Sw
Page 279 and 280:
Page 281 and 282:
Page 283 and 284:
Page 285 and 286:
show all

The Important Bird Areas of Florida - National Audubon Society

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?