The Important Bird Areas of Florida - National Audubon Society

The Important Bird Areas of Florida: 2000–2002 – Pranty – 2-Jul-02 149GULF ISLANDS GEOPARKAnclote Bar (___ acres; ___ ha), Anclote Key State Preserve (438 acres; 175 ha), Caladesi IslandState Park (650 upland acres [260 ha] and 1100 acres [440 ha] of mangroves and grass flats),Honeymoon Island State Recreation Area (2808 acres; 1123 ha]), and Three Rooker Island (___acres; ___ ha)Pasco and Pinellas counties~3300 acres (1320 ha)LOCATION: in the Gulf of Mexico off extreme southwestern Pasco County and northwestern PinellasCounty, generally 2–4 miles (3.2–6.4 km) from the mainland between Anclote and Dunedin. Offshorefrom part of the Coastal Pasco IBA to the east.DESCRIPTION: several barrier island systems off the heavily developed central Gulf coast. HoneymoonIsland State Recreation Area is connected to the mainland, while the others are accessible only byboat. All islands receive heavy visitation on weekends during spring and summer; Honeymoon Islandreceives over 700,000 recreationists annually, and this number is increasing [is visitation known forany other site?]. [mention the Anclote sandbar]OWNERSHIP: Florida Division of Recreation and ParksHABITATS: *slash pine flatwoods, *mangrove forest, *coastal strand, *estuarine, temperate hammock,fields, tidal marshLAND USE: *conservation, *recreationIBA CATEGORIES: significant populations of Threatened, Special Concern, FCREPA, Watch List, andIBA species; significant numbers of shorebirds, larids, and Neotropical migrants; significant overalldiversity; and significant natural habitatsAVIAN DATA: The islands are critical for shorebirds and breeding larids. Mangrove forests support one ormore pairs of Mangrove Cuckoos (at least at Honeymoon Island State Recreation Area) and BlackwhiskeredVireos and several pairs of “Florida” Prairie Warblers, and the uplands attract Neotropicalmigrants. Bird diversity for all sites combined is ___ native species. [Need to add bird list fromAnclote Key; does Caladesi or Three Rooker have a bird list?].Anclote Bar and Anclote Key State Preserve:SPECIES DATES NUMBERS COMMENTSPiping Plover Jan–Feb 2001 39 birds 7% (W)Snowy Plover May 200021 May–11 Jun 20013 pairs2 pairs1% (R)1% (R)Wilson's Plover 21 May–11 Jun 2001 2 pairs 1% (R)Shorebirds winter 1993–1994 3088 birds (W)Least Tern 21 May–11 Jun 2001 25 pairs