The Important Bird Areas of Florida - National Audubon Society

The Important Bird Areas of Florida: 2000–2002 – Pranty – 2-Jul-02 186ORLANDO WETLANDS PARKOrange County1650 acres (660 ha)LOCATION: in the town of Christmas in northeastern Orange County, north of State Road 50, extendingeast to the St. Johns River. Contiguous with a part of the Upper St. Johns River Basin IBA to the eastand south, and a bit west of the St. Johns national Wildlife Refuge IBA.DESCRIPTION: the world's first large-scale man-made wastewater “polishing” facility that filters nitrogenand phosphorus from highly treated wastewater through 17 marsh “cells” before its discharge (21–65days later) into the St. Johns River. Water quality released from the Park is “statistically equal” to thatin the St. Johns River both upstream and downstream of the discharge point +(EPA 1993). Up to 40million gallons (151 million liters) of water can be treated daily. The site was a cattle ranch whenpurchased in 1984 and historically was St. Johns River floodplain marsh. Since acquisition, over 2million native aquatic plants and 200,000 native trees have been planted. A 410-acre (164-ha) “deepmarsh” composed mostly of cattail and ♦bulrush (Scirpus spp.), accomplishes nutrient removal. A380-acre (152-ha) mixed marsh of more than 60 herbaceous species provides additional nutrientremoval and wildlife habitat. A 400-acre (160-ha) hardwood swamp serves primarily as wildlifehabitat. The Park receives 10,000 recreationists annually and 200 hunters during the winter, when thePark is closed to the public. Pets, swimming, boating, fishing, camping, horses, and open fires areprohibited. Motorized vehicles also are prohibited except for group tours. The Park was previouslyknown as Orlando Wilderness Park.OWNERSHIP: City of OrlandoHABITATS: *freshwater marsh, *cattail marsh, *temperate hammock, lacustrine, fieldsLAND USE: *wastewater filtering facility, *conservation, environmental education, recreation, huntingIBA CATEGORIES: significant populations of Endangered, Special Concern, and FCREPA species,significant numbers of wading birds; and significant natural habitatsAVIAN DATA: The Wetlands Park supports significant populations of roosting wading birds, and lessernumbers of breeding wading birds, wintering waterfowl, and wintering and migrant shorebirds. Thepark also contains perhaps the only native-substrate breeding colony of Purple Martins in Florida;discovered in 1993, the colony now numbers several dozen pairs nesting in cabbage palm snags. In1996, one pair of Snail Kites bred at the Park, the northernmost breeding location in Florida since the1930s.SPECIES DATES NUMBERS COMMENTSSnowy Egret Jan 1999 878 birds (N)Little Blue Heron Jan 1999 249 birds 1% (N)Tricolored Heron Jan 1999 125 birds (N)White Ibis Jan 1999 1123 birds 2% (N)Glossy Ibis Jan 1999 251 birds 7% (N)Wood Stork _____ 200 birds 1% (N)Purple Martin 9 May 1999 “dozens” of birds native-substrate colony (B)Wading birds Jan 1999 2827 birds (N)Overall diversity Dec 1994 170 natives2 exoticsadditional observations added fromFlorida Field NaturalistKite data from Sees and Freeman (1998), 1999 martin observation of Cheri Pierce, other data provided by MarkSees (City of Orlando); see also Sees (1999)OTHER RESOURCES: other listed species that occur onsite include American alligator, indigo snake,“Sherman's” fox squirrel, Florida manatee, black bear, and 16 plants.THREATS: exotic plants, feral hogs