The Important Bird Areas of Florida - National Audubon Society

The Important Bird Areas of Florida: 2000–2002 – Pranty – 2-Jul-02 16Table 1. Significant population counts or estimates of Category 1 or Category 2 species orsubspecies.The following table includes all birds that are listed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife ConservationCommission (FFWCC) as Endangered (E), Threatened (T), or Species of Special Concern (SSC). It alsoincludes all birds ranked by the Florida Committee on Rare and Endangered Plants and Animals(FCREPA), species on the Partners In Flight Watch List or Audubon WatchList (WL; only those forwhich data were provided are included), and three other birds (Magnificent Frigatebird, “Greater”Sandhill Crane, and Laughing Gull) included by the Florida IBA Executive Committee for conservationreasons (IBA). State-listed (i.e., FFWCC) species are bold-faced.The numbers in Table 1 are taken mostly from the FCREPA bird volume +(Rodgers et al. 1996),but more recent population figures have been used when available, such as for Brown Pelicans (2000–2001; +Nesbitt 2001a), Bald Eagles (1998–2000), American Oystercatchers (2001), Snowy and Pipingplovers (2001), Red-cockaded Woodpeckers (mostly 1999; +USFWS 2000), and “Florida” GrasshopperSparrows +(1999; Delany et al. 1999). For larids, we used the highest single count during 1998–2001from IBA data and +(Gore and Sprandel 2000). Note that some of the counts or estimates below refer tothe number of individuals, while others refer to pairs. Pairs are understood to denote breeding birds. Formany species that breed in Florida, only breeding season data were used––numbers of shorebirds andlarids in Florida greatly increase during migration and winter. “Significant” populations could not bedetermined for birds that lack statewide population counts or estimates (marked with a “?”). In thesecases, nominators were asked to supply as much information about a site as was available, and only thosecounts that seemed to be significant were used.N.B. As an aside, these data are intriguing in terms of the status of species or subspecies listed bythe FFWCC with regard to statewide population size. For example, Wood Storks are consideredEndangered, even though their population numbers 5500 breeding pairs. On the other hand, SnowyPlovers, which probably number fewer than 150 pairs, are listed as (only) Threatened, and Short-tailedHawks, which number perhaps only 500 individuals and virtually are restricted in the U.S. to Florida,are not listed at all. It seems clear that revision of the listed status of several species needs to be reexaminedbased upon current statewide counts or estimates. Petitioning the FFWCC to change the statusof several birds in Florida seems to be a worthwhile project for conservation committees of Audubon ofFlorida, the Florida Ornithological Society, and perhaps other organizations.R ANKING SPECIES STATEWIDE POPULATION (SURVEY PERIOD) SIGNIFICANT (i.e., ≥1% ) TOTALSSSC Brown Pelican ............................................... 8650 pairs (1999) 87 pairsIBA Magnificent Frigatebird ..................................70 pairs (1993) or 1 pair or 50 individuals5000 individualsFCREPA Least Bittern...............................................................................? ?FCREPA “Great White” Heron ....................................................850 pairs 9 pairsFCREPA Great Egret........................................39,000 individuals (1980s) 150 pairsSSC Snowy Egret..............................................................................? ?SSC Little Blue Heron.............................17,000 individuals (1980s) 60 pairsSSC Tricolored Heron .....................................................................? ?SSC Reddish Egret.................................................. 375 pairs (1990) 4 pairsFCREPA Black-crowned Night-Heron......................................................? ?FCREPA Yellow-crowned Night-Heron ...................................................? ?SSC White Ibis.................................................... 17,100 pairs (1988) 171 pairsFCREPA Glossy Ibis ...........................................3500 individuals (1970s) 15 pairsSSC Roseate Spoonbill.......................................... 1000 pairs (1992) 10 pairsE Wood Stork.................................................... 5523 pairs (1995) 55 pairsWL Mottled Duck .............................................................................? ?FCREPA Osprey............................................................. 1600 pairs (1983) 16 pairsFCREPA Swallow-tailed Kite .......................................... 610 pairs (1990) 7 pairs