The Important Bird Areas of Florida - National Audubon Society

The Important Bird Areas of Florida: 2000–2002 – Pranty – 2-Jul-02 87DUVAL AND NASSAU TIDAL MARSHESNassau River–St. Johns River Marshes Aquatic Preserve (mostly submerged; 85,000 acres; 34,000ha) and Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve (46,000 acres [18,400 ha], 23,946 acres [9578ha] in public ownership). Adjacent uplands include the Pumpkin Hill Creek CARL–FF Project(6927 acres; 2770 ha), with 3720 acres (1488 ha) acquired as Pumpkin Hill Creek State BufferPreserve).Duval and Nassau counties137,927 acres (mostly submerged; 55,170 ha), with 112,666 acres (45,066 ha) protectedLOCATION: in northeastern Duval County and southeastern Nassau County northeast of Jacksonville,encompassing all tidal areas from the southern shore of the St. Marys River (the border withGeorgia), through the Nassau River to the northern shore of the St. Johns River. Contiguous with theHuguenot Park–Nassau Sound and Northern Atlantic Migrant Stopover IBAs to the east, and the FortGeorge and Talbot Islands IBA to the south.DESCRIPTION: _____. The tidal marshes were nominated as a single IBA, with no specific datasubmitted for the individual public ownerships. [Is visitation and hunter use of the site(s) known?]OWNERSHIP: U.S. National Park Service (Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve), State of Florida(submerged lands), Florida Division of Marine Resources (Nassau River–St. Johns River MarshesAquatic Preserve), St. Johns River Water Management District (Pumpkin Hill Creek State BufferPreserve), and private owners (remaining acreage of the Pumpkin Hill CARL–FF Project, andportions of Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve)HABITATS: *tidal marsh, *riverine, red-cedar hammockLAND USE: *conservation, recreation, huntingIBA CATEGORIES: significant populations of Special Concern species; significant numbers of wadingbirds; complete diversity of tidal marsh species; and significant natural habitatsAVIAN DATA: The marshes support virtually the entire Florida populations of “Worthington's” MarshWren and “MacGillivray's” Seaside Sparrow. [Are bird lists available for any of the sites?].SPECIES DATES NUMBERS COMMENTSWhite Ibis 22 May 2000 >500 birds 1% (N)“Worthington's” Marsh Wren Apr–Jul 2000 342 birds 25 of 53 points in Duval Countyand 92 of 100 points in NassauCounty; (B)“MacGillivray's” Seaside Sparrow Apr–Jul 2000 412 birds 22 of 53 points in Duval Countyand 90 of 100 points in NassauCounty (B)Data provided by Katy NeSmith (Florida Natural Areas Inventory)OTHER RESOURCES: Significant historical resources are known from the site, although not necessarilyin the marshes.THREATS: *sea-level rise, human disturbanceCONSERVATION ISSUES: Marshes along the St. Johns River in Duval County are mostly protected asTimucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve and Pumpkin Hill Creek State Buffer Preserve, but theNassau River marshes in Nassau County are mostly unprotected. A Florida Forever Project in 2001has targeted Tiger Island and Little Tiger Island (1260 acres; 504 ha) for state acquisition. Severalarchaeological sites on these islands are known, but they have been impacted by “rampant looting”+(DEP 2001).NOMINATED BY: Katy NeSmith (Florida Natural Areas Inventory)WEBSITE: