With state conservation land purchases at a low ebb, the Florida Audubon Society has stepped in putting its own funds at risk to acquire one of the important bird rookeries in the Tampa Bay area.  Audubon is launching a fundraising campaign to replenish its reserve funds in light of the unplanned $6,200 expense necessary to secure the future of the rookery.

Charles Lee, Manager of Florida Audubon Society’s Sanctuary Program (FAS), announced the purchase this month of Terra Ceia Little Bird Key to protect the small mangrove-forested island that provides nesting habitat for fourteen species. “The island is an important addition to the Florida Audubon Sanctuaries, and will be managed by our professional staff with the assistance of our local chapters and volunteers.”

Audubon Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries Manager Mark Rachal stated, “Terra Ceia Little Bird Key has been a focus of our attention for over 15 years.  As many as 400 pairs of birds nest on it, making it one of the largest bird colonies in the area. Conservation of this island was a priority.”

The island was purchased under the leadership of Audubon State Director Eric Draper, who announced in July, when the land went on the market, “We moved forward after getting approval by our Board of Directors for the purchase of the island by FAS. We did not have this in our budget, but moving fast to save this rookery island was considered essential. We are now going to ask everyone who cares about the birds in Tampa Bay to help us cover the expenses.”

Terra Ceia Bird Key was offered for sale as part of the disposition of the James Macauley Wallace Jr. Trust, which is being managed by Gail Calandra of JMW Property Management in Bradenton.  The island was sold for the value assessed by the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s office, plus closing costs.  The island is small, under two acres in size, but hosts a mature, thick mangrove forest.  It is surrounded by the shallow waters of southeast Terra Ceia Bay in Palmetto.  Audubon staff have documented nesting by Anhingas, Double-crested Cormorants, Brown Pelicans, Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Little Blue Herons, Tricolored Herons, Reddish Egrets, Cattle Egrets, Green Herons, Black-crowned Night-Herons, Yellow-crowned Night-Herons, White Ibis, and Roseate Spoonbills.

Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve Manager Randy Runnels said, “The acquisition of this island is significant, because there are so few islands suitable for colonial waterbird nesting.  While the remarkable recovery of roseate spoonbills in the Tampa Bay area is centered on the Alafia Banks, protecting spoonbill rookeries like this one in other parts of the bay literally avoids ‘putting all of the eggs in one basket.’”

An example of the value of Terra Ceia Little Bird Key as a bird colony is its inclusion in a state-wide study of one of Florida’s rarest and most identifiable wading birds, Roseate Spoonbills.  In April and May of 2006 and 2007, 65 spoonbill chicks were banded at Terra Ceia Little Bird Key.  Subsequent sightings of the banded birds after they fledged were made by informed bird-watchers across Florida. These studies have allowed Audubon biologists to learn new information about spoonbill movement in the state and key life history information.  Spoonbill chicks banded at Terra Ceia Little Bird Key traveled east and north across the state to Duval, Nassau, and St. Johns counties, and along the west coast of Florida north to Hernando and Pinellas counties and south as far as Lee County.

Audubon Florida will be conducting a fund-raising campaign to reimburse the purchase costs plus management expenses. “There is an opportunity for a philanthropic donor to name the island.  This once-in-a-lifetime chance to name a valuable bird nesting colony is a first-come, first-served situation. Whoever steps up first can designate a name for this special place,” offered Ann Paul, Regional Coordinator for the Sanctuaries program.

For more information or to make a donation to Audubon to support the acquisition of and management of Terra Ceia Little Bird Key, please contact Charles Lee, Mark Rachal, or Ann Paul at 813-623-6826.

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Photos available. Audubon Florida (Florida Audubon Society, Inc.) and the National Audubon Society are dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat that supports them.  Audubon’s national network of community-based nature centers and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas sustaining important bird populations, engage millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in conservation.  For more information, please visit fl.audubon.org, or call 813-623-6826.