Thanks to a dedicated park naturalist assisted by volunteer bird stewards, Huguenot Memorial Park in Jacksonville has proved once again to be an essential breeding ground for many of Florida's most iconic bird species.
This year, Royal Tern nests fledged more than 2,000 chicks. These young birds will go a long way in helping statewide populations recover from the rain, wind and storm surge caused from a devastating Hurricane Debby on the Gulf Coast in June.
“Huguenot is a perfect example of why multiple breeding sites are the best defense for beach birds against natural or manmade disasters,” said [Audubon's Monique Borboen]. “Hurricanes are a common and natural occurrence in Florida, that’s why nature doesn’t like to put all her ‘eggs in one basket.’ One strong storm has the potential to devastate miles of shoreline habitat and cause the destruction of multiple breeding bird colonies.”
