PANAMA CITY BEACH — With shorebird nesting season approaching this spring, businesses across the Panhandle are pitching in to ensure chicks have the best chance of survival — no matter where their mothers nest.
“To avoid disturbance they use these sites that are a little more isolated from people,” said Caroline Stahala, regional program manager for Audubon Florida.
As area beaches get increasingly crowded, Stahala said threatened shorebirds usually prone to nesting in the sand have turned to rooftops as a more private alternative. But even the more isolated spots aren’t without their own dangers.
Over the last couple years, Audubon has been working with property owners to make rooftop nesting safer for shorebird chicks, primarily least terns and black skimmers, who run the risk of falling off the side when startled.
“If something spooks them ... the natural tendency of the babies is to run away,” Stahala said. “When they do that, they run and they fall off the edge.”
At the Chateau Motel on Front Beach Road, owners recently teamed up with Audubon to erect a protective fence along the edges of the flat, gravel rooftop, a popular spot for nesting shorebirds. Motel staff also has been trained on the proper way to return shorebird chicks to their nests if they fall.
“Last year we were active with working with the property owners to return the chicks that were falling back to the roof,” said Stahala, noting most chicks survive the fall but run the risk of greater danger when separated from their parents. “You need to get them back on the rooftop so their parents can find them.”
While Audubon has many rooftop nesting hotspots in the Destin area, the Chateau Motel has been the biggest problem area in the Panama City Beach. As one of the last gravel rooftops in the area, motel manager Nick Armstrong said they were happy to cooperate with Audubon to make the roof a safer place for chicks.
“We don’t want to do anything to hinder their species,” Armstrong said.
Motel staff even went the extra mile, offering guests car wash tokens to help get rid of what the birds may have left behind.
“They didn’t want the guests to speak badly of the birds,” said Stahala, who recently presented the business with a plaque for housing a bird-friendly rooftop. “The property owners are amazing.”
As nesting season draws closer, Audubon is seeking volunteers to participate in its “Adopt a Rooftop” program. Volunteers would be responsible for conducting a quick, 15-minute rooftop check once a week to count the number of nesting birds.
How To Help
- People interested in volunteering to conduct a 15-minute rooftop check once a week to count the number of nesting birds can call (850) 276-4069 or email mlandis@Audubon.org for more information.
