By Steve Phenicie
 
Whip-poor-wills aren’t always terribly popular with the sleeping bag crowd at campgrounds. Sure, their bucolic calls are a pleasure to hear while sitting around the campfire, but when they are still “whip-poor-willing” long after it’s time for some shuteye, well …
​
A patient observer once counted 1,088 “whip-poor-wills” in rapid succession. After a night of delivering its trademark call, the bird sleeps on the forest floor or on a horizontal log or branch during the day. You’re unlikely to detect one, however, because they prefer to sit motionless.
 
Whip-poor-wills are a mottled brown-gray overall with black flecking, a reddish tinge on rounded wings, a black throat, and a long, rounded tail. They measure nine or 10 inches long and prefer open deciduous and pine woodlands, often along forest edges. They don’t build nests but often lay their eggs, typically a clutch of two, in leaf or pine litter along the edge of a clearing under herbaceous plan growth. For food, they catch large, night-flying insects in flight – mostly moths, beetles, and mosquitoes.
 
The bird is a common summer breeding resident in the northern part of Georgia, although it can also be found farther south. Overall, they breed throughout the eastern half of the U.S. north of the Peach State as well as in southern Canada. Many spend the winter in the Southeast, in areas where Chuck-will's-widows are resident in summer. Others migrate to Central America and Mexico; a few show up in the Caribbean.
 
Their numbers appear to have decreased over much of their range in recent decades. The reasons are not well understood, but one possibility is a general reduction in the numbers of large moths and beetles. Open-understory forests, which they like, are also being lost as forest is converted to crops, pasture, or urbanization, and fire suppression leads to dense understories. Also, because whip-poor-wills often fly over roads or sit on roadways while foraging, they are vulnerable to collisions with cars. 
 
Some cool facts about whip-poor-wills:

• They lay their eggs to line up with the lunar cycle, so that they hatch on average 10 days before a full moon. When the moon is near full, the adults can forage the entire night and capture large quantities of insects to feed to the nestlings.
• Nestlings move around, making it difficult for predators to rob the nest. The parent may help by shoving a nestling aside with its foot, sometimes sending the young bird tumbling head over heels.
• The male adult will often will investigate intruders near the nest by hovering in place with his body nearly vertical and his tail spread wide, showing off the broad white tips of the tail feathers.
• Eastern and Mexican Whip-poor-wills used to be considered one species, simply called the Whip-poor-will. But in 2011 they were split into two species based on differences in mitochondrial and nuclear DNA. Eastern Whip-poor-wills give faster, higher-pitched whip-poor-will calls and have more colorful eggs than their western counterparts.
• The Whip-poor-will may locate insects by seeing the bugs’ silhouettes against the sky. Its eyes have a reflective structure behind the retina that is probably an adaptation to low light conditions.
• In the wild, Eastern Whip-poor-wills have been known to live 13 to 15 years.

 

By Lauren Bowman Clontz, Coastal Conservation Coordinator
 Georgia’s birds face a number of challenges, ranging from habitat loss and degradation, collisions with structures, pesticide use, climate change, and more. Some of the most unique, secretive, and compelling of Georgia’s birds facing these threats are the nightjars. There are three species of nightjars in Georgia: The Chuck-will’s-widow, or “Chucks”, Eastern Whip-poor-will, and the Common Nighthawk. While all three of these species are worthy of conservation action and increased engagement, Georgia Audubon has chosen the Chuck-will’s-widow as our focal species for 2023-2025. 

A bird that is heard far more often than seen, the Chuck-will’s-widow sings out its namesake song across the Georgia landscape on late spring and summer nights. Very little is known about this elusive, nocturnal species, in part, because they are notoriously difficult to locate. Their mottled brown plumage provides perfect camouflage as they roost during daylight hours among dried leaves and tree branches. Despite their widespread nature across the state, little is known about what attracts them to various habitats. Learning the habitat preferences of Chucks will be key to figuring out how to make Georgia more hospitable for them in addition to lesseing well-known threats. 

Over the next few years, Georgia Audubon, in collaboration with multiple partners including the University of Georgia, hopes to help fill in some of the gaps about this species and create more suitable habitat to help these birds thrive. We will accomplish this by investing resources and expertise into restoring native habitat, assisting with Chuck-will’s-widow focused research projects, and engaging the public in order to gain a better understanding of statewide population numbers and migratory behavior.  To encourage Audubon members and the public to become involved with community science and Chuck conservation, we are promoting the Nightjar Survey Network program run by the Center for Conservation Biology. While a robust nationwide program, there is currently little data being reported across Georgia. It is time we change this and do our part to help our secretive summer singer! 

Nightjar Surveys
This spring, Georgia Audubon will begin coordinating nightjar surveys across Georgia. We are recruiting volunteers to conduct survey routes with the Nightjar Survey Network. These routes are conducted roadside by a personal vehicle and involve point-counts. Point count surveys are when an observer counts all birds detected by sight and sound while stationary at location during a specified amount of time. Nightjar Survey routes are standardized population counts consisting of 10 roadside stops/point counts. Each of the 10 roadside stops along a route are spaced approximately one-mile apart. 

When: Routes should be conducted on a clear, full-moon night during either of the following windows: 

• April 27 to  May 12, 2023
  
• May 27th to June 10, 2023
  

For additional information or to sign-up, please contact Lauren Clontz: Lauren.clontz@georgiaaudubon.org. Learn more about our species of concern on our website!

Reporting Incidental Sightings is valuable, too
Can’t quite find the time to commit to a formal survey but want to help? Do you occasionally encounter Chuck-will's-widow or one of the other nightjar species? You can still contribute valuable data on their abundance and distribution by adding your sightings of chucks and other birds to eBird.

eBird volunteers
If you are an eBird user, we would appreciate any effort you can put towards detecting Chuck-will’s-widows and their nightjar brethren. All you are asked to do as a volunteer is to go outside approximately 20 minutes after sunset and listen for the species distinctive calls. Birds generally begin calling about 30 minutes after sunset and continue until it gets too dark to see their prey but can call throughout the entire night. At the beginning of your search, either start a new mobile eBird checklist or take notes on date, time, and location so that your sightings can be submitted at a later time. Traveling, stationary, and incidental checklists all are valuable as is noting any and all species seen or heard. If you hear any nightjars and feel comfortable doing so, adding an audio recording to your list would provide extra value. During the breeding season, Chuck-wills-widows tend to favor open areas with sandy soils, open pine forest, oak woodlands, and the edges of swamps. However we lack robust data on this and they could be just about anywhere. You never know what you may find until you get out to look and listen!

If you are new to eBird or need a refresher, visit their introduction webpage or email Lauren Clontz at Lauren.clontz@georgiaaudubon.org.

​The eighth annual Georgia Bird Fest will return this spring with more than 40 events between April 22 and May 21. Join fellow nature and bird enthusiasts for exciting field trips, workshops, and other events to celebrate and enjoy Georgia’s exciting spring migration period. Participation in Georgia Bird Fest provides critical support for Georgia Audubon’s conservation, education, and community engagement programs.
 
Georgia Bird Fest includes events across Georgia, from the mountains to the coast, including both in-person and virtual events and workshops. Some of the event highlights for Georgia Bird Fest 2023 include past favorites such as a behind-the-scenes tour of Zoo Atlanta’s bird collection; beginning and advanced nature photography workshops; a Shorebird Weekend on the Georgia coast; a Warbler Weekend in North Georgia; a trip to Phinizy Swamp near Augusta; an overnight stay at the Len Foote Hike Inn in Dawsonville; and trips to other birding hot spots across the state. We’ll also be debuting new events this year, including an accessible canoe trip at the Chattahoochee Nature Center and a Nightjars after Dark experience in Glynn County. Some of this year’s virtual offerings include Birding 101, Warbler ID, Raptor ID, and a Building Your Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary webinar.
 
The 2023 Georgia Bird Fest will wrap up with a special event on Sunday, May 21, at Round Trip Brewing Company, featuring David Lindo, “The Urban Birder.” Mr. Lindo, inspires people to re-look at their urban environments, where over 20% of the globe’s bird species have been recorded, sometimes without us noticing. His keynote address will challenge us to appreciate and conserve the birds that share our city lives.​ Mr. Lindo is the author of The Urban Birder, Tales From Concrete Jungles, #Urban Birding, How To Be An Urban Birder, and The Extraordinary World of Birds. He was recently named as the 7th most influential person in wildlife by BBC Wildlife Magazine.
 
Registration for Georgia Bird Fest events is now open. For more information or to view a full schedule of events, please visit https://www.georgiaaudubon.org/birdfest.html.
 
Georgia Audubon would like to thank the following event sponsors: Georgia Forestry Foundation, Bonsai Leadership Group, Southwire, HGOR, and Jekyll Island Authority.
 
About Georgia Audubon: Georgia Audubon is building places where birds and people thrive. We create bird-friendly communities through conservation, education, and community engagement.

Georgia Audubon has been awarded a Bill Terrell Avian Conservation Grant from the Georgia Ornithological Society in the amount of $42,049.25 for a bird-friendly maritime grassland restoration project on Jekyll Island. This grant will enable Georgia Audubon to restore a minimum of three acres of maritime grassland habitat with native grasses and perennials to support migratory and resident birds.
​
Georgia Audubon is partnering with the Jekyll Island Authority (JIA), UGA Marine Extension & Sea Grant Program, and Coastal Georgia Audubon Society on this project. The JIA is providing guidance on restoration site selection, ground reconnaissance, restoration/long-term site maintenance services, and assistance with work permitting. Coastal Georgia Audubon will assist in recruiting volunteers for the habitat restoration work and lead community bird walks at the project site. Georgia Audubon is also partnering with the UGA Marine Extension & Sea Grant Program via a coastal fellow who will oversee all community engagement and outreach activities at this site.

These three acres are in addition to nine acres of restoration currently underway or already complete thanks to funding from other sources, bringing the total project area to more than 10 acres. The project goals are to improve habitat currently overrun by non-native plants and protect dune areas of Jekyll Island to make them more resilient and ecologically rich.
As part of the project, Georgia Audubon’s habitat restoration crew and volunteers will remove non-native invasive plant species from the project site, primarily Bahia Grass (Paspalum notatum) and Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon). This will be followed by an installation of new native plant vegetation, including approximately 15,000 native coastal grasses, primarily Muhlenbergia sericea. This species is not only an ecological anchor for this rare habitat, but it is also a culturally significant plant used by the Gullah and Geechee people for basket weaving. 
 
Maritime grassland restoration is a globally rare endeavor, and most published dune restoration projects to date have occurred outside of the United States. This project will serve multiple functions: (1) conservation of a rare and declining habitat; (2) stabilization from wind and storm events just beyond the embryo dunes; (3) promotion of vegetated grassland habitat with enhanced ecological function such as refugia, forage, pollination, etc.; (4) sustainability of the habitat; and, finally (5) public education, to promote awareness of threats facing dune habitats and the wildlife and flora that inhabit grassland dunes. Finally, Georgia Audubon’s efforts to monitor bird populations along the coast will help us gain a better understanding of where future conservation efforts are most critically needed and how we can create stronger partnerships to ensure long-term conservation success.

 “Georgia Audubon is excited to expand our habitat restoration work on Jekyll Island thanks to this grant from the Georgia Ornithological Society,” says Adam Betuel, director of conservation for Georgia Audubon. “This project builds on successful past and ongoing restoration work with the Jekyll Island Authority and deepens our ongoing partnership enabling us to build more ecologically productive space in a threatened habitat that experiences high levels of public visitation."
​
One of Georgia’s barrier islands, Jekyll Island is notable for its pristine beaches, tidal salt marshes, and dense coastal forests. The natural features include quiet beaches where endangered sea turtles nest, critical "stopover" habitat for migrating shorebirds, and an abundance of maritime forest for millions of migrating birds, butterflies, and dragonflies. Tidal creeks and salt marshes border the island on its western side, while a rim of dynamic dunes, beaches, and the Atlantic Ocean border the eastern side. Jekyll Island, along with Georgia's twelve other barrier islands, protect valuable salt marshes, which represent 28 percent of all salt marsh habitat along the U.S. eastern seaboard.
 
About Georgia Audubon: Georgia Audubon is building places where birds and people thrive. We create bird-friendly communities through conservation, education, and community engagement. (www.georgiaaudubon.org)
 
About the Jekyll Island Authority: The Jekyll Island Authority (JIA) is a self-supporting state entity responsible for the overall management and stewardship of Jekyll Island. The JIA oversees the conservation and management of Jekyll Island and has set up parameters to protect the island’s ecosystem while ensuring it remains an inviting destination for visitors. As stewards of Jekyll Island’s past, present, and future, the JIA is dedicated to maintaining the delicate balance between nature and humankind. (www.jekyllisland.com)

by Steve Phenicie

If you’ve ever watched the old TV program M*A*S*H, you probably remember that Corporal Max Klinger’s favorite baseball team was the Toledo Mud Hens. Mud Hen is another name for the American Coot, but calling your team the Toledo American Coots wouldn’t sound very catchy, would it?

These plentiful birds are found throughout much of North America, including the marshes along Lake Erie near Toledo, Ohio, and sportswriters are thought to have assigned the nickname to the baseball team. In much of the Southeast, they are present only in the winter.

To the casual observer, they might appear to be ducks, but their chicken-like bills are not like those of ducks, and their feet are not webbed, having lobes at the ends of the toes. These plump, dark gray water birds have round black heads, very short tails, and a sloping bill.

They’re found in ponds, lakes, and marshes; in winter, they also show up in fields and salt bays. For breeding season they require fairly shallow fresh water with much marsh vegetation. At other seasons they may be in almost any aquatic habitat. Migrants sometimes are seen out at sea some distance from land. Coots sometimes gather in winter flocks of several thousand and mix with other waterfowl.

They eat mainly plant material as well as algae, insects, tadpoles, fish, worms, snails, crayfish, prawns, and eggs of other birds. Sometimes they steal food from other birds, including ducks.

Their nest site is among tall marsh vegetation in shallow water. The nest, built by both sexes, is a floating platform of dead cattails, bulrushes, and sedges, lined with finer material and anchored to standing plants. Several similar platforms may be built, with only one or two used for nesting. Coots very aggressively defend their nesting territory, and the female typically lays from six to 11 eggs. Incubation of 21 to 25 days is by both sexes. The young can swim well soon after hatching; at night, they are brooded on a nest-like platform built by the male. The young are able to fly when about seven to eight weeks old.

Some places in Georgia you might see them are Harris Neck and Savannah national wildlife refuges, both near Savannah; Phinizy Swamp in Augusta; E.L. Huie in Clayton County; Lake Seminole WMA near Bainbridge; Altamaha WMA in Darien (Butler Island specifically); Paradise Public Fishing Area east of Tifton; Reed Bingham State Park at Adel in Cook County; and West Point Lake Dam.

Some cool facts about the American Coot:

• They are the only birds found in Georgia that have white bills.
• The young often ride on the back of a parent and can stay attached even when the adult dives underwater.
• Coots aren’t hunted nearly as much as ducks since many hunters consider them inedible.
• Like a 747, they require a lot of space for a takeoff. They patter across the water, flapping their wings furiously, before becoming airborne.

by Dottie Head, Director of Communications
 
Georgia Audubon was recently awarded a grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation to increase public awareness of the importance of bird-friendly native plants and to promote voluntary actions to reduce the spread of invasive plants through statewide expansion of the Plants for Birds Program and increasing invasive plant species monitoring throughout the state.

“Georgia Audubon is delighted to receive this grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation to expand our efforts to educate Georgians about the interconnectedness of healthy native plant habitat and overall environmental health,” says Jared Teutsch, Georgia Audubon executive director. “Our ecosystems depend on birds, and birds depend on the resources provided by native plants. When an ecosystem is not functioning for birds, it is or soon will be detrimental to people, too.”

As part of this project, Georgia Audubon will promote voluntary actions to reduce the spread of invasive plants through targeted education, outreach, and monitoring campaigns through the statewide expansion of our Native Plants for Birds Program.
​
With a history of building public support for bird-friendly native plants, Georgia Audubon is a leading partner for the nationwide Plants for Birds initiative, spearheaded by the National Audubon Society, which has a goal of adding one million native plants to our greenspaces through native plant sales, habitat restoration, and public education. To date, Georgia Audubon has distributed or planted 57,876 native plants in Georgia.

The spread of non-native invasive plant species greatly contributes to native habitat degradation. Despite this, invasive plants are readily sold at large nurseries throughout Georgia, which further exacerbates the problem. Implementing efforts to limit the transport, propagation, and sale of invasive plant species would be hugely beneficial, but in order to do so, the list of recognized invasive species in the state of Georgia needs updating.

The Georgia Exotic Plant Pest Council is the body in charge of officially listing invasive plants threatening native habitat in Georgia. The purpose of the Georgia EPPC Invasive Plant List is to identify and categorize plants that pose threats to natural areas in Georgia. The invasive plant list is divided into four categories, with one (1) being the most invasive and four (4) being the least invasive. Unfortunately, detailed distribution information does not exist for many species, making it difficult to rank plants adequately. As part of this grant, Georgia Audubon volunteers will be leveraged to help fill in data gaps of the Georgia EPPC Invasive Species List to make the list more robust and provide better guidance for plant growers and retailers.

In addition, Georgia Audubon will utilize its Wildlife Sanctuary Program as a way to encourage property owners to fill their landscapes with native plants and remove or control non-native invasive species. The Wildlife Sanctuary Program recognizes individuals who are providing critical wildlife habitat and creating healthy habitats for wildlife and people. To date, Georgia Audubon has certified more than 700 properties as Wildlife Sanctuaries.

Finally, Georgia Audubon will continue to increase native plantings through the management of large-scale ecological restoration projects across the state with partners like the Georgia State Parks system, land trusts, city parks, the Army Corps of Engineers, and other nonprofit organizations. These projects remove invasive plant species, engage the public in monitoring birds and other wildlife on the project sites, and restore the areas with native plants. Each property—whether one of our managed restoration projects or a certified Wildlife Sanctuary—is a patch of restored habitat in the frayed fabric of the ecosystem in which it lies. By educating about and landscaping with native plants, Georgia Audubon is working to turn a patchwork of green spaces into a quilt of restored habitat across the state.

“Georgia is facing a significant loss of our favorite bird species due to habitat loss and degradation, climate change, pesticide use, and other factors. Statewide, 23 percent—or 58 of Georgia’s 254 bird species—are vulnerable,” says Teutsch. “As the largest statewide organization connecting people with birds and healthy habitats, Georgia Audubon can play a critical role in promoting responsible, voluntary behaviors that can slow the spread of invasive plants...all through the lens of birds.”

For more information about the Richard King Mellon Foundation, visit https://www.rkmf.org/. For more information on Georgia Audubon, visit https://www.georgiaaudubon.org/.

About the Richard King Mellon Foundation: Founded in 1947, the Richard King Mellon Foundation is the largest foundation in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and one of the 50 largest in the world. The Foundation’s 2021 year-end net assets were $3.4 billion, and its Trustees in 2021 disbursed $152 million in grants and program-related investments. The Foundation focuses its funding on six primary program areas, delineated in its 2021-2030 Strategic Plan.
 
About Georgia Audubon: Georgia Audubon is building places where birds and people thrive. We create bird-friendly communities through conservation, education, and community engagement.

​Visitors to the Northwoods Pavilion at Dunwoody Nature Center may notice some new, tiny dots adorning the glass on the building. These dots are special window treatments designed to prevent birds from flying into the glass. The project was made possible thanks to a partnership between Georgia Audubon and Dunwoody Nature Center through a grant from the Disney Conservation Fund.
 
The dots are a special CollidEscape film that reduces the transparency of the glass and breaks up reflection, preventing birds from flying into them. CollidEscape Film was applied to approximately 1060 square feet of the exterior windows. Spaced two inches apart, the dots break up the reflection and alert birds that the space is not a clear flyway, causing them to stall and fly in a different, safer direction. Current research estimates that between 365 million and 1 billion birds perish each year from colliding with buildings in the United States.
 
To learn more about Georgia Audubon's work to prevent bird-building collisions or how to prevent collisions at home, visit our collisions page. 

​December 27, 2022
 
Superintendent Gary Ingram
Cumberland Island National Seashore
101 Wheeler Street
St. Marys, Georgia 31558
 
Submitted via online portal
 
Re: Cumberland Island National Seashore Proposed Visitor Use Management Plan & Environmental Assessment (2022)
 
Dear Superintendent Ingram and the Planning Team:
 
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Visitor Use Management Plan for Cumberland Island National Seashore and Wilderness. We are writing to you to share our concerns about the proposed Visitor Use Management Plan (VUMP) for Cumberland Island and its potentially devastating impacts for birds.
 
Georgia Audubon’s mission is to build places where birds and people thrive. We fulfill our mission through education, conservation, and community engagement. With over 2,400 chapter members and more than 5,000 National Audubon Society members across the state, Georgia Audubon represents a broad constituency united by a desire to protect birds and other wildlife. Our constituents include coastal residents, frequent visitors, and concerned citizens who understand the significance of the natural beaches, salt marshes, and maritime forest to the more than 250 species of birds that winter, breed, migrate through, or live year-round on Cumberland Island and surrounding areas. Georgia Audubon is submitting the following comments on behalf of members from across Georgia.
 
Cumberland Island is home to pristine maritime forests, undeveloped beaches, and extensive salt marshes, and supports a rich biodiversity of wildlife and plants. These habitats are crucial to birds because of their natural and pristine state. Cumberland is a hotspot for migratory birds; being Georgia’s southernmost barrier island, it is tremendously important stopover for thousands of birds, like the Blackpoll Warbler, Red Knot, and Peregrine Falcon, where they first make landfall after endless hours of flight or fuel up before their long open water journey back to South America. 
 
Cumberland Island is also an important breeding ground in the spring and summer for many species of birds, including the threatened Least Tern and Wilson’s Plover. During the winter, Cumberland provides exceptional wintering grounds for thousands of shorebirds, sparrows, and Bald Eagles.
 
Georgia Audubon is asking the National Park Service to conduct a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement to gain a full understanding of how both state- and federally-listed species will be impacted by the proposed increased use of Cumberland Island. The assessment in the current plan is incomplete and fails to capture the harms and potential adverse effects to state- and federally-listed bird species.
 
Our specific concerns with the FAA Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) as they relate to avian life are as follows:
 

• The Piping Plover is a federally-listed threatened shorebird that depends on the undeveloped beaches of Cumberland Island for foraging and roosting habitat during the winter and in migration. The northern, eastern, and southern shore of Cumberland Island— including 1,500 inland feet of dune and interdune habitat—has been designated critical habitat for the piping plover. The VUMP proposes construction of a motorized access dock and development, including two pavilions, in habitat that is critical for Piping Plovers. In addition, proposed  increases in visitation, use of bicycles and e-bikes, hiking trails, and motorized access that will be difficult to monitor and control will likely lead to SUBSTANTIAL disturbance of critical Piping Plover roosting and foraging habitat. The VUMP states that the Plan “may affect but is not likely to adversely affect” Piping Plovers. However, this finding is inconsistent with the VUMP’s own findings and not supported by evidence. The Plan’s proposed construction and development will result in take of federally listed Piping Plovers and adversely modify their designated critical habitat.
• Red Knots are a federally listed threatened species that complete one of the world’s longest distance migrations, traveling up to 19,000 miles round trip between wintering grounds and their summer habitat. Cumberland Island is a critical stop for these birds to rest and refuel on their long-distance journeys each year. Without adequate food resources, Red Knots will die and fail to complete their migration to the breeding grounds. The proposed motorized access dock and development as well as the dock and campsite at Beech Creek will substantially increase visitation at the South end of Cumberland Island. The increased visitation and access via bicycles, e-bikes and motorized vehicles will adversely affect Red Knot populations. A vague environmental protection zone in no way offsets the impacts of the proposed developments and increased motorized access to the south end. Similarly, a dog-free zone near the south end motorboat dock and development will not compensate for the massive increases in motorized boat access and human use of the south end. The Plan’s proposed construction and development will result in take of federally listed Red Knots and adversely modify the habitat on which they depend for their long migrations.
• The status of many nesting species (Willets, Wilson's Plovers, Least Tern, Killdeer, Gull-billed Tern) remains undetermined after a resurgence in coyote predation on the island. The VUMP fails to address the current status of vulnerable or threatened bird species or to address potential impacts of increased foot traffic and recreation.
• Increased foot traffic and recreational activities on South End Beach would likely have adverse impacts on beach-nesting birds. The "vessel landing zone" on South End Beach would result in a loss of beach-nesting habitat as well as an increase in foot traffic and increased potential for unregulated recreational activities that would have further impact beyond this zone.  Additionally, the monitoring that would be required to enforce the closure area on South End Beach designated in this plan would be difficult to enforce due to remote access.
• An increase in visitation to Nightingale beach would disturb beach-nesting birds. A correlated increase in trash would have a high probability of attracting more scavengers to nesting habitat.
• In addition, Georgia Audubon is concerned about potential disturbance by the increased visitation, motorized access, and proposed new trails and facilities on a number of other species, including Wood Storks, Bald Eagles, Least Terns, American Oystercatchers, and Wilson’s Plovers.
• The provisions in the VUMP will significantly increase visitors to the island, especially to the south end, and does not set any cap on visitation. Also, private and commercial use will increase with two new marinas, one in St. Mary’s and a second in Fernandina, along with a corresponding increase in recreational boat use and cruise ship traffic. The VUMP does not assess impact from increased visitation that exceeds their estimated numbers.
• The proposed VUMP fails to adequately address impacts to avian life as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Endangered Species Act. Georgia Audubon strongly encourages the National Park Service to conduct a full Environmental Impact Statement before moving forward with any portion of the proposed Visitor Use Management Plan.

 
Thank you for your consideration, and please do not hesitate to reach out to me by email at Jared.Teutch@georgiaaudubon.org or by phone at 678-973-2437 with any questions or comments.
 
Sincerely,

Jared Teutsch
Executive Director
 

Georgia Audubon has been awarded a grant by the Disney Conservation Fund (DCF) to expand Project Safe Flight and Lights Out Georgia to the Georgia coast to help reduce bird collisions in this key region. This is the fourth consecutive grant Georgia Audubon has received from the Disney Conservation Fund to support collision-reduction efforts.
 
“Georgia Audubon is delighted to again receive support from the Disney Conservation Fund for our Project Safe Flight and Lights Out Georgia programs,” says Adam Betuel, director conservation for Georgia Audubon. “This grant will enable us to expand the collision-related work we have been doing in metro Atlanta area to the Georgia coast to study collisions and implement solutions that will reduce the number of birds killed by building collisions.”
 
Georgia Audubon will use grant monies to expand Project Safe Flight on the Georgia coast. The work will include conducting research on bird collisions and identifying and treating problematic buildings with window film to reduce collisions. A mapping system highlighting important stopover habitat on the coast will also be created, and Georgia Audubon will roll out expanded Light Out Georgia information to encourage coastal residents and commercial properties to reduce or eliminate nocturnal lighting that interferes with bird migration.
 
Georgia's coast is especially important to migratory bird populations in North America due to its unique geography and relatively intact habitat. In the spring, migratory bird species from across the Neotropics rely on the Georgia coast, as it is often their first stop following a transoceanic flight. In the fall, even more birds follow the Georgia coast as they fly south. The barrier islands, maritime forests, and marshlands of the Georgia Bight are vital for migratory bird populations. In addition to the food and shelter that this region provides, many birds use the coast as a guide, choosing to follow its edge in migration rather than setting out over the risky ocean. It is estimated that over 900 million birds migrate over Georgia each year, with a large amount of that occurring along the coast. Understanding how migratory species use this space, what locations are most vital, how to lessen the threats they face, and opportunities to educate and engage the local communities are all incredibly important tasks for this region and things Georgia Audubon will explore as part of this grant work.
 
“Georgia Audubon will collaborate with a number of different organizations to complete the work, including Dr. Kyle Horton at Colorado State University’s AeroEco Lab, the Jekyll Island Authority, and other partners,” says Betuel. “We are interested in exploring the opportunities that exist surrounding light reduction, how we may tie into sea turtle conservation and other light-reduction efforts along the coast, as well as to better understand what our data tell us about protection and management opportunities along our coastline.”
 
Project Safe Flight Georgia is a conservation and engagement effort to understand the issue of bird-building collisions across the state. Project Safe Flight Georgia volunteers patrol selected routes during peak bird migration periods collecting birds that have died or have been injured after colliding with buildings. Since Project Safe Flight Georgia launched in 2015, more than 2,800 birds of 119 different species have been collected.
 
Current research estimates that between 365 million and 1 billion birds perish each year from colliding with buildings in the United States. Bright lights at night can attract and disorient migrating birds, causing them to be drawn to developed spaces, crash into structures, or “trap” them in beams of light leading to exhaustion. Birds also struggle with reflective surfaces during the day as they stop and feed or rest. Shiny glass exteriors and reflections of trees and shrubs close to buildings can all be deadly to birds who are unable to determine reflections from actual flyways or perceive glass as a barrier.
 
To learn more about Georgia Audubon’s collision-related work, please visit www.georgiaaudubon.org/building-collisions.
 
DCF grant recipients are selected based on their efforts to implement comprehensive community wildlife conservation programs, stabilize and increase populations of at-risk animals and engage communities in conservation in critical ecosystems around the world.
 
For information on Disney’s commitment to conserve nature and a complete list of grant recipients, visit www.disney.com/conservation.
 
 
About Georgia Audubon: Georgia Audubon is building places where birds and people thrive. We create bird-friendly communities through conservation, education, and community engagement. 
​