Roof-nesting Least Tern Rescue
Across Pinellas County
Description and physical requirements
A cooperative Clearwater Audubon project with St Pete Audubon and Beth Forys, PhD, from Eckerd College conducted during the nesting season from April through July. Requires driving within the county, chasing down chicks in parking lots with a butterfly net, and lifting them back onto rooftops using a locally designed chick-a-boom.
Irene Hernandez captured this Least Tern
chick
fallen from its rooftop nest
earlier this summer.
Click to email Irene.
Volunteer opportunities
To help chase these sometimes hard-to-rescue chicks down, Jane Williams has organized
a northern Pinellas contingent of chick-a-boomers who worked at the AUTOWAY buildings on Highway 19.
Susan Traub and Mike MacDonald were among those last year
who helped Jane save chicks through some of the hottest months of the summer.
Monique Borboen from St. Pete Audubon organized the overall
effort for Pinellas before moving to Northeastern Florida
to organize beach nesting bird activities there.
Beth Forys,
PhD, from Eckerd College is doing research based on data compiled
from a multi-year study of these and other colony nesting birds.
John Hood and Marianne Korosy have organized a project to band chicks fallen from rooftops before they are returned. This project is in its second year.
Contact
Jane Williams, email jwilli56@tampabay.rr.com