Did you know that Lido Key Beach is home to a Black Skimmer colony, and right now is baby bird season? You might see skimmers feeding now and then in Charlotte County, but the nearest major nesting colony is just north at North Lido Beach in Sarasota. 

The Black Skimmer is actually a state-threatened species in Florida; coastal development and habitat loss have really put them at risk. Even the slightest disturbance from people, pets, or natural predators can jeopardize their chance of raising chicks.

If you visit to watch the skimmers, please keep your distance. The photographers took the photos for this story from far away, and you’ll spot a chick hovering next to their parents’ wings. 

Florida’s Black Skimmer nesting season runs from early May to September, with chicks usually hatching in July. Since they lay their eggs right on the sand, everything, eggs, chicks, and all, blends into the beach, making them dangerously easy to step on or run over. Beachgoers, pets, and predators pose enormous risks.

Early spring, in March and April, flocks settle on open sandy beaches, sandbars, and small coastal islands, sometimes hundreds of birds together. From May through September, the official nesting season begins. Pairs scrape little hollows in the sand and lay three to five eggs, which are so well-camouflaged that they disappear into the ground. 

The trouble is prime nesting overlaps with summer holidays like Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. Increased crowds and fireworks can send the colonies into a panic. By July and August, chicks hatch, tiny, downy, and wandering, trying to survive both the intense sun and the surrounding commotion.

Why are these birds considered state-threatened? Their nests hide in plain sight; eggs and young blend with the sand, making them easy to trample or for beach-raking equipment to destroy. When people, pets, or predators get too close, the adult skimmers flush, taking off in alarm and leaving the chicks exposed to heat or waiting predators like crows and gulls. Habitat loss from development only piles on the pressure, shrinking the already limited space they need to survive.

Want to help the skimmers while enjoying the beach? Here’s what you can do:

— Respect posted signs and roped-off sections put up by Audubon Florida or the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Please don’t cross into these protected areas or disturb the colony.
— Keep your distance. Use binoculars or a long lens if you want a closer look or a wonderful photo; don’t get too close.
— Leave your pets at home. Dogs are an enormous threat to ground-nesting birds, so skip bringing them along to nesting beaches.
— Pick up your trash. Litter draws in predators, raccoons, crows, and gulls that can wipe out a colony.

If you spot an unmarked nest site or see someone disturbing a colony, report it directly to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922. Every bit of awareness and care goes a long way for these amazing, vulnerable birds.

For more information, check out Audubon Florida.

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