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At a recent “Luck of the Irish” event at Ocean Reef, two very lucky rehabilitated Red Shouldered Hawks (Buteo lineatus) were featured as they were returned to the wild by the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center (FKWBC), who made the rescue and eventual release possible.  Red Shouldered Hawk in Transport Cage. Bayleigh MacHaffie, FKWBC Operations Director with the first of two hawks set to be released to the wild on this day. The release. took place in a relatively natural area, from a dock close to the mangroves. Before the release Erin Allison, Executive Director of the FKWBC, gave a brief history of both hawks. One had been at the center for nearly five months, being treated for damaged feathers, head trauma, a yeast infection and conditioning for flight. The second hawk came in about two months ago after a suspected car hit. It had severe head trauma, couldn’t stand and exhibited neurological symptoms. The initial head swelling was quick to resolve, but it took about a month to regain its ability to fly.  “Ready to Go!" Reluctant at first, the hawk had to figure out what was happening. Then within seconds it flew off toward the mangroves.  Ready - Set - Not so Fast! The first hawk was slow to figure out what was happening, but within seconds it flew out like a dart! The second hawk was to be “toss-released” - where the bird is taken out of the enclosure and tossed into the sky. But the hawk had other ideas, as it unexpectedly flew out between the legs of Bayleigh MacHaffie, Operations Director. Both releases were celebrated by oohs, aahs and applause from the crowd of approximately 40 persons.  Nearly 40 onlookers of all ages came out to witness the release, learn about the injuries and rehabilitation of the two hawks. The Florida Keys Wild Bird Center’s mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and release injured or orphaned birds. “Keep Them Flying” is the motto of the FKWBC and their mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and release wild birds. Their bird sanctuary in Tavernier (93600 Overseas Highway) is open to the public Monday to Sunday, from sunrise to sunset. It is a beautiful spot in a mangrove forest, where visitors may walk on a boardwalk and view 40 non-releasable birds— those that due to their condition cannot safely return to nature.  The second hawk was “On a Mission!.” Though a “toss-release” - where the bird is taken out of the enclosure and tossed into the sky - was planned, the hawk unexpectedly flew out between Bayleigh’s legs. These hawks got a second chance… others are not so lucky. Habitat loss, scarcity of food and places to raise their young, and dangerous obstacles take a terrible toll on bird populations. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) as of 2017 top causes of bird mortality: collision with building glass (600 million), collision with vehicles (215 million), poison (72 million), collision with electrical lines (25.5 million), collision with communication towers (6.6 million), electrocutions (5.6 million) and cats (2.4 billion). If you find an orphaned or injured bird, what should you do? The first thing is to call the FKWBC. Bird Emergency Hotline (305) 852 - 4486 ext. 1 They will guide you on the phone, and walk you through the situation. The best thing to do is to safely contain an injured bird with a towel or a blanket, place it inside a warm dark crate or box, and bring it to the FKWBC. If the bird is on the road in an unsafe place such as a bridge, the FKWBC works with local law enforcement to make sure everyone involved is safe. The FKWBC admits birds into their hospital 24/7 and have a staff member on call to respond to new intakes after hours. There is an after hours drop box (Sunset to Sunrise) at the hospital so anyone can bring in a bird at any time. Instructions are to text/call the FKWBC once you’ve dropped off the bird, and they will respond immediately to intake and start treatment.  Red Shouldered Hawk perched in the sun just outside a tree filled area in my yard. Below are photos showing a rescue that occurred in April 2016. If the finder is unable to contain the bird, they ask you to keep eyes on the bird until they can get there to rescue the bird. Every situation is unique, but they do what is best for the bird. If someone has a contained bird from Ocean Reef, the FKWBC will meet at the front gate or at the Circle K in Key Largo. They also work with Everglades Outpost in Homestead, who has a drop off spot for injured birds found on the mainland. In 2016 I witnessed the rescue of a baby Red Shouldered hawk who fell out of its nest high in a mature Gumbo Limbo tree in my neighbors yard. The FKWBC responded, and enlisted the help of the Florida Keys Electric Coop (FKEC). Once the bird was checked out, and found uninjured, the FKEC worker in the bucket truck returned the bird to its nest.  A cooperative effort. The Florida Keys Electric Coop (FKEC) and the Wild Bird Center team up on a rescue. Bernie Lietaert (no longer with FKEC), Isaiah Leake, two FKWBC employees/interns, Sara Hamilton, Lance Good (no longer with FKEC), and FKEC Right of Way Crew Leader Marcus Martin. Here we are in 2025. Red Shouldered hawks are frequently seen in my yard, however the hawk nest in the Gumbo Limbo tree next door … it’s gone. The homeowner took down the trees, preferring a grass lawn instead. It is curious that we hear a lot about the loss of tropical forests in countries far from our shores, but remember… the Florida Keys is also a unique habitat with tropical forests… located right here which also needs our protection. We must preserve native habitat, and rehabilitate our developed spaces with wild-life friendly plants wherever possible.  The rescue effort made possible utilizing the FKEC bucket truck. The man in the bucket is Isaiah Leake. There are simply not enough native plants left in the “wild”… that is, not enough undisturbed habitat remaining in the Florida Keys, to support the diversity of wildlife we would like to see survive. A healthy earth full of a diversity of species takes more than luck. It takes people, dedication and effort. We are lucky to have the FKWBC in our community.  A baby Red Shouldered Hawk sits beside its parent after being rescued from it’s fall to the ground.
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The more I write about nature, the more people identify me with the subject. Every week, I get texts and emails with pictures, links to articles and sometimes even a call to get out here NOW… there’s a huge flock of birds at the three way… referring to the intersection of Card Sound Road at Crocodile Lake in North Key Largo. From Ocean Reef, as you turn north on Card Sound Road, it is the first wetland to the right, and is a productive birding spot.  A huge congregation of wading birds on a cold overcast morning in Crocodile Lake. Photo by Jeanette Rivera. Such was the case on January 31st, about 8:00 am on a really cold morning with overcast sky when I received a call from Jeanette Rivera, naturalist at Ocean Reef, who was heading to work when she spotted a huge congregation of wading birds. She snapped a photo with her iPhone and in it were White Ibis, Great Egret, Cattle Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, White Pelican, Great White Heron, Reddish Egret and Wood Stork. It was just beautiful. Rivera said, “I was in shock that there were so many birds in that one spot! It was really magical… special…I love it!” As you can tell, Jeanette is very passionate about nature. Of the birds present on this morning, the Roseate Spoonbill, Wood Stork, White Pelican, and Great White Heron were a special treat, as they are most typically seen flying overhead, but on this day they were all here! According to Isabella Collamati, Invasive Species Biologist at Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, ‘time of day, time of year, temperature, and tide would probably be the biggest factors for why they chose to gather that day. It all lined up so that the water was deep enough to host enough prey to keep all parties interested, but shallow enough to make the hunting easier.” The birds diet consists of minnows, mullet, and killifish, and they are pickier about size than species.  Observe how the Reddish Egret hunts. They do a “Crazy Dance” using their wings to shade the water for a better view and then give chase until they can strike their prey. Reddish Egrets differ from other egret species, that simply stand and wait for food to come before they strike.     By the time I arrived, some of the birds had already left, but there were still dozens of birds. I had fun photographing the Reddish Egret and it’s distinctive hunting behavior. As it searched for fish, it would do a “crazy dance” as it jumped and hopped back and forth with outstretch wings raised over its head, peering at the water. The wings cast a shadow so they can see the prey better. The Reddish Egret is also one of the rare egrets, with only 2,000 pairs thought to be breeding in the U.S. A Roseate Spoonbill sat grooming on a red mangrove perch. Not sure it was there because the tide had risen and it’s short legs were no longer able to maneuver in the deepening wetland. Spoonbills have the broadened bill-ends full of nerve-endings, to feel for animals when mud-grubbing.  Spoonbills have the broadened bill-ends full of nerve-endings, to feel for animals when mud-grubbing.  Show me a little pink, peach and fuscia you pretty Rosie. Though not a wading bird, I saw a Belted Kingfisher hunting near this shallow wetland. The Kingfisher can regularly be seen perched on the power lines along Card Sound Road. Winter and Spring is nesting season for these birds, though I am not sure where these particular birds were from. Historically wading birds nested in the small Keys and nearby mangrove islands, within Florida Bay, far from human disturbances. The Everglades supports 70-90% of all wading bird nests annually. Wading birds initiated approx 89,514 nests in the Everglades in 2021. The wading bird nesting in 2021 was the highest recorded in 80 years.  The Kingfisher often perches along Card Sound Road. Their “mohawk” style feathers on their head give the kingfisher an air of confidence. Nesting success is highly dependent on the availability of fish and waters shallow enough to concentrate the fish, and water just the right level for the birds to wade in. Wading birds are abandoning their traditional nesting grounds in Florida Bay, and are moving north, partly due to increased salinity and the resulting reduction of species of fish that thrive in brackish water. Salinity of the Florida Bay is a problem, and the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) is intended to divert more fresh water through Taylor Slough to Florida Bay to improve the bay's health by reducing salinity. On the mainland Everglades, Madeira Hammock and Paurotis Pond, are locations with a reliable amount of birds and also a short field-trip from the Keys. It is very special living near designated wildlife refuges and national parks, but birds cannot read, and can easily settle in parks and gardens with suitable conditions. Or even can be seen flying overhead… This story was told to me by an avid tennis player Pat Holbrook, about a situation that occurred in mid-serve, requiring a “do-over”. As Pat tossed the ball preparing to serve up a winner, she called “let”… there is a Roseate Spoonbill flying over the tennis court. It is rare to see a Roseate Spoonbill, but never had she seen one flying overhead. An unexpected pause, a brief delay of game… and all the players agreed, nature had served up a winner.
A manatee is a harmless, slow moving aquatic mammal - not a fish - with a light brown to gray hide, often covered with barnacles and algae. Their nickname “sea cow” comes from their diet of seagrasses and aquatic plants, found in shallow waters adjacent to tropical shorelines. Fossil records indicate manatees were present in the bays and rivers of Florida about 15 million years ago.  A family of manatees, one with a mutilated tail, forage in an Ocean Reef channel. In 1951 Everglades National Park biologist Joseph Moorea began the now-standard practice of identifying individual manatee by the propeller scars on their backs caused by careless operation of motorboats. In 1832 when Audubon visited the Keys he wrote about “those singular animals called Sea Cows or Marratees [sic], and he had conquered hundreds of them…because the flesh and hide bring ‘a fair price,’ at Havannah [sic].”  1890 John and Eddie Pent and a crowd around a manatee on a Coconut Grove pier. (Credit: Archives State of Florida) In 1891, Kirk Monroe wrote that the manatee “abounds” in Biscayne Bay and related an incident in which his Miami neighbors killed one of a “herd” of five, supplying the “settlement of 100 souls with meat for three days.”  Indians killed the manatee for food- fried, grilled, or boiled or dehydrated by smoking beside a fire under a chickee hut. They’d trade the hide for coffee, sugar and salt. Bones were used for rituals. In 1893, Florida law made it illegal to kill or capture manatees. Despite the law, the waters of the Keys were akin to the wild west… albeit a wet and wild frontier. In 1919 Zane Grey, renowned author of westerns, and President of the Long Key Fishing Club, wrote: “Who fishes just to kill? At Long Key last winter I met two self-styled sportsmen. They were eager to convert me to what they claimed was the dry-fly class angling of the sea. And it was to jab harpoons and spears into porpoises and manatee and sawfish, and be dragged about in their boat. The height of their achievements that winter had been the harpooning of several sawfish, each of which gave birth to a little one while being fought on the harpoon! Ye gods! It would never do to record my utterances.”  The Save the Manatee Committee was established in 1981 by Jimmy Buffett and Gov. Bob Graham. Committee Chairman Jimmy Buffett and Pat Rose, Department of Natural Resources, review a script promoting awareness and education about the endangered West Indian Manatee. (Credit: Archives State of Florida) Miami’s boom of the 1920’s gave rise to greater populations living in South Florida, particularly near the coast. Then came the bust and Floridians resorted to hunting manatee to put food on the table to survive the Great Depression of 1929. Historically, the Seminole Indian Tribe used the manatee for food, traded the skins for essentials, and used the bones in rituals.  Manatees search for fresh drinking water, but never feed or water them. This could attract them to dangerous areas, like docks, putting them at greater risk of a boat strike. It is also illegal to feed and water manatees. Manatees are thermoregulators, meaning that they attempt to maintain a constant body temperature. In nature, manatees retreat to deeper areas where a layer of salty bottom water helps to trap heat and allow for warmer conditions near the bottom. Like manatees, Florida was settled by people seeking refuge from the cold. As populations grew, so did the range of the manatee. who were frequently seen in canals and yacht basins, attracted by a new form of warm-water refuge caused by population growth. The advent of large power plants aligns with the manatee’s expansion up the Atlantic Coast of Florida. Power plants were constructed in Fort Lauderdale (1926), Palm Beach (1946), and Ft. Pierce (1945), and later up the Gulf Coast to Ft. Myers and St. Petersburg (1958) and Crystal River (1966).  1980’s Highway billboard By the early 1970’s it became clear that the manatee was struggling with the effects of living close to man. Boat collisions, habitat loss, seagrass decline, coastal development, human interaction, toxic red tide algal blooms and climate change impacts threatened their existence. The Marine Mammal Protection Act was passed in 1972. In 1975 the Florida Legislature named the Manatee the “Florida State Marine Mammal”. and in 1978 enacted Florida’s Marine Sanctuary Act. The Save the Manatee Committee was established in 1981 by Jimmy Buffett and Gov. Bob Graham to promote awareness and education about the endangered West Indian Manatee.  Today it is illegal to pursue, harass or play with a manatee. Man hugging a manatee Miami Seaquarium circa 1987 (Credit: Archives State of Florida) In 1991, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) aerial survey of the population of the Florida manatee revealed only 1300 individuals. By 2016 things were improving, and the manatee moved from an endangered status to a downgraded threatened status. In 2019 the USFWS estimate of Florida Manatee was about 6300 individuals. The 2022-23 USFWS survey estimated Florida Manatee numbered 8,350–11,730. With 3,960–5,420 on the west coast and 3,940–6,980 on the east coast. The manatee’s history in Florida is linked to population growth and development, and their survival in our modern era is unclear. The fact that this creature has persisted to this day gives me hope for the future.   A Florida “Save the Manatee” license plate is a smart way individuals may support manatee research, rescue, and monitoring efforts, to guide conservation actions. |
CAROL ELLIS
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September 2024
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