Recreational activity intersects foraging Ciconiiformes at the John D. MacArthur Beach State Park

Abstract

Wading birds are considered to be ecological indicators for the health of natural habitats of South Florida. This observational study, using a fixed point count survey, focussed on the order Ciconiiformes, which are represented by three families, Ardeidae, Threskiornithidae and Ciconiidae in Florida. Many of the wading birds in South Florida are year round residents, but populations are supplemented with a few additional wintering members of species such as the Great Egret, Snowy Egret and Roseate Spoonbill. We wanted to investigate whether non-breeding or migratory wading birds utilised other local areas for foraging. We chose the John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, located in Palm Beach County, Florida, as our study site. This park site was chosen as a result of personal observation of recreational activities directly on the tidal flats, anecdotal evidence of dwindling bird numbers, and a steady increase of human recreational activity. The purpose of this study was to (1) determine if these particular tidal flats provide any habitat significance to non-breeding wading birds, (2) determine if human recreational activities deter foraging and (3) provide information on supplemental foraging grounds exploited by Ciconiiformes. This study concludes that the John D. MacArthur Beach State Park is not currently a significant foraging ground utilised by Ciconiiformes and our data suggest that human recreational activities contribute direct intrusion for foraging wading birds at this intertidal estuary.