Following Hurricanes Helene and Milton, SCCF’s shorebird team was pleased to re-sight banded black skimmer 7U on Captiva, as well as receive news that three of our banded snowy plovers were sighted a few hours up north!

Black Skimmer 7U

Black skimmer 7U had not been seen since it was banded on St. Pete Beach in 2022 until August on Lover’s Key. SCCF first sighted it in September during Global Shorebird Counts.

Black skimmers are listed as state-threatened in Florida. They can be found along the Gulf and northeastern U.S. coasts and in Southern California, Mexico, and South America. As beach-nesting birds, they are highly vulnerable to habitat loss and disturbance in developed coastal areas and beaches.

“We are happy to have seen 7U alive and well following Hurricanes Helene and Milton,” said SCCF Shorebird Biologist Audrey Albrecht.

Crow, LL Cool J, and ‘Super Dad’ White/Blue

Banded snowy plovers ‘Crow’ and ‘LL Cool J,’ originally from Sanibel and banded by SCCF biologists, were re-sighted this week in Pineallas County.

On Wednesday, Oct. 16, our team also received news that “Super dad” White/Blue was seen foraging on Caladesi Island in Dunedin, Florida! White/Blue was banded as a chick on Sanibel in 2019 and has fledged chicks on the island every year since, other than 2024.

Snowy plovers are also listed as threatened in the state of Florida and have a limited range along coasts in California, the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, and South America. Like black skimmers, these small beach-nesting birds are very vulnerable to coastal development and human disturbance.

SCCF has monitored snowy plovers on Sanibel since 2002. Following a suboptimal nesting season on the island, the news of Crow and LL Cool J’s survival was much welcome by our biologists!

Learn more about bird banding and how it informs conservation.