Florida is known for its birdlife—Its rich diversity of habitats accommodates hundreds of species year-round and seasonally rolls out the welcome mat to many more migratory birds. However, about a third of all American bird species are experiencing declining population trends due to a myriad of threats, including warming temperatures and sea level rise.
According to the 2025 State of the Birds report, 42 species nationwide have been identified as Tipping Point species—birds with perilously low populations and steep declining trends. Which ones are we watching in Florida?
Wilson’s Plover
Over the past few decades, shorebird species have experienced accelerated population loss rates—almost three-quarters are suffering continued drops in their numbers despite recent conservation efforts. With an estimated population of fewer than 1,000 Florida birds, Wilson’s Plovers and their habitats are at risk.
Wilson’s Plovers are dependent upon natural coastal habitats for food and nest sites – they lay their eggs right on the sand and raise their families amidst the dunes and surf. All summer, they contend with coastal storms that are getting larger and more intense as the ocean warms. These birds are also threatened by development and disturbance, and now sea level rise is reducing the available space between lapping waves and the built environment.
The species is listed as threatened or endangered in other states. To stop their Florida numbers from declining further, in 2023, Audubon petitioned the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to list them as a state-designated threatened species. At beach-nesting sites, Audubon staff and volunteer stewards educate visitors and ensure that beachgoers do not disturb Wilson’s plovers where they are breeding.
Learn more about volunteering as a bird steward.
Florida Scrub-Jay
The Florida Scrub-Jay is Florida’s only endemic bird species. These birds have already lost so much of their habitat—high, dry scrub where acorns are numerous—to developers. Now, they are also being affected by climate change.
According to a study of Florida Scrub-Jays at Archbold Biological Station, the birds are nesting earlier in response to warmer temperatures. The study showed that first-nesting dates have advanced by roughly a week over the study period. Even though the number of nests built by each jay pair increased by 33%, the overall number of successful fledges declined by 25%. The Archbold team suspects that warmer winters mean predators, especially snakes, are also becoming more active earlier in the breeding season. Because jays nest only a few meters off the ground, they are particularly vulnerable to these reptilian predators.
To better document these declines and assess their long-term population health, consistent, long-term monitoring of nesting efforts and the number and distribution of active colonies is needed in order to design conservation solutions. Community scientists with Audubon’s Jay Watch program are helping us understand how jay populations are doing at a statewide scale, providing the information we need to keep them safe now and into the future.
