"Lifeguard Station" by U.S. National Park Service , public domain
Gulf IslandsOspreys Need Your Help |
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National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Gulf Islands National Seashore
Florida & Mississippi
Ospreys Need Your Help!
Osprey adult on nest
Osprey nest and raise their young at Gulf Islands.
Disturbance by visitors can frighten the parent osprey
off the nest. Consequently, their eggs and chicks can be
killed by the exposure to the hot sun or predators like
crows and gulls.
You can help protect osprey by doing the following:
Stay more than 300 yards away from osprey nests
during the March – July nesting season. Osprey nests
are often 4 feet by 3 feet in size, appearing like large
“piles” of sticks in the tops of trees.
Ospreys are brown and white hawk-like birds with a
six-foot wing span. They are also called “sea hawks.”
If an osprey is whistling sharply and circling overhead
it is trying to protect its nest and the area should be
avoided.
Respect posted “Area Closed” signs and stay away
from these areas.
Thank you for helping to protect the wildlife of these
fragile wilderness islands. For more information, please
call 228-230-4100 or visit www.nps.gov/guis.
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Gulf Islands National Seashore
Florida & Mississippi
Help Our Shorebirds!
Dan Pancamo Photography
Least Terns nesting at Gulf Islands National Seashore
Several species of shorebirds nest and raise their chicks
at Gulf Islands every year. Human disturbance can cause
their nesting efforts to fail. Shorebirds nest in simple
shallow depressions on the open beach. Their sand
colored eggs and camoflaged chicks are easily destroyed.
You can help protect shorebirds by doing the following:
Look and listen for nesting birds. Birds that are
circling overhead, repeatedly calling and diving are
trying to protect their nests. These areas should be
avoided.
Respect posted “Area Closed” signs. Eggs and
chicks blend in with the sand; you may not see them
and could step on the eggs and chicks.
Make sure you tell your children where the closed
areas are located.
Petit Bois and Horn Islands are closed to pets
year-round. While visiting other islands, pets must
be on a leash no longer than six feet.
Report any bird nesting activity to park rangers.
Thank you for helping to protect these special nesting
areas. For some species, it is the only nesting site in Mississippi. For more information, call 228-230-4100 or visit
www.nps.gov/guis.