According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), bird conservation has advanced over the past several decades within several organizations and initiatives supporting bird protection efforts. FWC hosts the Florida Bird Conservation Initiative (FBCI) which promotes the conservation and restoration of native Florida birds and their habitats through coordinated efforts amongst several organizations (Florida Department of Environmental Protection, National Park Service, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, South Florida Water District Management, The Nature Conservancy, University of Florida, Audubon of Florida, amongst others). FBCI tackles critical needs related to conservation planning, implementation of conservation programs, research and monitoring, education and outreach, and public policy.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has an Urban Bird Treaty (UBT) program for cities in urban and suburban areas with the goal to promote the conservation of migratory birds through habitat conservation, hazard reductions, citizen science, and outreach and education. The program is currently undergoing an evaluation to address modifications to the designation process to improve the program. Once the process is finalized, staff will follow up with FWC to understand the process to become a designated UBT city.

Cities can also get designated as a Bird City U.S.A. with the International Sustainability Council (ISC) Audubon. In order to become a Bird City U.S.A., a city would need to submit an application (Attachment A) and pursue the following requirements:

·         Create a Natural Resource Advisory Group, consisting of no less than six regular members, with a designated chairperson responsible for coordinating the Bird City U.S.A. efforts and actions. The Advisory group would meet at least once a year and would be responsible for outreach opportunities to educate the public about bird conservation and their habitat.

·         Recognize International Migratory Bird Day by:

a)    Creating a declaration stating the importance of the International Migratory Bird Day, as well as the importance of bird conservation and wildlife habitat protection. The declaration should be located in visible public location (examples of locations include City Hall and libraries);

b)    Host an annual event for the recognition of the International Migratory Bird Day.

·         Select a municipally managed location for the implementation of the Bird & Wildlife Sanctuary Program and use the Bird & Wildlife Sanctuary Program as a guide for sustainable landscaping practices, including the incorporation of plants, shrubs, and trees that will assist with maintenance costs reduction, while protecting the environment.

In addition, the City would need to enroll for a Platinum Membership with ISC Audubon to become a Bird City U.S.A. The membership fees include a one-time registration fee of $250 and a $100 annual fee.

With the goal of developing a Bird Sanctuary Program for Miami Beach, the Lacko Illustration Organization recently applied for the Miami Foundation-Public Space Challenge and the ArtCenter South Florida grants for about $10K to develop the project “Miami Beach Bird Sanctuary” (Attachment B). The goal of the project is to develop a series of safe havens for birds to nest and rest and for migratory species to use as a temporary home. The project selected twelve parks located in different neighborhoods within the city to establish these areas as bird sanctuaries. Each location would have one or more birdhouses (different layouts of birdhouses are presented within the proposal) and a wooden placard with educational outreach for visitors and residents. The placard would include information on each bird sanctuary location, bird species in the area, location of the birdhouses within the park, the importance of bird conservation and protection, bird watcher’s photo gallery, amongst other information (Attachment B). Combining art in public space with an environment component could potentially attract the visitors and residents to the parks and increase their connectivity to the city’s natural ecosystems. 

Although it is important for the city to incorporate a Bird Sanctuary program, as well as educate its residents and visitors about bird conservation and wildlife habitat protection, there are some considerations that should be taken, depending on which program the city decides to pursue:

1)    Aesthetics, cleanliness and associated health impacts: Having birdhouses at a park would attract birds and potentially increase the amount of bird excrement, which could affect the cleanliness maintenance of the park (ex. playgrounds, benches, etc). Cleanliness is fundamental not only for the aesthetics of the parks, but also for potential health risks associated with diseases from organisms that can grow in the nutrient-rich accumulations of bird excrement. A maintenance service plan to clean the surrounding areas of the birdhouses would need to be defined in order to try to maintain park cleanliness;

2)    Location and active areas within the parks: The placement of birdhouses would not be recommended in parks with high usage or within the proximity of hard surfaces (ex. areas with playgrounds, tennis or basketball courts, etc) since it would present an issue for cleanliness maintenance of these areas. In addition, the locations for bird sanctuaries should be considered to not pose limitations on its current and or future use or potential development;

3)    Tree damage: Installing the birdhouses in trees could potentially damage trees (depending on the trees species and installation method) and therefore this would need to be reviewed and approved by the Urban Forestry Division. In addition, there should be considerations regarding trees hosting the birdhouses that may go into decline and/or may need to be removed. The tree removal could pose a problem depending on the bird species nesting in the bird house.