People aren’t the only ones who love a spring vacation to the barrier islands and sandy beaches of coastal Georgia. Shorebirds, small long-legged birds such as sandpipers and plovers often use our beaches as a “stop-over” site (area where they refuel on their long-distance migration journey). Upwards of 300,000 shorebirds will visit the Georgia coastline each spring, most of which are traveling here from South America. Many spend about 1-3 months here, utilizing our remote and protected foraging sites, however, their journey doesn’t stop here. These birds will continue north, sometimes flying several days without another stop until they reach their breeding grounds above the Arctic Circle. Red Knots will fly a straight-line distance of over 9,000 miles from the southern tip of Tierra del Fuego to High Arctic Canada! 

​As if the sheer distance of these migrations isn’t impressive enough, shorebirds may complete their journey with as few as 3-4 spring stops along the entire flyway. With so many miles of coast and so few stops along the way, you may be asking yourself “why Georgia”? The answer is complicated but the main attraction is horseshoe crab eggs. The horseshoe crab, a species of marine arthropod, spawns on the Atlantic Coast of the United States and the Gulf of Mexico. In the spring when the waters of the Atlantic warm they come into shallow water to spawn and lay their eggs in the sand or mud of coastal marshes and beaches. This creates a buffet for shorebirds like the Red Knot, Ruddy Turnstone, and Semi-palmated Sandpiper.
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Another spring has passed this year and our shorebirds are on their Arctic breeding grounds, incubating the next generation of long-distance flyers. Although these birds spend relatively short periods of time on our coast, the time they do spend here is critically important. Next spring, consider lending a helping hand to our champion migrators. You can help by flipping over-turned horseshoe crabs on beaches and help them back into the water, reporting horseshoe crab spawning sites, keeping dogs on leash or off the beach during this time, volunteering for shorebird counts, or by spreading the word of this symbiotic relationship between arthropod and bird. You can follow the movements of Red Knots tagged in the Southeast at this link: https://www.scshorebirdproject.com/redknotracking

By Sarah Cantwell, Coastal Conservation Coordinator ​

If the Southeastern American Kestrel isn’t a bird you often think about or are even familiar with, that might be about to change.

Birds Georgia is introducing a Georgia Birding Trail of premier birding sites throughout the state and has chosen this bird, an iconic cavity-nesting species that is a subspecies of the American Kestrel, to adorn its logo. An Atlanta-based firm, Radical Designs, came up with the artwork that will be used in Georgia Birding Trail signage, stickers, and patches.

The SEAK, an unofficial name for this bird, is a non-migratory resident across the Southeast, particularly in Florida, and usually requires open, fire-maintained sandhills, savannahs, and grasslands. The Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida says they can sometimes be found in pastures and open fields near residential areas as well.

According to Brooke Michael, Birds Georgia’s communications coordinator: “They are
declining due to habitat loss, habitat mismanagement, and a loss of natural nest sites. You can find kestrels throughout the state by exploring in the right habitat and keeping your eye to the sky, and several of our Georgia Birding Trail sites will be in kestrel habitat.”

As for the bird itself, it is the smallest falcon in the United States – about the size of a
Mourning Dove. It measures 7 to 8 inches long with a wingspan of 16½ to 18 inches,
about one-quarter smaller than its cousin, the American Kestrel. The male has blue-
gray wings and a rusty back, a blue-gray crown with a small, rusty “cap,” no spots on its
breast, and only a few on its belly. The female is larger and has a more uniformly rufous
back and wings and more breast streaking. Both sexes have a black-and-white facial
pattern with perpendicular lines extending below the eye and a black band on a rufous
tail. Their alarm call, given in flight, is “killy, killy, killy.”

The breeding season in Georgia begins in late March or April when the male escorts the
female to potential nest sites within his territory. This bird traditionally uses a tree cavity,
usually an abandoned woodpecker home, but will also move into a nest box or the
hollow cross-member pipes on power poles, where they often displace European
Starlings.

The kestrels are insulated from excessive heat in the metal pipes by the nesting
material the starlings brought in, allowing them to incubate eggs and rear young in
these structures. Unfortunately, when older structures are replaced, the new ones often
don’t have any hollow cross arms, robbing the bird of a place to nest. The power
companies have sometimes mitigated this by providing nesting boxes, however. Mostly the female will incubate four to six white to pale brown eggs, spotted with brown and
gray, for 29 to 30 days, and both parents raise the young.

As for its feeding habits, the SEAK typically swoops from a perch on a tree, post or
power line to grab insects and lizards. It also eats small rodents, birds and other
reptiles.

Some of the current sites on the birding trail that have the kestrels as a "featured bird" include Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center in Mansfield, Clybel Wildlife Management Area,
also in Mansfield, Di-Lane Wildlife Management Area in Waynesboro, Euchee Creek
Greenway in Grovetown, E.L. Huie Ponds in Clayton County, Shamrock and Blalock
Reservoirs and Recreation Area in Jonesboro, and Phinizy Swamp Nature Park in
Augusta. Many more Georgia Birding Trail sites will be added in the coming months that will also feature kestrels.

By Steve Phenicie, writer and Birds Georgia member

This spring, Birds Georgia joined Westminster Schools in celebrating the opening of Kingfisher Pond Reserve, a two-acre habitat restoration area that demonstrates how even overlooked spaces can become thriving habitat for birds and people.

What was once a conventional retention pond used to store water for athletic field irrigation is now an outdoor classroom, birding hotspot, and community gathering space.

The project began with a vision from Westminster teacher Clark Meyer and his eighth-grade Meet the Wild elective course, and grew through a Glenn Faculty Grant and a collaborative partnership between students, faculty, facilities staff, and Birds Georgia. Since conversations first began in 2024, the goal has been to create a healthier, more biodiverse landscape while giving students meaningful, hands-on conservation experiences.

When Birds Georgia first visited the site, the area was dominated by closely mowed, non-native turf grasses. Over the past three semesters, Birds Georgia staff worked alongside students to improve the habitat through the selective removal of invasive species and the planting of native grasses, sedges, and wildflowers. Species such as purpletop, broomsedge, and Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) are already increasing plant diversity and supporting the insects that birds depend on.

The wildlife response has been immediate. Great Blue Herons, sparrows, warblers, and Red-shouldered Hawks have all been observed using the habitat, and the site has been added as a vital spot during the annual Atlanta Christmas Bird Count. The reserve has also become a valuable resource for students participating in Georgia's Youth Birding Competition.

Beyond the birds, Kingfisher Pond Reserve has become a place for discovery, learning, and connection. By bringing habitat restoration directly onto campus, students can see firsthand how native plants support wildlife and how conservation action can create measurable change. The project is also helping cultivate the next generation of conservationists by connecting students to the natural world in their own backyard.

Kingfisher Pond Reserve is a powerful example of what can happen when schools invest in habitat restoration. Retention ponds and other underutilized green spaces exist on campuses across Georgia, and with native plants, community support, and a shared vision, they can become thriving habitat that benefits wildlife while enriching the lives of the people who share those spaces.

At Birds Georgia, we believe conservation starts close to home. The transformation of Kingfisher Pond shows how restoring habitat in everyday places can create lasting benefits for birds, inspire community stewardship, and help build a future where birds and people thrive.