31 May Rookery Update 5/12
Posted at 07:53h
in STATUS UPDATE
Photo by Arthur Morris
The St. Augustine Alligator Farm Rookery is in full swing! Peak season has arrived along with a grand total of well over 600 nests this year. Last year peaked at almost 400 nests, though in 2008 the rookery contained just over 700 nests. Nest count flucuations within wading bird rookeries can be caused by new adults entering into breeding age, weather, resource abundance, and environmental conditions such as water quality. All seven wading bird species within the rookery now have chicks within their nests, as well as the Green heron nests in other regions of the zoo.
| SPECIES | Adults | Nests | Chicks |
| Great egret | 94 | 83 | 62 |
| Wood stork | 69 | 51 | 43 |
| Snowy egret | 175 | 146 | 91 |
| Tri-colored heron | 83 | 77 | 69 |
| Cattle egret | 307 | 230 | 12 |
| Little blue heron | 26 | 24 | 15 |
| Roseate spoonbill | 26 | 16 | 14 |
| Green heron | 2 | 4 | 3 |