LITTLE BIRD KEY, Fla. (AP) _ The treetop homes on Terra Ceia Bay all have grand views of sunsets while the residents there feast on seafood and rear their young.
The two-acre island just south of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge near Manatee County is an important bird rookery and serves as home to a wide variety of water and wading birds, including anhingas, brown pelicans, reddish egrets and roseate spoonbills, designated a species of special concern by the state.
To protect the birds and their nests, the Florida Audubon Society bought the island in August, making Little Bird Key the society’s newest sanctuary.
Audubon will post signs on the island about its protected status. People are welcome to view the birds from boats or kayaks, but they’re not allowed ashore.
