Drone footage allows for a better understanding of bird populations in a given area and their behavior. In order to survey a documented wood stork colony in Eastern Collier County, ETE used drones to capture a census. We found there is a thriving population of wood stork on the island. Wood storks are a protected species under the Federal Endangered Species Act, as they have suffered a large degradation of their feeding habitat. Wood storks primarily feed in areas such as marshes, agricultural ditches, and depressions in cypress domes or swamps and are most successful when feeding in an area with a variety of site options.
Other species observed on the islands:
- Cattle egret
- Snow egret
- Anhinga
- Roseate spoonbill
