Birds Georgia

Birds Georgia is proud to be building places where birds and people thrive along Georgia's coast. 💚

Thanks to funding from the Georgia Ornithological Society, our team is conducting weekly surveys at Cumberland Dividings Bird Island in Camden County from May through September, counting every nest, egg, chick, and adult bird. Cumberland Dividings is a manmade bird island, constructed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers via beneficial use of dredge material (BUDM). It now supports hundreds of birds.

The 2026 nesting season has been incredibly encouraging. More than 50 Least Tern chicks have already hatched, with more than 120 additional chicks expected soon. Cumberland Dividings has become one of the most productive Least Tern sites in the state. Gull-billed Terns, Black Skimmers, and Wilson's Plovers have also successfully hatched chicks -- a welcome turnaround following last year's low hatching success and high predation rates.

This success is due in part to the Bird Island Rule, updated by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Resources Division in 2025. The rule protects islands, sandbars, and spits that provide essential nesting, foraging, and resting habitat for Georgia's shorebirds and seabirds.

Birds Georgia is partnering with Manomet Conservation Sciences and Wildlife Resources Division - Georgia DNR to support implementation of the Bird Island Rule.

Our monitoring efforts have also been strengthened by new cellular, motion-activated cameras installed by Georgia DNR. These cameras alert us to people, predators, and other potential threats, allowing for a quicker response when sensitive nesting areas are at risk.

This season, we've also participated in bird banding efforts with Wildlife Resources Division - Georgia DNR and the Cumberland Island National Seashore. Bird banding is an essential research tool that helps scientists track bird movements, survival, and population trends. One exciting milestone was the first American Oystercatcher chick to fledge on Cumberland Island since 2021.

We're grateful to be part of this important work to protect Georgia's coastal birds. If you visit the coast this summer, remember to Share the Shore and help give nesting shorebirds and seabirds the space they need to thrive.

**All birds handled with federal and state permits