Snail kite The number of endangered birds nesting in Osceola County is on the rise after the wildlife officials finished a project working to enhance their habitat. (FWC/Ron R Bielefeld, Whistling Wings Photography)
(FWC/Ron R Bielefeld, Whistling Wings Photography)
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — The number of endangered birds nesting in Osceola County is on the rise after the wildlife officials finished a project working to enhance their habitat.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials said the multi-year project involved prescribed burns to help eliminate invasive plants around East Lake Toho and improve nesting conditions for snail kites. To help improve conditions around the lake, biologists also lowered water levels and removed muck.
Officials said all those efforts combined helped to improve foraging and nesting habitats for the birds as well as recreational opportunities around the lake.
North Atlantic right whale North Atlantic right whale. (NOAA Fisheries)
2 more right whale calves spotted off Florida coast (WFTV)
North Atlantic Right Whale Calving Season 2023 Porcia (#3293) and her calf were spotted southeast of Ossawbaw Island, Georgia on December 17, 2022. Portia is at least 26 years old and this is her third known calf. (NOAA)
North Atlantic right whale North Atlantic right whale. (NOAA Fisheries)
North Atlantic Right Whale Calving Season 2023 (NOAA)
Right whale sighting The first two right whale mother-calf pairs were spotted off the coast of Georgia this week. (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)
Right whale A proposal to protect an endangered whale species could impact ships sailing in and out of Port Canaveral. (WFTV Staff)
Kemp's ridley sea turtle
Kemp’s ridley sea turtle Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)
Leatherback sea turtle Leatherback sea turtle. (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)
Everglade snail kite
Everglade snail kite Everglade snail kite. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
Key deer
Key deer Key deer (Kate Watts/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
Key deer Key deer (JOSH O'CONNOR /U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow
Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow. (U.S. National Park Service)
Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow. (U.S. National Park Service)
Florida bonneted bat
Florida bonneted bat Florida bonneted bat. (Lisa Smith/Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)
Florida bonneted bat Florida bonneted bat (Lisa Smith/Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)
Florida panther
Florida panther Florida panther (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
Florida panther Florida panther (David Shindley/Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)
Florida panther Florida panther (Larry Richardson/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
Florida panther Florida panther (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
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Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.
