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The purpose of the South Carolina Picture Project is to celebrate the beauty of the Palmetto State while preserving some of its vanishing landscapes.

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Bird Key Sanctuary

SC PICTURE PROJECT 1 Comment

SC Picture Project / Charleston County / Bird Key Sanctuary

This coastal bird sanctuary of approximately 35 acres rests at the point where the Folly River, Stono River, and Kiawah River converge. The exact size of the island, known as Bird Key or Bird Key-Stono, varies from year to year with the ever-shifting sands. Folly Beach can be seen to the upper left of Bird Key in the photo below, with the popular Folly Pier seemingly a world away from the sandy preserve. In fact, Bird Key’s isolation is what makes the sandspit a successful breeding ground for several species of coastal birds, including brown pelicans, laughing gulls, royal terns, oystercatchers, and snowy egrets.

Bird Key Stono Sanctuary

Vanessa Kauffmann of Charleston, 2014 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Along with Devaux Bank off Edisto Island and Crab Bank in the Charleston Harbor, Bird Key is one of only three seabird sanctuaries designated by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. All three were declared sanctuaries in 2006 following a steep decline in nesting seabird populations that began in the 1990s. Below, birds stand on the edge of Folly Beach County Park facing Bird Key. Kiawah Island can be seen in the distance, on the other side of the sanctuary.

Bird Key Folly Beach

Vanessa Kauffmann of Charleston, 2012 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

From the 1980s through 1994, Bird Key hosted the largest number of nesting brown pelicans in the birds’ range. Though the species was thriving in 1989 with 7,739 nesting pairs noted in South Carolina that year, by 2002 fewer than half that number of nesting pairs could be counted in the state; only 3,001 were documented. In 2004, brown pelicans disappeared from Bird Key altogether, not to return until 2014. That year, 200 brown pelican nests were counted on the island; one year later, 1,299 nesting pairs were counted at Bird Key. In 2015, biologists documented 5,210 brown pelican nests in South Carolina, indicating that the protections afforded by seabird sanctuaries are indeed helping revive the population.

Bird Key Stono

Vanessa Kauffmann of Charleston, 2013 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The absence of mammalian predators such as raccoons makes the island an ideal nesting ground. Nesting season, which beings on March 15th of each year and continues through October 15th, prohibits visitors from coming onto the island during those months. Because the birds create ground nests, eggs are vulnerable to disturbance by human visitors. Many nests are not obvious, which protects them from predators but also puts them at risk of being crushed beneath exploring feet. However, boaters may observe the birds from the water. Those viewing Bird Key by boat are asked to be mindful of reducing their wake, which can lead to erosion.

Bird Key

Vanessa Kauffmann of Charleston, 2016 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Dogs and camping are prohibited on the sanctuary at all times. Even the best-behaved dogs naturally frighten the birds, causing them to flee the island and leave their eggs to be scorched by the sun. Many migrating birds stop at Bird Key to rest and feed during the winter months, and dogs and campsites disrupt the visiting birds, endangering their journeys. Please be mindful of the strict SCDNR rules when visiting the seabird sanctuaries. Adherence to the standards set by wildlife biologists ensures that the populations of coastal birds will continue to increase, further magnifying the natural beauty that defines South Carolina.

More Pictures of Bird Key-Stono Sanctuary


Bird Key Aerial

Vanessa Kauffmann of Charleston, 2016 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Bird Key Seabird Sanctuary

Vanessa Kauffmann of Charleston, 2012 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Bird Key Sanctuary

Vanessa Kauffmann of Charleston, 2016 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Bird Key Stono Aerial

Vanessa Kauffmann of Charleston, 2014 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Plan Your Trip:

Where is located?
SC
GPS Coordinates: 32.629640,-79.982204
What else should I see?
Folly River 1.4 miles
Folly Beach County Park 2.5 miles
Mosquito Beach 4.8 miles
Folly Beach Renourishment 4.8 miles
Show me more like this!
  • See other South Carolina Beaches
  • Folly Beach Historic Sites
  • See other South Carolina Forests and Nature Preserves
  • See other South Carolina Rivers
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Joanne Lee Deyoe says

      January 22, 2018 at 3:26 PM

      Beautiful photos of the birds and the ocean. JLD

      Reply

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    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

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    ABOUT US

    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

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