BUFFER ZONE DISTANCES TO PROTECT FORAGING AND LEAFING WATERBIRDS FROMHUMAN DISTURBANCE IN FLORIDA

Sixteen species of waterbirds (Pelecaniformes, Ciconiiformes, Charadri iformes) in north and central Florida were exposed to 4 types of human disturbances (walking, all-terrain vehicle, automobile, boat) to dete rmine buffer zones that minimize flushing of foraging or leafing birds . Both intraspecific and interspecific variation were observed in flus hing-response distances to the same type of disturbance. Buffer zones were estimated using a formula based on the mean plus 1.6495 standard deviations of the observed flushing distance plus 40 m (buffer distanc e = exp [mu + 1.6495 sigma] + 40). A buffer of about 100 m should mini mize disturbance to most species of waterbirds we studied in Florida. We recommend follow-up studies to test our buffer distances for other species and disturbance situations.