Mystery surrounds mass migration of birds from Florida island after they abruptly left their eggs and nests behind

• Birds were located on Seahorse Key, a 150-acre mangrove-covered dune
• In May, the key fell eerily quiet all at once as thousands of birds left
• It is not yet known why they left and biologists are attempting to find out
• For decades, Seahorse Key has been a protected way station for birds
• Biologists tested birds for disease and contaminants but tests were negative

By Associated Press Reporter and Daily Mail Reporter

Published: 11:10 EST, 7 July 2015 | Updated: 14:40 EST, 7 July 2015

Mystery surrounds the mass migration of thousands of little blue herons, roseate spoonbills, snowy egrets, pelicans and other chattering birds which abruptly left a Florida island. 

The din created by thousands of nesting birds is usually the first thing you notice about Seahorse Key, a 150-acre mangrove-covered dune off Florida's Gulf Coast.

But in May, the key fell eerily quiet all at once, and nests sat empty in trees; eggs broken and scattered on the muddy ground.

Several ospreys perch on a signpost at Seahorse Key, Florida off a 150-acre mangrove-covered dune off Florida's Gulf Coast

An Osprey returns to its nest in Seahorse Key, off Florida's Gulf Coast, but in May, Seahorse Key fell eerily quiet, as thousands of birds suddenly disappeared, and biologists are trying to find the reason why

A broken bird egg shell is seen in Seahorse Key, off Florida's Gulf Coast after birds left their eggs behind

A variety of birds gather in branches at Snake Key, Florida. near Seahorse Key, off Florida's Gulf Coast

A pelican takes flight off shore at Snake Key, in a place that was once the largest bird colony on the state's Gulf Coast but is now a dead zone

'It's a dead zone now,' said Vic Doig, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist. 'This is where the largest bird colony on the Gulf Coast of Florida used to be.'

For decades, Seahorse Key has been a protected way station for myriad bird species. It's part of the Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge, which was established in 1929 as a sanctuary for birds devastated by decades of hunting for their colorful plumage. 

Accessible only by boat, today it's a rare island off Florida not dominated by human activity and development.

When the birds come to nest, so too do biologists and naturalists who study the different colonies. But this year, the birds' exit has the state's avian biologists scrambling for answers.

'It's not uncommon for birds to abandon nests,' said Peter Frederick, a University of Florida wildlife biologist who has studied Florida's birds for nearly 30 years. 'But, in this case, what's puzzling is that all of the species did it all at once.'

Doig said some of the Seahorse birds seem to have moved to a nearby island, but they're just a fraction of the tens of thousands of birds that would normally be nesting on the key right now.

A great blue heron flies near the shore of Snake Key as biologists try to find the reason why they migrated on mass

Herons and egrets gather on the shore of Snake Key, as biologists worry that the abandonment could have a ripple effect and continue for generations

Larry Woodward, of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service looks over a broken egg shell at Seahorse Key

Larry Woodward, left, and Vic Doig of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service observe bird life off shore at Snake Key, Florida

Vic Doig, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist observes empty bird nests in Seahorse Key,

To find answers, service biologists have been acting on the few clues they have.

First, they tested left-behind bird carcasses for disease or contaminants. Those tests came back negative.

Next, they researched possible new predators. Did raccoons swim over from another island? Perhaps some great horned owls flew out at night and started feasting?

Traps caught a few raccoons, which is common, but not enough to have created a wholesale abandonment. There were no telltale signs of owls.

Finally, Doig said, recent years have seen an increase in night flights over the area by surveillance planes and helicopters used to combat drug runners. 

Although the planes' noise could be disruptive, Doig admits it's a long shot.

Tricolored herons perch in tree branches on Snake Key, for decades, Seahorse Key has been a protected way station for myriad bird species

A roseate spoonbill flies near Snake Key, a short distance from Seahorse Key, accessible only by boat, today Seahorse Kay is a rare island off Florida not dominated by human activity and development

Bird migration: Why do they fly in V formation? (related)

The abandonment concerns biologists because it could have a ripple effect: Many bird species here return year after year to the same nesting sites. The disruption provokes anxiety that this important island refuge could somehow be lost.

'Any rookery that's persisted for decades as one of the largest colonies is incredibly important,' said Janell Brush, an avian researcher with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 'It's quite a large colony. There had to be some intense event that would drive all these birds away.'

Biologist also don't know how the disappearance will affect the island's other animals, some of which rely on the birds to survive. 

Cottonmouth snakes eat bird predators like rodents, and in turn the birds drop lots of fish and other nutrients from the trees to feed the snakes.

In the meantime, tour operators that once spent hours taking naturalists and bird watchers to the island are making other plans.

Mike O'Dell runs tours out of the little marina in nearby Cedar Key. He said on a Tuesday in May he led a group out to view thousands of birds crowding the shores of the key. On Wednesday, there was nothing.

'It's just that drastic,' O'Dell said. 'There were none. It's like a different world.'

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