Black Skimmers Under Our Wing
Ecosystems WCFF2023
•
01-Dec-2023
Every summer, shorebirds known as Black Skimmers join together in the hundreds to form a nesting colony on the barrier islands lining Tampa Bay. They use their distinctive black and orange beaks and impressive flying abilities to skim the shallow water for small fish.
A young male skimmer wanders through the colony until he finds an available female and presents her with a fish. Together they dutifully tend to their egg in the sand until their chick hatches three weeks later. The colony chose this beach because of the wide open sand between the water's edge and protective dunes. However, these idealistic beaches are also popular destinations for people enjoying the summer and escaping the Florida heat. The Black Skimmer family must navigate the people and the storms while working to ensure their chick's survival and the future of the species.
Director Lia Nydes
Up Next in Ecosystems WCFF2023
-
Faces of the Cloud Forest
In Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Southwestern Uganda, growing conflict with people puts the local population of Mountain Gorillas at risk.
In her struggle to protect them, one veterinarian discovers that the similarities between the two communities threatening to destroy them both.
Director: Hugh... -
Belonging
In 2012, the largest spawning aggregation of squaretail groupers was discovered in the waters of the tiny island of Bitra, in the Lakshadweep archipelago, India. This opened up an important dialogue about marine conservation in India.
Local fishermen and the local governing council decided to pr... -
The Bear Coast
A group of passionate Alaskans describe the importance of protecting the Alaska Peninsula's pristine wilderness for the wildlife and people who depend on its unparalleled natural resources. Alaska's wild brown bears—and the salmon they feed upon—face many threats, including mining (such as the Pe...
