Tybee Island

Georgia

Stay on the Wet Sand

Help keep birds safe by staying off of the dry sand! Activities that may seem harmless, such as jogging on the upper beach, can scare shorebirds who need these areas to feed and care for their young.

Sharing the Shore

Tybee Island is a major tourist destination, with over one million recreationists visiting the beach annually to relax, swim, and enjoy the scenic views. With so many visitors to our beach, it is important to remember that people are not the only ones enjoying the coast. A variety of birds and wildlife call Tybee Island home!

By staying on the wet sand by the surf, shorebirds can raise their eggs and chicks in the quiet of the dry sand.

Wildlife Zones

Here on Tybee Island, we have designated specific zones for wildlife to give our coastal birds safe places to feed, nest, and rest. Within these areas, we ask you to walk on the wet sand and away from nesting shorebirds.

You may have seen these signs on the beach from Polk Street to the Jetty, where federally endangered Piping Plovers roost and Black Skimmers and Wilson’s Plovers nest. This area is regarded as an Important Bird Area because of the valuable habitat it provides for shorebirds who depend on our beach for survival.

An Important Place for Birds and People

Beaches are important nesting, feeding, and roosting sites for local shorebirds. Our Georgia coast is internationally recognized as an Important Bird Area that provides habitat for at least 300,000 shorebirds every year, including threatened Red Knots, endangered Piping Plovers, and rare Wilson’s Plovers.

Black Skimmer

Red Knot

Home Sweet Home

Limiting bird disturbance during migration

Shorebirds face many threats during migration including loss of habitat, hunting, predation, climate change, and human disturbance that keeps them from the food they need to survive.

Get Involved

On Tybee Island, we take pride in our community and our shorebirds. Interested in becoming more involved? Subscribe below to stay up to date about upcoming education and outreach opportunities, presentations and virtual webinars, events, and articles in local and online publications.