Fort Myers, FL Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Scope
- Entire city is a bird sanctuary
- Prohibited
- Trap, hunt, shoot, or molest birds/nests
- Exception
- Nuisance starlings/ducks, police-supervised only
- Original enactment
- Ord. No. 2800, § 1, 3-17-1997
Summary
Fort Myers designates the entire city a bird sanctuary, making it unlawful to trap, hunt, shoot or molest any bird or wild fowl, or rob nests.
(a)The entire area embraced within the corporate limits of the city is hereby designated as a bird sanctuary.(b)It shall be unlawful to trap, hunt, shoot or attempt to shoot or molest, in any manner, any bird or wild fowl, or to rob bird nests or wild fowl nests; provided, however, if starlings, ducks, or similar birds are found to be congregating in such numbers in a particular locality so that they constitute a nuisance or menace to health or property, in the opinion of the city, and no satisfactory alternative is found to abate such nuisance, such birds may be destroyed in such numbers and in such manner as is deemed advisable by city authorities, under the supervision of the chief of police.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 60).
Full Breakdown
Section 14-1 of the Fort Myers Code declares the whole area within the corporate city limits a bird sanctuary. It is unlawful to trap, hunt, shoot, attempt to shoot, or otherwise molest any bird or wild fowl, or to rob bird or wild fowl nests, anywhere in the city. The only exception: if starlings, ducks, or similar birds congregate in numbers that the city finds constitute a nuisance or health/property menace, and no satisfactory alternative abates it, they may be destroyed under the direct supervision of the chief of police. This is a city ordinance and applies within Fort Myers's corporate limits (Lee County), it does not reach unincorporated Lee County or neighboring Fort Myers Beach, North Fort Myers, or Cape Coral.
Violations & Fines
Trapping, hunting, shooting at, or molesting any bird or wild fowl, or robbing a nest, violates § 14-1; enforcement follows the city's general penalty provision, Code § 1-14. Only the chief of police, under the narrow nuisance-bird exception, may authorize destroying congregating starlings or ducks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I shoot or trap birds in my Fort Myers yard?
Is there any exception to the bird sanctuary rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Myers
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Bird Protection in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Lee County handle bird protection.