Florida Bird Information
- Many of the more populous species are found all over Florida, such as the great blue heron, but there are birds unique to particular regions. In the northwest, known as the Panhandle, there are important wetland bird habitats at the Naval Air Stations at Pensacola and Whiting Field, where numerous herons and sandpipers can be observed all year round, as well as raptors, woodpeckers and smaller birds. There is also the St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge at Apalachicola, which features nine miles of beach; the refuge is ideal for waders, but it also has dense woodland where bald eagles and ospreys can be seen.
- On the far-eastern extreme of the Panhandle lies St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, a more-than-adequate setting to see red-shouldered hawks, brown pelicans and huge numbers of shorebirds. On the shores of the Apalachee Bay, the refuge includes 68,000 acres of marsh, swamp and woodland. While waterfowl are most abundant in the winter months, shorebirds gravitate there in spring and fall. South of Gainesville is Payne's Prairie, where both wetland and upland species are found, including the rare Sandhill Crane. This prairie affords excellent observation facilities.
- Central Florida includes Disney World, where you can often get surprisingly close to birdlife, such as black vultures and great egrets, in the quieter, more open and relaxed resorts. More obvious hotspots include the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which shares a boundary with the Kennedy Space Center. It has an extremely diverse range of birds, numbering more than 300 thanks to its near-tropical climate, including a breeding population of wood storks, rare heron species and the Florida scrub jay, the state bird. Because of these attractions this refuge gets very busy, but there is a heavy concentration of nature sites in the east-central area.
- Roseate spoonbills are one of Southern Florida's most colorful wading birds.roseate spoonbill image by Robert Ulph from Fotolia.com
The J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge on the Gulf of Mexico features a diversity of bird habitat, accounting for wide-ranging species. It is part of a large, undeveloped mangrove ecosystem and is famous for its migratory bird populations. Here can be spotted spoonbills, ibis, swallow-tailed kites and numerous members of the warbler and flycatcher families. The other big haven for birdwatchers is the Everglades National Park, which even after decades of development still accomodates all types of birds, even the flamingo. For further birdwatching in the southern area, the Florida Keys should not be discounted. - With a pair of binoculars and a good field guide, you can expect to see birds wherever you are in Florida. Wherever pools, trees or open pastures are in strong supply there is at least a common species likely to be encountered. Florida's bird population is especially plentiful because of its geographical position between tropical and temperate regions. Although spring and fall are the best times to see most birds, there is a guarantee you will discover an array of species in the other seasons too if you have a keen interest.
