10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2016

Florida Caverns State Park is known for one, quite obvious thing: the caverns. This fall, I stopped at Florida Caverns with two friends who had never visited before. This tiny species breeds north of Florida but returns to spend the winter here as well as in Central and South America.

Florida 100

Florida South America Birds Woodpeckers 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 23, 2013

Smooth-billed Anis were relative newcomers as breeders to Florida, having only begun nesting since the 1930s. According to the Florida Breeding Bird Atlas, the first confirmed breeding record was in Miami in July of 1938. During this time, southern Florida was in a state of ecological chaos.

Florida 188

Florida Virgin Islands Miami Breeders 188

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 5, 2021

Unlike so many other beloved North American bird species, their populations have been relatively stable since the mid-20th century, hovering around 44 million breeding birds. I never tired of watching them, and miss my morning goldfinch ritual now that I’m back in Florida.

Species 263

Species United States Florida Birds 263

10,000 Birds

MAY 16, 2014

Although many South Florida specialties can be seen throughout the year such as White-crowned Pigeon and Snail Kite , most visiting birders decide to come in the months of April and May in search of summer migrants or secretive birds that only vocalize during the breeding season. Migration starts very early in the sunshine state.

Florida 157

Florida Miami Bahamas Breeders 157

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 4, 2012

Amazingly, it was a visiting birder from New York who discovered Neotropic Cormorants breeding in the Wakodahatchee Wetlands. Congratulations to Ardith Bondi for the great find !

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Breeding Florida New York 162

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 8, 2015

Within one week, I saw Bufflehead over 1,200 miles apart, first in Maine, and then along the Florida Panhandle. They breed in Canada and Alaska, but in the summer they can be found across the United States, as far south as Florida, Cuba, and into Mexico, and as far north as the Pacific coast of Alaska and the Atlantic coast of Maine.

Florida 105

Florida Alaska Cuba United States 105

10,000 Birds

MAY 2, 2014

It is also a good description of the birding in southernmost Florida. Sure, Miami and the Florida Keys do not boast any endemics ( ‘Cape Sable’ Seaside Sparrow is close) at the species level. Few birders realize how many warblers actually do winter in southernmost Florida — even long time birders within the state.

Florida 171

Florida Miami Stray United States 171

10,000 Birds

MAY 24, 2020

Breeding only above treeline on windswept and desolate rock faces (or equally austere habitats on the Aleutians), the three American rosy-finches (Gray-crowned, Black, and Brown-capped) are extreme environment specialists that are endemic to North America. In the summer, they are the highest altitude breeding songbird in North America.

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America Arizona North America Texas 262

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 23, 2013

The current situation with exotic bird species in Florida is in a state of flux, particularly southeast Florida where the bulk of exotic bird diversity in the United States resides — and much of it “uncountable.”

Florida 192

Florida Miami Bolivia Alligators 192

10,000 Birds

MAY 2, 2016

Of course, I contacted Carlos Sanchez , alleged south Florida birder extraordinaire, to maximize the returns on what time I could spend. We immediately headed to an undisclosed location where Carlos had breeding Mangrove Cuckoos staked out. It was the first of many problems with Carlos’s guiding. What is it with this guy?

Florida 117

Florida Miami Birds Owls 117

10,000 Birds

JUNE 27, 2024

Back in March, in Southwestern Florida, my husband (non-birder and good sport) and I drove to Big Cypress National Preserve. A Palm Warbler , in breeding plumage, hopped onto the end of our table. She lives and birds in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with some trips farther afield. We traveled along Alligator Alley.

Alligators 173

Alligators Woodpeckers Turkey Florida 173

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 18, 2012

Cloud, Florida, Doug, with whom I had been birding all day long, found a Yellow-throated Warbler foraging behind us. The Yellow-throated Warbler is a wood-warbler that breeds almost exclusively in the southeastern United States. They winter in Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America.

Florida 171

Florida New York City Dominica United States 171

10,000 Birds

MARCH 17, 2022

For the past few years, they’ve been mere acquaintances, passing through North Florida on their way to who knows where. They migrate north through the Western United States, breeding in pockets all the way up through Canada. I’ve made some new friends in 2022.

Pelicans 225

Pelicans United States Arizona Canada 225

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2012

If you have been out birding in southeast Florida there is a good chance that you have run into him in the field. During the winter, southeast Florida becomes the wood-warbler capital of the ABA area. As one can see, seeing twenty warblers in the winter in southeast Florida is well within the realm of possibility! That’s right.

Florida 158

Florida Miami Cuba Bahamas 158

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2011

home about advertise archives birds conservation contact galleries links reviews subscribe Browse: Home / Birds / The plovers of Estero Lagoon, Florida The plovers of Estero Lagoon, Florida By James • March 8, 2011 • 1 comment Tweet Share For as long as I can remember I’ve been fascinated by shorebirds.

Florida 187

Florida South Africa 2011 Africa 187

10,000 Birds

MAY 20, 2023

The Kirtland’s Warbler is an endangered bird species that breeds primarily in the jack pine forests of northern Michigan. Specifically, the warbler’s primary breeding range is concentrated in a few counties in the northern Lower Peninsula and the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

United States 162

United States Michigan Texas Virginia 162

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 4, 2021

The logic goes like this: Grey-headed Swamphen are an invasive species that has spread in Florida from a few escapees, and is now fairly widespread in South Florida after initial eradication programs failed. Some people want Grey-headed Swamphens to be gone from Florida (photo taken in China, though).

China 257

China Kenya Florida India 257

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

Sure, we also have Common Myna and Boat-tailed Grackle which would be pretty special to most who do not live in Florida. Gray Kingbird perched on a Gumbo Limbo Tree, another typical West Indian species native to South Florida. By the end of September, the territorial birds that breed in the local parking lots are gone.

Dominican Republic 209

Dominican Republic Puerto Rico Miami Florida 209

10,000 Birds

APRIL 28, 2024

Warblers, thrushes, buntings, and other migrants move across the Gulf of Mexico in an extremely stressful, marathon flight from the Yucatan Peninsula to the Gulf Coast of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida before spreading throughout the flyways and heading north.

Texas 203

Texas Alabama Alligators Nashville 203

10,000 Birds

JULY 5, 2013

I always like to see the look of surprise on a visiting birder’s face when I tell them that the Prairie Warblers and Yellow Warblers in southern Florida are restricted to mangrove habitats. Everyone, I would like you to meet the ‘Florida’ Prairie Warbler ( S. Petersburg area on the west coast.

Florida 184

Florida Miami Breeders Tampa 184

10,000 Birds

JULY 3, 2014

The wood stork was listed as endangered in 1984, because the Florida population was dropping at an approximate rate of 5 percent per year. The wood stork occurs and breeds in Central and South America. As Secretary Jewell put it, it did not take just the Fish and Wildlife Service to get the stork to breed and produce more young.

North Carolina 194

North Carolina Bald Eagle South Carolina Florida 194

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2014

Miami, Florida has a reputation among the birding community for being overrun with exotic bird species. Common Hill Myna’s range in South Florida. From experience, these primarily frugivorous birds do show local movements that may depend on the local ripening of fruit outside the breeding season. It is well-deserved.

Miami 195

Miami Asia Florida Malaysia 195

10,000 Birds

JUNE 4, 2013

Broward County has one of the highest densities of Burrowing Owls in Florida. The Florida sub-species of Burrowing Owl is now classified as a threatened species in Florida and it is one of the rarest sub-species of Burrowing Owls. This is unfortunately an all too common problem for these owls in Florida.

Owls 233

Owls Florida Raised Coyotes 233

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 5, 2023

Terns of North America covers 19 species of terns, noddies, and skimmers that breed and are regular vagrants in the United States and Canada (like many books titled “North America” the geographical coverage stops at the northern end of the Mexico border). It’s also a beautiful book to look through.

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North America America Breeding Species 199

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 11, 2015

I have now officially moved to the Emerald Coast of Florida, a beautiful region on the Florida Panhandle. I am within one of Florida’s sub-tropical zones, and my birding experiences have expanded, with life birds galore. The largest of the three species was the Ruddy Turnstone , in between its breeding and non-breeding plumage.

Florida 157

Florida Mice Birds Breeding 157

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 29, 2015

The invasive Burmese Python ( Python molurus ) is well established in the Florida Everglade. Another species of Python, the African Python ( Python sebae ) has established a small population in the 2,877-acre Bird Drive Area (BDA) in South Florida. Featured Image: Bird Basin Area in South South Florida. Reptiles'

Pythons 180

Pythons Florida Mammals Reptiles 180

10,000 Birds

APRIL 10, 2015

My number one choice at the time was Egyptian Goose ( Alopochen aegyptiacus ), an adaptable sheldgoose from Africa that was rapidly becoming established in peninsular Florida. In 2014, the Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee (FOSRC) voted to add this species to the Florida state list. They are excellent parents!

Los Angeles 154

Los Angeles Miami San Francisco San Antonio 154

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 30, 2014

There are two Painted Bunting populations, one that breeds along the Atlantic Coast from North Carolina to Florida and one that breeds in the interior United States and northern Mexico from southeastern New Mexico to western Mississippi. The Atlantic Coast population lingers on the breeding grounds after nesting to molt.

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Mississippi Mexico Alabama North Carolina 267

10,000 Birds

MARCH 29, 2016

The magnificent, adorable, and dangerous breeding season for both shorebirds and seabirds along the Florida Panhandle. I saw the first sign of the impending breeding season on the beach at Deer Lake State Park. Soon, these ropes and signs will be on nearly all the breeding beaches, plus a few bridges and rooftops to boot.

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Florida Deer Eggs Protection 100

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 7, 2016

While on a tour of Rookery Bay near the Florida Everglades, I was reminded of this lovely personality trait once more. Unlike many other estuaries in this part of Florida, Rookery Bay is protected by the Estuarine Research Reserve system, and remains almost entirely undeveloped.

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Florida Mexico Protection Pelicans 141

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

Over the last weekend, I was at Lake Kissimmee in Florida, observing Snail Kites at an area kites were not present or rare just a few years ago. The threat of extinction of such iconic Florida bird prompted State and Federal agencies to find solutions to stop and reverse the declining trend. Kites now nest there and are fairly common.

Florida 217

Florida South America Bolivia Eggs 217

10,000 Birds

APRIL 19, 2013

He now wakes up to the choruses of Northern Cardinals and Northern Mockingbirds in sunny Vero Beach, Florida. This photo could have been taken in Florida’s Treasure Coast during the winter months or in South America during the same period. Florida is a rather long state. Photo: Joseph Huaroto. Photo: Alastair Rae.

Chile 188

Chile Peru South America Florida 188

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 25, 2017

We felt awash in blues as our tour boat skirted the waves to anchor near a shallow sand flat off of Key West, Florida. I should not have been too surprised to see them; American White Pelicans winter in Florida and I had already counted dozens of their brown cousins diving into the colorful waves. Mangrove island near Key West.

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Pelicans Sharks Florida Groups 100

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 25, 2015

Black Tern in Breeding Plumage. Black Terns do not breed or over-winter in Florida, they merely migrate through on their way to Central and South America. In terms of looks, their breeding plumage is the polar opposite of all other tern species: a deep ebony, truly striking. Black Tern in Non-Breeding Plumage.

South America 160

South America Breeding Florida Protection 160

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 25, 2021

A lot of birds take a shorter trip to Florida and the Caribbean, many spend the winter in southern Mexico, and some species even fly all the way to southern Amazonia (this drink is for you Veerys). Similar to its behavior on its breeding grounds, this warbler mostly forages in dead leaf clusters. Worm-eating Warbler.

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Costa Rica Kentucky Louisiana Parrots 225

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 18, 2014

One of the two sub-species of Red Knot occurring in North America, the Rufa subspecies breeds in the Canadian Artic Region and migrates along the east or Atlantic coast of the United States. The other sub-species, Calidris canutus roselaari , migrates along the Pacific Coast and breeds in Alaska and the Wrangel Island in Russia.

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Endangered Species Protection Delaware Species 160

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2016

I love when my parents come to visit me in Florida. Though barely 20 acres, the park serves as permanent, breeding, or migratory habitat for nearly 200 birds species, as well as Osprey nests and a Great Blue Heron rookery. Given this, I am always happy to see them in Florida and across their range.

Florida 100

Florida Mammals 2010 Mexico 100