Locations
Purple Gallinule © Robert Royse
Birding Locations
We guide throughout the state and can meet you anywhere. Below are Florida’s main birding regions along with a selection of their characteristic birds. Explore these regions and birds for inspiration on where to go and what to expect!
Miami - West Palm Beach - Fort Lauterdale - Fort Meyers - Naples
Southern FLorida
The vibrant region of Southern Florida offers a rich tapestry of birdlife. This area, with its unique ecosystems ranging from The Everglades to urban parks, is a premier destination for birdwatchers, offering sightings of many birds at the edge of their tropical ranges in the United States.
Here you can find unique species like Mangrove Cuckoo, White-crowned Pigeon, Black-whiskered Vireo, Snail Kite, Limpkin, Short-tailed Hawk, Swallow-tailed Kite, Shiny Cowbird, Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow, Gray Kingbird, Roseate Spoonbill, Reddish Egret, Florida Burrowing Owl, Wood Stork, Purple Gallinule, Nanday Parakeet, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, Red-crowned Parrot, White-winged Parakeet, Mitred Parakeet, Red-Masked Parakeet, Egyptian Goose, Gray-headed Swamphen, Scaly-breasted Munia, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Neotropic Cormorant and the rare American Flamingo. Other notable southern birds include Black Rail, Common Ground Dove, White-winged Dove, Anhinga, Tricolored Heron, Green Heron, Great Egret, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Black-necked Stilt, Wilson’s Plover, Black-bellied Plover, Snowy Plover, Least Bittern, and Marbled Godwit. Mega Rarities that may be spotted include Smooth-billed Ani, Bananaquit, Thick-billed Vireo, La Sagra’s Flycatcher, Western Spindalis, Bahama Mockingbird, Cuban Pewee, Zenaida Dove, Loggerhead Kingbird, and Red-legged Honeycreeper. Winter visitors include Painted Bunting, Tropical Kingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Harrier, Sora, and American Bittern.
Mangrove Cuckoo © Kyle Matera, White-crowned Pigeon © Levi Plummer, Black-whiskered Vireo © Shailesh Pinto, Snail Kite © Kyle Matera, Limpkin © Nick Ramsey, Short-tailed Hawk © Kyle Matera, Swallow-tailed Kite © Liam Wolff, Shiny Cowbird © John Groskopf, Gray Kingbird © Kyle Matera, Roseate Spoonbill © Kyle Matera, Reddish Egret © Kyle Matera, Florida Burrowing Owl © Kyle Matera, Wood Stork © Liam Wolff, Purple Gallinule © John Groskopf, Neotropic Cormorant © Kyle Matera, and the rare American Flamingo © Kenny Miller.
Upper Keys - Lower Keys - Marathon - Key West - Tortugas
The Keys & Dry Tortugas
The captivating Florida Keys, a series of coral islands extending into the azure waters of the Atlantic, offer a distinctive birdwatching experience. This chain of islands is a tropical haven and prime destination for bird enthusiasts seeking to observe a diverse array of bird species rarely found elsewhere in the continental United States.
In the Keys, birders can find unique species such as the Black-whiskered Vireo, Antillean Nighthawk, Golden Yellow Warbler, Roseate Tern and the rare Mangrove Cuckoo. At The Dry Tortugas, breeding specialties include Sooty Tern, Bridled Tern, Brown Noddy, Masked Booby, Brown Booby, and Magnificent Frigatebird. Red-footed Booby and Antillean Short-eared Owl are occasionally seen as well. Other notable birds include the Roseate Spoonbill, Reddish Egret, Great White Heron, Ridgeway’s Osprey, White-crowned Pigeon, Least Tern, Green Heron, and Gray Kingbird. Rare sightings in the Keys may include the Bahama Mockingbird, La Sagra’s Flycatcher, Cuban Pewee, Western Spindalis, Black-faced Grassquit, American Flamingo, Zenaida Dove, and the Key West Quail-Dove. During the winter months, migratory visitors such as Peregrine Falcon, Painted Bunting, Black-throated Green Warbler, and Black-throated Blue Warbler can be observed.
Black-whiskered Vireo © Shailesh Pinto, Antillean Nighthawk © Kenny Miller, Golden Yellow Warbler, Roseate Tern © Kyle Matera, Mangrove Cuckoo © Kyle Matera, Sooty Tern © John Groskopf, Bridled Tern © John Groskopf, Brown Noddy © Kyle Matera, Masked Booby © Kyle Matera, Brown Booby © Kyle Matera, Magnificent Frigatebird © Kenny Miller.
Tampa- Orlando - Daytona - Merritt Island
Central Florida
In Central Florida, birders can explore the expansive wetlands and prairies that provide critical habitat for both resident and migratory birds. Lake Okeechobee, the second-largest freshwater lake entirely within the United States, attracts numerous waterfowl and wading birds creating excellent opportunities for bird observation. The region’s diverse environments, including its extensive marshes, pine forests, and urban green spaces, offer sightings of a wide variety of avian species throughout the year.
Species such as the endangered Snail Kite, Limpkin, and Purple Gallinule can be spotted here, along with a variety of herons, egrets, and ibises. Central FL. specialties include Florida Scrub-Jay, Swallow-tailed Kite, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Sandhill Crane, Wood Stork, Roseate Spoonbill, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Crested Caracara, Florida Grasshopper Sparrow, and Whooping Crane. Rarities that may be spotted include Short-tailed Hawk, Black Rail, Vermilion Flycatcher, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Groove-billed Ani, White-crowned Pigeon, Neotropic Cormorant, Smooth-billed Ani, Tropical Kingbird, Eurasian Wigeon, and Fork-tailed Flycatcher. Winter visitors include Painted Bunting, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Hooded Merganser, Sedge Wren, Sora, Cedar Waxwing, Black-throated Green Warbler, and American Redstart.
Snail Kite © Kyle Matera, Limpkin © Nick Ramsey, Purple Gallinule © John Groskopf, Florida Scrub-Jay © Kyle Matera, Swallow-tailed Kite © Liam Wolff, Red-cockaded Woodpecker © Kenny Miller, Sandhill Crane © Liam Wolff, Wood Stork © Liam Wolff, Roseate Spoonbill © Kyle Matera, Brown-headed Nuthatch © Kyle Matera, Crested Caracara © Kyle Matera, Florida Grasshopper Sparrow © Kyle Matera, Whooping Crane © Kyle Matera.
Jacksonville - Pensacola - Gainesville - Tallahassee
Northern Florida & The Panhandle
Northern Florida offers diverse birding opportunities with its unique habitats, including coastal marshes, pine flatwoods, and hardwood forests. The region’s wetlands attract large flocks of waterfowl in winter, while the forests are home to many breeding species of warblers. Key locations like the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge and Apalachicola National Forest provide excellent birding experiences throughout the year.
Range-restricted specialties: Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Bachman’s Sparrow, and Henslow’s Sparrow. Residents: Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Canada Goose, Wood Duck, Mottled Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, Limpkin, American Oystercatcher, Snowy Egret, Red-shouldered Hawk, Pileated Woodpecker, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Northern Bobwhite, White-eyed Vireo, Scaly-breasted Munia, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Pine Warbler, and Eastern Phoebe. Breeders: Mississippi Kite, Swallow-tailed Kite, Prothonotary Warbler, Swainson’s Warbler, Great-crested Flycatcher, and Summer Tanager. Wintering: Vaux Swift, Sprague’s Pipit, Sedge Wren, LeConte’s Sparrow, Short-eared Owl, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Ruddy Duck, Surf Scoter, Lincoln’s Sparrow, and American Woodcock. Migrants: Blackpoll Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Kentucky Warbler and impressive numbers of warblers and thrushes during spring and fall migrations.
Red-cockaded Woodpecker © Kenny Miller, Bachman’s Sparrow © Kenny Miller, Henslow’s Sparrow © John Groskopf, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck © Shailesh Pinto, Mottled Duck © John Groskopf, Limpkin © Nick Ramsey, Brown-headed Nuthatch © Kyle Matera, Northern Bobwhite © Kenny Miller, Swallow-tailed Kite © Liam Wolff, Prothonotary Warbler © Kyle Matera, Swainson’s Warbler © Kyle Matera, Kentucky Warbler © John Groskopf.