2018 Wading Bird Nesting Season

nesting seasonEvery winter, birds flock down to Florida, and the Everglades, to beat the cold but to also nest. Nesting season is extremely important because it solidifies the future of these species of birds, especially those who are endangered and nearing extinction.

Each year, certain areas of Everglades Park are closed so the birds can nest in private without the possibility of being disturbed by humans. Any change in the environment (humans or not) can keep the birds from wanting to nest in the Everglades or nesting at all, so it’s extremely important to give the birds their space.

The 2018 wading bird nesting seas in the Park was successful. The number of wading birds nesting was a large number. For the first time since the 1940s, the White Ibis nesting pairs were in high numbers. As of May 2018, the baby birds fled or left their nests.

The White Ibis breeding groups are called supercolonies. These supercolonies haven’t really existed in the Everglades since humans re-directed the water years ago. With the restoration of the Everglades, one goal is to return the water to its original flow and increase the waterflow, so the land will resemble the water conditions it had before people inhabited the area. One-way scientists measure the success of the restoration is through the number of wading bird colonies during the nesting season. This year’s wading bird season is showing that life can turn back to its normal ways in the Everglades through water and ecosystem restoration, but there’s still a long way to go.
Explore the Everglades by Airboat

Check out the Everglades wonderful birdlife and wildlife by airboat! You may not be able to se close to nesting birds, but you will be able to spots many bird species on a trip!

Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours is open 7 days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We can point out birds to you on the trip! If you love birds, come for a ride on an airboat! To book an airboat trip in the Everglades, call Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours at 239-695-3377 or click Everglades airboat tour page.