Bird Watching in the Everglades

Bird watching is a relaxing, slow-paced, way to enjoy nature and animals. There is something very exciting and rewarding about picking out that bird in the sky and being able to find out what it is from a birding book or website. It’s a bit like ecological detective work.

Bird watching is a popular past time for people across a wide range of ages and interests. Everglades National Park is a great place to bird watch in southern Florida, giving you the opportunity to see some 350 species of bird that call the Everglades home.

Birding takes a variety of forms and Everglades National Park boasts three main types of bird groups depending on which you prefer to view. These groups include: wading birds, land birds, and birds of prey.

Wading birds are the most prevalent in the Everglades, followed by land birds, and finally the elusive birds of prey.  There are a variety of rare and beautiful birds that can be seen in the Everglades, such as the roseate spoonbill, Green-backed Heron, Great Blue Heron, wood stork, white ibis, and more. These wading birds can be found in a variety of places within the mangroves and estuaries.

Land birds are the next most common category of birds found in the Everglades and these come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. There are tons of different types of sparrows, jays, buntings, wrens, cardinals, and more. These birds tend to be most heavily located in the wooded and piny areas of the park.

The most common birds of prey in the Everglades belong to the falcon family. A variety of different breeds of falcon, eagle, osprey, and even kites make their home in the Everglades. These birds are found throughout the varied sub-biomes of the Everglades, often seen soaring about the tree tops looking for food. Seeing these creatures in their natural landscape is a honor and an experience of a lifetime for a bird lover.

For the avid bird watcher, the Everglades is a rich and variety ecosystem that boasts a ton of different bird species. The most commonly seen types of birds include wading birds, land birds, and birds of prey. These birds make their home in the varied environments of the Everglades. Birding-oriented tours will take visitors to the locations where they are most likely to catch a peek at one of these amazing creatures. With patience and diligence, you can enjoy the varied aviary life the Everglades has on offer.

Come check out some birds on an airboat ride with Captain Mitch. Click here or call 800-368-0065 to book an airboat tour in the Everglades today.

Airboats Promote Eco-Tourism in the Everglades

airboats eco-friendly evergladesThe Everglades is a unique and dynamic landscape that is home to a whole host of different plant and animal species. It is a one-of-a-kind ecosystem that is as breathtaking as it is bursting with life. However, it should be noted that the ecosystem of the Everglades is a sensitive and precarious ecosystem and even minor changes or damage to the Everglades can have dramatic consequences on the heath of the overall ecosystem.

Tourism is a great way to promote the Everglades and to encourage conservation as well as a general love for the unique landscape. But the problem is, tourism can actually wreak a lot of havoc on a sensitive environment like the Everglades. This has led to the increase of what is called “eco-tourism.” This is environmentally-friendly tourism options that seek to minimize damage and negative impacts on the environments they seek to promote.

One of the best way to explore the Everglades is also the most eco-friendly: the airboat. Not only is this the most eco-friendly way to traverse the Everglades, it is a safe way as well. Alternative means of transportation such as a kayak or inflatable watercraft is not nearly as stable and secure as an airboat. These watercraft also do minimal damage to the surrounding environment.

Airboats ride one top of the water and the propeller is actually above the waterline. This means that aquatic plants and animals that call the waters of the Everglades home are not threatened by propellers tearing through the water. If the airboat comes into contact with a larger animal, it is most likely to slide right over it, leaving the animal and passengers of the boat unharmed. It is a great way to see the beautiful landscape without leaving permanent damage in your wake – something that is incredibly important in such a delicate ecosystem.

The Everglades is a unique landscape that is unmatched anywhere else in the world. Here you will see an ecosystem unlike any other and will come into contact with plants and animals that are found few other places. This is a dynamic and sensitive ecosystem whose health relies on a balance that humans can so easily throw off. This is why eco-tourism, such as with airboats, is highly recommended. It allows you to witness this pristine environment and leave it no worse off than you found it. Airboats are an excellent way to see a one-of-a-kind environment, without leaving a huge ecological footprint in your wake.

Jump on an eco-friendly airboat ride with Captain Mitch’s Airboat tours in the Everglades today. Click here or call 800-368-0065 to book a spot today.

The Vital Importance of the Unique Everglades Ecosystem

Everglades National Park ecosystem

Everglades National Park.

Throughout the world, there are places of unmatched beauty, biodiversity, and uniqueness of landscape. The Everglades is just one such place. The ecosystem of the Everglades is diverse, sensitive, and almost timeless, but humans have, over the centuries, continued to encroach upon this unique landscape. Waters were diverted for human purposes and land reclaimed, continually shrinking the size of the once-massive Everglades to the smaller, at-risk environment we see today. A variety of factors have led to the dramatic decrease in the size of the Everglades.

The Everglades once stretched some 11,000 square miles. In the 20th century, land was reclaimed so as to allow for settlers to build homes, reducing the size of the Everglades bit by bit. As time and human presence increased, water from the Everglades began to be diverted for human and agricultural use. This has caused a dramatic decrease in the size of the Everglades of the centuries. Protections are finally now in place to help save what is left of a unique and important ecosystem.

Countless plant and animal species make the Everglades their home and the more we have encroached upon the wilds, the more competitive and tentative the survival of all species in the ecosystem becomes. Resources are more scarce and competition is more fierce as displaced creatures try to find a niche for themselves in the smaller territory.

Not only are there many plants and animals that are unique to the Everglades, there is also a vast amount of human history in the Everglades as well. Seminole and Micosukee Everglades Native Americans once called this unique ecosystem home and thus, have a rich cultural heritage. A variety of different tribes inhabited this region until they began to be pushed out in the sad sequence of events that culminated in the Trail of Tears.

The Everglades are a beautiful and important ecosystem. It is a diverse and dynamic ecosystem that has hosted a variety of plant, animal, and even human life over the centuries. This once huge ecosystem has slowly been reduced to the much smaller tract of land that is today encompassed by the Everglades National Park. This is a sensitive landscape that should be enjoyed without undue stress put on the natural balance of the environment. The part still boasts a wide range of different types of plants and animals, as well as exhibits that document the Native American culture and influence on these unique lands.

Want to explore this beautiful ecosystem first hand? Come out on the water for an airboat ride with Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours. You’ll experience this area like never before. To book a ride, click here or call 800-368-0065.

The Everglades’ Threatened and Endangered Species

endangered species everglades airboat toursThe Everglades is an amazing and pristine ecosystem that is a unique biome that is home to a huge wealth of different flora and fauna. For nature lovers, outdoor enthusiasts, and adventure seekers alike, the Everglades is a one-of-a-kind place that is unmatched. A lot of people, when planning a vacation to the Everglades, choose to experience Everglades National Park, which is a protected area of the Everglades where plants, animals, birds, and fish are protected and conserved.

One of the most interesting and humbling aspects of visiting the Park is that it (and the Everglades in general) are home to a number of threatened and endangered species of plant and animal. This means that in this environment, you have the opportunity to see truly endangered species that are at risk of extinction. These are species that need to be protected and saved because of their biological diversity and importance to the functioning of the overall ecosystem.

What a rare honor to have the chance to see creatures that may number in just the tens. Sadly, with each passing year, it seems that more plants and animals become threatened, endangered, or extinct, but with preservation efforts like those are many national parks, we can at least hope to save and protect small areas that these creatures can safely dwell within.

There are a number of different threatened and endangered species that you might encounter on a trip to the Everglades. What follows is a brief rundown of the same species that are included on the protected list.

Threatened or endangered species of animal that call the Everglades home include:

  • American Alligator
  • American Crocodile
  • Sea Turtles
  • Manatees
  • Florida Panther
  • Various Bird Species

The park is also home to a variety of threatened and endangered plants that include:

  • Buccaneer Palm
  • Florida Thatch Palm
  • Tree Cactus
  • Manchineel
  • King’s Holly
  • Silver Thatch Palm
  • Bitter Thatch Palm
  • Lignum-Vitae

The protection of these plants and animals is vital and also our responsibility. Man is the reason that these habitats have been continually encroached upon and altered beyond repair. Since the degradation is our doing, we have the moral responsibility to save and protect that which remains. The Everglades National Park is home to a number of threatened and endangered plants and animals that can be seen nowhere else. Visiting the park gives you the opportunity to experience the once-in-a-lifetime honor of witnessing something rare and majestic.

To experience the wonders of this park first hand, jump on an airboat tour with Captain Mitch. To learn more, click the Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours page. Click here to book a airboat ride or call 800-368-0065 to reserve a spot today.