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.

Bird watching in the Everglades

Avid birdwatcher? Well, the Everglades is a great place to go bird watching; you’ll see a variety of birds. The Park provides the perfect setting with plenty of spots where birds roost, nest, eat, or fly by. In fact, the Park is one of the top 10 birding locations in the world; park goers have the chance to see both resident coastal and wading birds in a number of different species. There are more than 350 species of birds in the Everglades for a person to catch a glimpse of! Come prepared with a set of binoculars to spot as many as you can!

Because of its geographic location, the Everglades is the ideal place for migratory birds to visit. Some of these birds include: Black skimmers, ducks, red knots, sandpipers, terns, willets, whimbrels, dunlin, long and short billed curlew, the American oystercatcher, and many more.

Below are some of the great spots within the Park where you can go bird watching:

Anhinga Trail – During the dry winter season, people can spot wading birds, cormorants, purple gallinules, and nesting Anhingas along the path during the day.

Eco Pond – In the morning, bird watchers can spot wading birds, American coots, osprey, white-crowned pigeons, warblers, red-shouldered hawks, Anhingas, rails, painted buntings and more around this bond.

Gulf Coast Visitor Center – In the vicinity of this visitor center, people have the opportunity to see wading birds, cormorants, osprey, bald eagles, pelicans, shoebirds, peregrine falcons, wood storks, and more.

Mahogany Hammock – Around this area, the cape sable sparrow can be seen in the early morning during the spring, along with bald eagles and warblers. Owls come out in this area in the evening.

Mrazek Pond – Throughout the year, ducks and wading birds hang out around and in this pond. For a few days during the winter, people can spot roseate spoonbills and wood storks.

Other great Everglades spots to go bird watching: Nine Mile Pond, Paurotis Pond, Shark Valley Tram Road, and Snake Bight Trail.

Explore The Everglades

Want another way to go bird watching in the Everglades besides on foot? Try an airboat tour! An airboat tour can bring to around places in the Park where birds will be nesting, wading, and flying by that you won’t be able to access by walking. To book an airboat tour, contact Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours at 1-800-368-0065 or click here.