Birding in Florida


	Great Florida Birding Trail Home \| Trail Info \| Trail Sections \| Guides \| Publications \| Merchandise \| Events \| Sponsors \| FAQs \| Contact Us

Birding in Florida

Short-tailed Hawk photo by Roger Grimshaw	Florida is a birder's paradise, thanks to its diversity of habitats, its location on migration routes, the extent of its remaining wild lands, and its geographic span of both temperate and subtropical climates. More than 500 species have been documented in the state, including such sought-after birds as the rare Florida Burrowing Owl, the Florida Scrub-Jay, the Snail Kite and Florida's wealth of wading birds. The Birding Trail makes it easy for all birders– both casual and expert, local and tourist– to find new and productive birding sites throughout our state. Trail guide booklets describe what species to expect at each site and what kind of experience each offers: a quick stop versus an all day hike, or a driving loop versus a foot-access only property. SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!? Birding in Florida will take you places you could never imagine still exist in our ever-developing state. Get out there and enjoy a gorgeous day watching birds!
Getting Started If you're a beginner or just want a refresher course, the publication Birdwatching Basics is available online (in English and Spanish versions). Information on binoculars, bird identification, field guides and more will get you started out on the right foot. Check out the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Wings Over Florida program. Birding certificates are awarded at five achievement levels based on the number of Florida species identified. A checklist (.pdf) of Florida’s birds, updated in 2009, is available.		Birdwatching Basics
Learn more about Florida's birds! Visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Wildlife Viewing website for information on viewing selected species such as Florida Scrub-Jays, Red-cockaded Woodpeckers and Snail Kites. Want to see maps and learn more about where Florida’s breeding birds have been documented? Visit the Florida Breeding Bird Atlas, where you can find distribution maps and species accounts for 215 bird species. Are you a county lister? Or do you just need to learn your Florida counties? Here's a map with all the counties labeled. Check out the sections map to see a list of Birding Trail sites with county and nearest city information. Florida's Shorebirds Shorebirds: Dunlin, Black-bellied Plover, dowitcher, Willet, Semipalmated Plover, Laughing Gull. Click here for a downloadable brochure (.pdf) about co-existing with Florida's beach-nesting birds. When visiting Florida's beaches, be respectful of wildlife. Their survival depends on you!
Buy a Migratory Bird Stamp Now! The 2009-2010 Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, better known as the "Duck Stamp," is now on sale across the country. The cost is $15. Since the 1930s, more than $700 million has been generated from duck stamp sales. These funds have been used to purchase more than 5 million acres of wetland and grassland habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge system. Currently, about $25 million per year is collected through duck stamp sales. However, we can do better. If each of the 48 million birdwatchers in the United States purchased a $15 duck stamp every year, there would be $700 million available *annually* to buy additional wildlife habitat. Duck stamps are truly a conservation bargain. An amazing 98 percent of stamp revenues go directly to the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund to purchase wetlands and grasslands. Duck stamps are valid from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010. Use them to gain free admission to any National Wildlife Refuge in the country that charges an entry fee. Duck stamps are available at most large U.S. Post Offices, National Wildlife Refuges (with Visitor Centers), Bass Pro Shops, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and other sporting goods stores. Or get yours online at www.duckstamp.com. Do your part to help support habitat conservation!