West Florida
The West Section of the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail spans 21 counties of the western and central Florida peninsula, from the Osceola National Forest and Pinhook Swamp on the Georgia border to upper Sarasota Bay and the headwaters of the Myakka River. Prominent features of this region include the bountiful Big Bend and its associated seagrass beds, salt marshes and oyster reefs; the limestone bluffs, stately cypress trees and tannic waters of the renowned Suwannee, Withlacoochee and Hillsborough rivers; the sweeping grasslands of Paynes Prairie; the Green Swamp’s vast forests; and the abundant waters of Tampa Bay, Florida’s largest estuary.
photo: Kayaking rest stop on the Weeki Wachee River
Exploring West Florida
No matter how you choose to explore — by foot, bicycle, car or boat — you’ll find some of Florida’s best birding and wildlife encounters.The West Section’s natural communities are home to many species of interest, such as Florida Scrub-Jay, Limpkin, Mangrove Cuckoo, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Short-tailed Hawk, Wood Stork, Magnificent Frigatebird and American Oystercatcher. The Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge is an important nesting site for Swallow-tailed Kites and the legendary Fort De Soto Park offers respite for countless migratory songbirds as they journey between their breeding and wintering grounds. The Gulf Coast is a vital breeding stopover and wintering area for dozens of species of wading birds and shorebirds including Roseate Spoonbill, Reddish Egret, Least Tern and Black Skimmer. West Indian Manatees depend on the pristine springs, rivers and coastal waters of the area. Gopher frog, gopher tortoise, Suwannee cooter, Sherman’s fox squirrel, mangrove buckeye, Sweadner’s juniper hairstreak and tawny sanddragon are other notable wildlife species in this region that you’ll want to seek out.
