This expansive preserve is a good place to spend the whole day (or several days) exploring what the Everglades ecosystem and Big Cypress Swamp have to offer. Stop at either the Oasis Visitor Center or Big Cypress Swamp Welcome Center for a map and in-depth information. Loop Road (CR 94) is a 24.5-mile scenic drive with roadside, deep-swamp views of wading birds, Barred Owls and the occasional Swallow-tailed Kite flyover.
The temperate zone meets the subtropics here, and this site offersmany ways to explore the habitats that result. A short nature trail passes through native royal palms and offers boardwalks and a marsh overlook platform where ibises and spoonbills congregate. A 3.5-mile unpaved bike trail winds through marsh, hammock and pine flatwoods, taking you close to sparrows, warblers and Summer Tanagers. For the restless, 6.5 miles of backcountry hiking trails will take you through oak scrub, flatwoods and even recent burn regeneration – keep an eye out for Wild Turkeys.
Just south of the Naples Zoo, this 21-acre oasis in downtown Naples provides habitat for a variety of wildlife species. Short nature trails and boardwalks through native landscaping, mangroves, scrub, pines, and hardwood/palm hammocks offer woodpeckers, hawks, owls, and many warblers, thrushes and vireos during migration. The Ecotone Trail is both educational and a good place to look for plant, butterfly and bird species.
This Audubon Society keystone site encompasses the largest remaining stand of old-growth bald cypress on the continent, and the birds love it! Boasting a 200+ species list, the 2.25-mile boardwalk through this rare habitat is an easy walk where wildlife viewing and the appreciation of nature is paramount.
Besides just being an excellent place to hike, this site offers a great introduction to the myriad habitats of the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW). Trail loops ranging from 0.3 to 3.0 miles wind through pine flatwoods, oak hammocks, popash slough and sawgrass marsh. Observation decks offer elevated views into the marsh.
This small barrier island park offers mostly mangrove habitat with Turkey Bay on one side and a nice stretch of sea grape-lined beach on the other for variety. Low tide on the bay is great for waders and shorebirds (look for the resident Yellow-crowned Night Herons). Wiggins Pass is the best spot for shorebirds including loafing Least Terns, and Bald Eagles occasionally hunt there.
This park is turning out to be a local hotspot, and is often overlooked by traveling birders. Behind the ball fields, track, and eutrophic holding pond, you will find a berm system around two very productive water reclamation ponds which host wading birds, bitterns, gallinules, swallows, terns and gulls, and many ducks during winter. Native plantings surrounding these ponds encourage the presence of everything from blackbirds to warblers to sparrows.
This park protects more than 85,000 acres of slowly moving fresh water that constitutes the largest strand swamp in Florida, contains the second largest tract of old-growth bald cypress, and harbors 38 species of ferns, 14 species of bromeliads and 44 species of native orchids. Road conditions can be affected by heavy rains, so watch for signs posted by park staff or call ahead.
Although most birders know of the many possibilities in Everglades National Park, not many are aware of this remote access that will take you into the aquatic parts of the park and the adjoining "Ten Thousand Islands" area. Narrated boat tours explore the mangrove estuary ecosystem where waders are plentiful and Magnificent Frigatebirds join the gulls and terns overhead. Winter brings loons and American White Pelicans, and the possibility of Short-tailed Hawks as well.
The over 35,000 acres of this jointly-managed property encompass many different habitat types: freshwater swamp offers wading birds such as Glossy Ibis, Wood Stork, and many herons and egrets; pine flatwoods hold warblers and woodpeckers and Bachman's Sparrows; and wet prairies provide views of Wild Turkey, Sandhill Cranes and hunting Northern Harriers.
This 3.2-mile trail system winds through mostly pine flatwoods and freshwater swamp, and passes some reclaimed farm fields along the way. Thanks to careful management this site not only contains all the dry upland species such as Hairy Woodpeckers, Pine Warblers and Brown-headed Nuthatches, it also contains one of the southernmost populations of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers in the country.
Start by visiting the Environmental Learning Center at the main entrance to view the interpretive exhibits. Pick up a bird list, and check the upland hammocks around the Center for warblers, woodpeckers and vireos. Shell Island Road, just a few miles from the main entrance, offers an opportunity to drive or bike through pine flatwoods and coastal scrub where you may find reintroduced Florida Scrub-Jays, Eastern Towhees and Pileated Woodpeckers.
One of the best all-around birding spots in southwest Florida. The tidal lagoon at the "beach" offers great views of shorebirds including Wilson's, Piping and Snowy Plovers, as well as Least Terns, Roseate Spoonbills, Red Knots and a host of other sought-after species. Peregrine falcons ply their trade among the terns and gulls, while Osprey, Bald Eagles and pelicans dive offshore. This corner of Marco Island is a true "hotspot" during migrations, and rarities occur here often.
This expansive preserve is a good place to spend the whole day (or several days) exploring what the Everglades ecosystem and Big Cypress Swamp have to offer. Stop at either the Oasis Visitor Center or Big Cypress Swamp Welcome Center for a map and in-depth information. Loop Road (CR 94) is a 24.5-mile scenic drive with roadside, deep-swamp views of wading birds, Barred Owls and the occasional Swallow-tailed Kite flyover.
The temperate zone meets the subtropics here, and this site offersmany ways to explore the habitats that result. A short nature trail passes through native royal palms and offers boardwalks and a marsh overlook platform where ibises and spoonbills congregate. A 3.5-mile unpaved bike trail winds through marsh, hammock and pine flatwoods, taking you close to sparrows, warblers and Summer Tanagers. For the restless, 6.5 miles of backcountry hiking trails will take you through oak scrub, flatwoods and even recent burn regeneration – keep an eye out for Wild Turkeys.
Just south of the Naples Zoo, this 21-acre oasis in downtown Naples provides habitat for a variety of wildlife species. Short nature trails and boardwalks through native landscaping, mangroves, scrub, pines, and hardwood/palm hammocks offer woodpeckers, hawks, owls, and many warblers, thrushes and vireos during migration. The Ecotone Trail is both educational and a good place to look for plant, butterfly and bird species.
This Audubon Society keystone site encompasses the largest remaining stand of old-growth bald cypress on the continent, and the birds love it! Boasting a 200+ species list, the 2.25-mile boardwalk through this rare habitat is an easy walk where wildlife viewing and the appreciation of nature is paramount.
Besides just being an excellent place to hike, this site offers a great introduction to the myriad habitats of the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW). Trail loops ranging from 0.3 to 3.0 miles wind through pine flatwoods, oak hammocks, popash slough and sawgrass marsh. Observation decks offer elevated views into the marsh.
This small barrier island park offers mostly mangrove habitat with Turkey Bay on one side and a nice stretch of sea grape-lined beach on the other for variety. Low tide on the bay is great for waders and shorebirds (look for the resident Yellow-crowned Night Herons). Wiggins Pass is the best spot for shorebirds including loafing Least Terns, and Bald Eagles occasionally hunt there.
This park is turning out to be a local hotspot, and is often overlooked by traveling birders. Behind the ball fields, track, and eutrophic holding pond, you will find a berm system around two very productive water reclamation ponds which host wading birds, bitterns, gallinules, swallows, terns and gulls, and many ducks during winter. Native plantings surrounding these ponds encourage the presence of everything from blackbirds to warblers to sparrows.
This park protects more than 85,000 acres of slowly moving fresh water that constitutes the largest strand swamp in Florida, contains the second largest tract of old-growth bald cypress, and harbors 38 species of ferns, 14 species of bromeliads and 44 species of native orchids. Road conditions can be affected by heavy rains, so watch for signs posted by park staff or call ahead.
Although most birders know of the many possibilities in Everglades National Park, not many are aware of this remote access that will take you into the aquatic parts of the park and the adjoining “Ten Thousand Islands” area. Narrated boat tours explore the mangrove estuary ecosystem where waders are plentiful and Magnificent Frigatebirds join the gulls and terns overhead. Winter brings loons and American White Pelicans, and the possibility of Short-tailed Hawks as well.
The over 35,000 acres of this jointly-managed property encompass many different habitat types: freshwater swamp offers wading birds such as Glossy Ibis, Wood Stork, and many herons and egrets; pine flatwoods hold warblers and woodpeckers and Bachman’s Sparrows; and wet prairies provide views of Wild Turkey, Sandhill Cranes and hunting Northern Harriers.
This 3.2-mile trail system winds through mostly pine flatwoods and freshwater swamp, and passes some reclaimed farm fields along the way. Thanks to careful management this site not only contains all the dry upland species such as Hairy Woodpeckers, Pine Warblers and Brown-headed Nuthatches, it also contains one of the southernmost populations of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers in the country.
Start by visiting the Environmental Learning Center at the main entrance to view the interpretive exhibits. Pick up a bird list, and check the upland hammocks around the Center for warblers, woodpeckers and vireos. Shell Island Road, just a few miles from the main entrance, offers an opportunity to drive or bike through pine flatwoods and coastal scrub where you may find reintroduced Florida Scrub-Jays, Eastern Towhees and Pileated Woodpeckers.
One of the best all-around birding spots in southwest Florida. The tidal lagoon at the “beach” offers great views of shorebirds including Wilson’s, Piping and Snowy Plovers, as well as Least Terns, Roseate Spoonbills, Red Knots and a host of other sought-after species. Peregrine falcons ply their trade among the terns and gulls, while Osprey, Bald Eagles and pelicans dive offshore. This corner of Marco Island is a true “hotspot” during migrations, and rarities occur here often.
The Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail is a network of more than 500 premier wildlife viewing sites across the state. When you want to know where to go in Florida to see native birds, butterflies and more, head for the Trail.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Russell Office Park
1875 Orange Ave. East
Tallahassee, FL 32311