This site is an oasis for migrant songbirds in urban Miami. Bypass the recreational fields/swimming pool and head to the nature center and woods on the park's north side. A paved path and wheelchair-accessible canopy platform wind through oak hammock, where over 20 species of wood-warbler have been spotted. This site has produced several rarities over the years including a Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher in September 2015.
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.
This premier site occupies the southern tip of Key Biscayne and is critical stopover habitat for migratory birds. In summer, Gray Kingbirds breed here and Magnificent Frigatebirds soar overhead. During migration, late March to May and again in September and October, the nature trails and even parking lot trees are alive with songbird migrants like Swainson's, Cape May and Blackpoll Warblers. Rarities such as Key West Quail Dove (1999), Thick-billed Vireo (2013) and Bananaquit (2013) have been recorded here .
This small mainland component of the larger National Park is the most easily accessed portion. On the drive in, listen carefully in the summer for Mangrove Cuckoos and Black-whiskered Vireos calling from the mangrove edge. At the parking area, walk the brief waterfront trail to the point, watching for winter/spring Spotted Sandpipers on the rocks, Magnificent Frigatebirds overhead and Yellow-crowned Night Herons skulking at the water's edge.
This 112-acre park has a bird and butterfly garden that sports multicolored Painted Buntings in winter and migrants such as Worm-eating Warblers and American Redstarts in spring and fall. Its hardwood hammock is a remnant of a once more widespread South Florida habitat and includes an invitingly shady trail great for songbirds. Approach the nature center slowly from the parking lot to avoid flushing birds in the garden; nature trail departs from the back side of the nature center.
This park occupies the north end of Key Biscayne and spans both sides of Crandon Blvd. The preserve is at the northeast end, behind the Crandon Visitors and Nature Center, and includes a boardwalk through mangroves good for breeding Mangrove Cuckoos, Prairie Warblers and Black-whiskered Vireos. Coastal hammock trails have White-crowned Pigeons and migrants like Cape May Warblers.
This once-private historic estate, including its surrounding mangrove forests, towering tropical hardwoods and remnant pine rockland, is now a public park. You can freely bird the immediate area around the historic buildings and grounds for migratory songbirds, and white-crowned pigeons. Rarities such as Key West Quail Dove (2015) and Brown Crested Flycatcher (2014) have been recorded here.
The interior of this over 670,000-acre Wildlife Management Area, with its freshwater swamp and wet prairie, is inaccessible without an airboat. A drivable levee system on its northern boundary (see Holey Land and Rotenberger WMAs), boat ramps along both US 41 in the south, and I-75 across its middle offer glimpses into this huge ecosystem. True Everglades at its best, the views from the boat ramps include egrets, herons and most other wading birds, plus clouds of swallows and occasional sightings of Bald Eagles and Swallow-tailed Kites.
The preeminent birding destination of South Florida, with many hotspots and some of the most abundant wading bird populations in the U.S. First, stop at the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center for maps/ checklists; check native plants here for hummingbirds. Next, stop at the Royal Palm Visitor Center, where two excellent trails begin. The Anhinga Trail is a photographer's paradise, with stunning views of herons (American bitterns on occasion) and purple gallinules.
This park includes a golf course, multi-use trails and extensive mangrove boardwalks. Like many urban oases, Neotropical migrants are thick in the patches of tropical hardwood hammock, most easily accessed from the hammock trail at the parking area opposite the Nature Center. Black-throated Blue Warblers, American Redstarts and Ovenbirds are all common visitors in April and October.
While much of the property lies underwater, this park contains 2,900 acres of magnificent mangrove swamps, hardwood hammocks, rivers, springs and coastal rocky areas. Birders will find three short walking trails and the coastal areas of interest for the variety of species they offer, including Gray Kingbirds, Short-tailed Hawks and such Keys specialties as Mangrove Cuckoo, Black-whiskered Vireo and White-crowned Pigeon.
You may not believe this site when you first drive up to it. Although the actual site encompasses a large stretch of land around it, the main birding spot is a small tropical hammock that covers only a quarter of an acre. Don't be fooled – this hotspot is known to local birders and is a stop on any day-long birding tour of the county. An island of lush growth in the middle of agricultural fields, Lucky Hammock is a haven for migrants and rarities such as Townsend's Warbler (2013), and Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher (2004).
This park can be thought of in three parts. The northernmost entrance offers two parking areas, the first of which is immediately after turning east off of Old Cutler. Here you can access the park-like portion of the property, comprised of grassy fields with tall hardwoods that occasionally host migratory songbirds and vagrants from the tropics. If you drive further east down the entrance road, you will be assessed an entrance fee in exchange for access to the water.
Bike, walk or take the narrated tram tour down the 15-mile loop road that extends into this northern portion of the park's marsh ecosystem and ends at an elevated, wheelchair-accessible viewing tower. Excellent opportunities to see all the wading birds that this national park is famous for, including Wood Stork, Roseate Spoonbill, White and Glossy Ibis, and the uncommon Great White Heron. Also watch for Short-tailed Hawks, plus Snail, White-tailed and Swallow-tailed Kites.
This site is worth a quick stop as you are on your way to other sites in the area. Predominately marsh and marl prairie with a sprinkling of tree islands, this property provides habitat for a plethora of sparrows and blackbirds along the roadside, as well as wading birds typical of Everglades marshes. Watch skyward for soaring Short-tailed Hawks and Swallow-tailed Kites.
This site is an oasis for migrant songbirds in urban Miami. Bypass the recreational fields/swimming pool and head to the nature center and woods on the park’s north side. A paved path and wheelchair-accessible canopy platform wind through oak hammock, where over 20 species of wood-warbler have been spotted. This site has produced several rarities over the years including a Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher in September 2015.
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.
This premier site occupies the southern tip of Key Biscayne and is critical stopover habitat for migratory birds. In summer, Gray Kingbirds breed here and Magnificent Frigatebirds soar overhead. During migration, late March to May and again in September and October, the nature trails and even parking lot trees are alive with songbird migrants like Swainson’s, Cape May and Blackpoll Warblers. Rarities such as Key West Quail Dove (1999), Thick-billed Vireo (2013) and Bananaquit (2013) have been recorded here .
This small mainland component of the larger National Park is the most easily accessed portion. On the drive in, listen carefully in the summer for Mangrove Cuckoos and Black-whiskered Vireos calling from the mangrove edge. At the parking area, walk the brief waterfront trail to the point, watching for winter/spring Spotted Sandpipers on the rocks, Magnificent Frigatebirds overhead and Yellow-crowned Night Herons skulking at the water’s edge.
This 112-acre park has a bird and butterfly garden that sports multicolored Painted Buntings in winter and migrants such as Worm-eating Warblers and American Redstarts in spring and fall. Its hardwood hammock is a remnant of a once more widespread South Florida habitat and includes an invitingly shady trail great for songbirds. Approach the nature center slowly from the parking lot to avoid flushing birds in the garden; nature trail departs from the back side of the nature center.
This park occupies the north end of Key Biscayne and spans both sides of Crandon Blvd. The preserve is at the northeast end, behind the Crandon Visitors and Nature Center, and includes a boardwalk through mangroves good for breeding Mangrove Cuckoos, Prairie Warblers and Black-whiskered Vireos. Coastal hammock trails have White-crowned Pigeons and migrants like Cape May Warblers.
This once-private historic estate, including its surrounding mangrove forests, towering tropical hardwoods and remnant pine rockland, is now a public park. You can freely bird the immediate area around the historic buildings and grounds for migratory songbirds, and white-crowned pigeons. Rarities such as Key West Quail Dove (2015) and Brown Crested Flycatcher (2014) have been recorded here.
The interior of this over 670,000-acre Wildlife Management Area, with its freshwater swamp and wet prairie, is inaccessible without an airboat. A drivable levee system on its northern boundary (see Holey Land and Rotenberger WMAs), boat ramps along both US 41 in the south, and I-75 across its middle offer glimpses into this huge ecosystem. True Everglades at its best, the views from the boat ramps include egrets, herons and most other wading birds, plus clouds of swallows and occasional sightings of Bald Eagles and Swallow-tailed Kites.
The preeminent birding destination of South Florida, with many hotspots and some of the most abundant wading bird populations in the U.S. First, stop at the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center for maps/ checklists; check native plants here for hummingbirds. Next, stop at the Royal Palm Visitor Center, where two excellent trails begin. The Anhinga Trail is a photographer’s paradise, with stunning views of herons (American bitterns on occasion) and purple gallinules.
This park includes a golf course, multi-use trails and extensive mangrove boardwalks. Like many urban oases, Neotropical migrants are thick in the patches of tropical hardwood hammock, most easily accessed from the hammock trail at the parking area opposite the Nature Center. Black-throated Blue Warblers, American Redstarts and Ovenbirds are all common visitors in April and October.
While much of the property lies underwater, this park contains 2,900 acres of magnificent mangrove swamps, hardwood hammocks, rivers, springs and coastal rocky areas. Birders will find three short walking trails and the coastal areas of interest for the variety of species they offer, including Gray Kingbirds, Short-tailed Hawks and such Keys specialties as Mangrove Cuckoo, Black-whiskered Vireo and White-crowned Pigeon.
You may not believe this site when you first drive up to it. Although the actual site encompasses a large stretch of land around it, the main birding spot is a small tropical hammock that covers only a quarter of an acre. Don’t be fooled – this hotspot is known to local birders and is a stop on any day-long birding tour of the county. An island of lush growth in the middle of agricultural fields, Lucky Hammock is a haven for migrants and rarities such as Townsend’s Warbler (2013), and Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher (2004).
This park can be thought of in three parts. The northernmost entrance offers two parking areas, the first of which is immediately after turning east off of Old Cutler. Here you can access the park-like portion of the property, comprised of grassy fields with tall hardwoods that occasionally host migratory songbirds and vagrants from the tropics. If you drive further east down the entrance road, you will be assessed an entrance fee in exchange for access to the water.
Bike, walk or take the narrated tram tour down the 15-mile loop road that extends into this northern portion of the park’s marsh ecosystem and ends at an elevated, wheelchair-accessible viewing tower. Excellent opportunities to see all the wading birds that this national park is famous for, including Wood Stork, Roseate Spoonbill, White and Glossy Ibis, and the uncommon Great White Heron. Also watch for Short-tailed Hawks, plus Snail, White-tailed and Swallow-tailed Kites.
This site is worth a quick stop as you are on your way to other sites in the area. Predominately marsh and marl prairie with a sprinkling of tree islands, this property provides habitat for a plethora of sparrows and blackbirds along the roadside, as well as wading birds typical of Everglades marshes. Watch skyward for soaring Short-tailed Hawks and Swallow-tailed Kites.
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