While the “Sunshine State” is often associated with coastal herons and swamp-dwelling egrets, the Eastern Meadowlark represents a different side of Florida: the vast, open interior. From the historical “Florida Dry Prairie” to modern-day sod farms, this striking icterid—a member of the blackbird family—has carved out a niche in a state rapidly losing its open […]
Birds
- Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)
- Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
- Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor)
- Great Egret (Ardea alba)
- Royal Terns (Thalasseus maximus)
- Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger)
- Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)
- Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus)
- Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis)
- Wood Stork (Mycteria americana)
- Limpkin (Aramus guarauna)
- Boat-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major)
- Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
- Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)
- American Goldfinch
- American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)
- Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
- Black-bellied whistling duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)
- Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens)
- American Coot (Fulica americana)
- American white ibis (Eudocimus albus)
- Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla)
- American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
- Painted bunting (Passerina ciris)
- Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)
- Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus)
- Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)
- Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)
- Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)
- Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)
- Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)
- Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis)
- Barred Owl (Strix varia)
- Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens)
- Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga)
- Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
- Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
- Willet (Tringa semipalmata)
- Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
- Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
- Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens)
- Red Shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)
- Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)
- Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
- American Oystercatchers (Haematopus palliatus)
- Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum)
- Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
The Snowy Egret is a medium-sized heron, easily recognized by its pure white feathers and contrasting black bill and legs. Their yellow eyes and feet add a splash of color, making them one of the most visually striking birds in Florida. Measuring about 24 inches in length with a wingspan of up to 41 inches, […]
Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor)
Once widely known by the evocative name “Louisiana Heron”—a moniker championed by John James Audubon himself—the Tricolored Heron is arguably the most characteristic inhabitant of Florida’s coastal and freshwater wetlands. To observe one is to witness a perfect marriage of form and function, a bird that embodies the quiet, persistent pulse of the Everglades and […]
Great Egret (Ardea alba)
The Great Egret, also known as the Common Egret or Great White Heron, is a large, stately bird that is easily recognizable by its pristine white feathers, long black legs, and yellow bill. Measuring about 39 inches in height with a wingspan that can exceed 51 inches, the Great Egret exudes an air of grandeur […]
Royal Terns (Thalasseus maximus)
Standing on the quartz-white sands of Siesta Key or watching the sunset over Sarasota Bay, one cannot miss the loud, rhythmic “keary-keary” calls of the Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus). With their shaggy black crests and dagger-like orange bills, these birds are as much a fixture of the Sarasota landscape as the palm trees and the […]
Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger)
If you find yourself strolling along the quartz-white sands of Lido Key or Siesta Key at dusk, you might witness a silhouette that feels more like a phantom than a bird. Gliding mere inches above the Gulf’s glassy surface, a creature with a massive wingspan and a strangely weighted head cuts a silent line through […]
Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)
The Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) is a small songbird that, at first glance, doesn’t seem to fit the typical mold of a Florida resident. With its distinctive black and white plumage, golden nape, and unique “bubbling” song, the Bobolink is more commonly associated with the lush meadows and prairies of the Midwest and Northeast. Yet, every […]
Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus)
As a Florida certified master naturalist, I’ve had the privilege of observing and studying the magnificent Swallow-tailed kite for many years. This truly remarkable bird is one of the true gems of the Sunshine State’s diverse avian population. With its striking black and white plumage, deeply forked tail, and effortless aerial maneuvers, the Swallow-tailed kite […]
Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis)
The Sandhill Crane is a large, statuesque bird, standing nearly four feet tall with a wingspan that can exceed six feet. Their grayish plumage, often tinged with a rusty hue from preening with iron-rich mud, is complemented by a striking red crown and a long, slender neck. These cranes possess an air of grace and […]
Wood Stork (Mycteria americana)
There are birds that announce themselves with song, birds that dazzle with color, and birds that move through the world like quiet auditors, taking careful stock of conditions before rendering judgment. The wood stork belongs firmly in the last category. It is not a bird of melody or flamboyance. It is a bird of thresholds—of […]
Limpkin (Aramus guarauna)
Haven’t seen a limpkin? Surely you’ve heard her…In the middle of the day, she cries bloody murder! The Limpkin (Aramus guarauna) is a bird that weaves an enchanting tale of natural history and cultural significance. With its haunting call, distinctive appearance, and unique behaviors, the Limpkin stands out as a symbol of the delicate interplay […]
Boat-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major)
If you spend any amount of time in Florida with your eyes open and your ears unguarded, you will eventually encounter the boat-tailed grackle. You may first notice it as a sound rather than a sight—a metallic skree, a liquid creak, or what can only be described as a rusty gate being opened by a […]
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
If Florida had an official sound of wetlands—something you’d hear before you even saw the water—it would be the voice of the red-winged blackbird. That liquid, emphatic konk-la-ree! pours out of cattails, fence posts, sawgrass, and roadside ditches with such insistence that it feels less like birdsong and more like an announcement. A proclamation. A […]
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)
If you spend enough mornings wandering Florida’s edges—causeways at dawn, mangrove shorelines at low tide, the quiet backwaters of a river just lifting its veil of fog—you will eventually encounter the double-crested cormorant. You may not notice it at first as special. It is not showy like a roseate spoonbill or theatrically elegant like a […]
American Goldfinch
American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)
These birds are becoming increasingly common in Myakka River State Park, particularly at Deep Hole.
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
There are Carolina Wrens all over Sarasota, and if you can’t see them, you can hear them. They are relatively tame, and tend to fly into houses to check things out more than any other bird.
Black-bellied whistling duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)
You’ll often hear whistling ducks in the trees at night, and flying around at certain times a day. Once you become familiar with the whistle, you’ll be able to spot them easily.
Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens)
We don’t see these often around Sarasota, but keep an eye out further south along the barrier islands.
