Top 5 Birdwatching Spots in Florida

Where to see migratory birds around Florida

Leslie Kemp Poole

As the days grow warmer and longer, there’s no better time to get out into Florida’s natural areas and enjoy the varied birdlife that brings color to our state. Grab your binoculars and join millions of avian enthusiasts in enjoying everything from nesting eagles to graceful swallow-tailed kites to raucous gulls and terns. Birding, which brings in billions of dollars in revenue, is a booming activity and there is plenty to see at sites that vary from wildlife refuges to county parks to restored wetlands. Here are five premier year-round viewing spots where visitors might also see butterflies, alligators, and bears as well as lush inland and coastal landscapes.

St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge

A group of wading ibis preen and bask in the waters of this Panhandle refuge where more than 300 bird species have been spotted. Impoundment pools also attract many types of waterfowl. Mark your calendar now for the fall migration of Monarch butterflies on their way to Mexico—a spectacular sight.

Lake Apopka

Once considered the most polluted lake in Florida, Lake Apopka is now the focus of a major restoration project—and the hundreds of species of birds it attracts are proof it is working. Here a limpkin, known for its distinctive cries, looks for freshwater snails, its sole diet. The lake’s north shore has a one-way, 11-mile Wildlife Drive, with close views of birds and, quite often, enormous alligators.

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

A century ago, roseate spoonbills were hunted near extinction so their feathers could adorn women’s hats. Today the refuge is an important rookery for spoonbills and many other varieties who use it as a permanent home and a migration flyway. Several trails and roads lead to bird nirvana in different ecosystems, including the Scrub Ridge Trail where fearless indigenous scrub jays just might land on your head.

J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge

This refuge on Sanibel Island is named for Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling, a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist and pioneer conservationist, who championed saving this precious Gulf Coast site. Birders flock from around the planet to admire wading birds, visible by road or by water. Join a boat or tram tour or hike and kayak to find feathered treasures.

The Florida Keys

Famed artist John James Audubon found the stuff of his dreams in 1832 when he reached birding heaven: the Florida Keys. In the Dry Tortugas islands, now a national park accessible by boat or seaplane, Audubon found sooty terns that still nest by the thousands. Be sure to tour the park’s historic Fort Jefferson and snorkel along its coral reef.

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