South Florida Water Birds
As of december 31 2018 there were 525 species included in the official list.
South florida water birds. Nesting conditions were not good for south florida wading birds last year with fewer nests than in 2018 and the previous 10 year average according to an annual count. State of florida and accepted by the florida ornithological society records committee fosrc. Considering the fact that the total number of florida bird species hovers in the upper four hundred range a trip to fort de soto offers the birder close to sixty percent of the entire florida birding experience in one package. However when it is above water it must spread its wings to dry in the sun.
Anhinga the anhinga is a water bird. The 2019 count of 37 303. It does not have oil glands for waterproofing its feathers like most water birds. Florida s most beautiful waterbird is the purple gallinule found year round in fresh water marshes in the florida peninsula.
Bernie dupont flickr cc by sa 2 0. Major groupings include the ducks geese and swans order anseriformes family anatidae which include more than 30 species in florida alone the herons egrets and ibises order ciconiiformes very characteristic of florida with more than 15 species and the shorebirds. Most of the families of water birds are well represented in florida. Red winged blackbird one of the most distinctive sounds you ll hear in a florida marsh is the call of the red winged blackbird particularly when there are a large flock of them.
Of them 159 species and eight identifiable subspecies are classed as accidental 14 have been introduced to north america four are extinct and one. It can fly with wet feathers but not as well. When it goes swimming its feathers get wet. This list of birds of florida includes species documented in the u s.
