The Best Birds to See in Florida, The Sunshine State

There are more than 500 bird species recorded in the Sunshine State.

Because of its unique geographic location and tropical climate, the state of Florida is home to some of the most unique birds ever discovered. Here are 30 birds of Florida we thought worthy of our list.

What kind of birds are in Florida?

Florida's diverse habitats are home to a wide variety of plumed citizens, from tiny hummingbirds to huge herons and seed-eating buntings to predatory hawks.

What are the 10 most popular native birds of Florida?

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1. Florida Scrub-jay

2. The Snail Kite bird

3. Limpkin

4. The White-Crowned pigeon

5. Short-tailed hawk

6. Gray Kingbirds

7. The Northern Cardinal

8. Purple Gallinule

9. Bald eagle

10. The Killdeer

Ducks

1. Florida mottled duck

2. Wood duck

3. Black-bellied ducks

4. Fulvous whistling ducks

5. Pintails

6. American wigeon

Pigeons 

Seed- and fruit-eating land birds. White-crowned pigeons, a threatened species, are found in the Keys and extreme south Florida, and nest on mangrove islands free of raccoons.

Swifts and hummingbirds

Ruby-throated hummingbird, Florida's smallest bird. It has an iridescent green back and the male sports a fiery red throat. Mostly year-round residents of central and south Florida, they are found in a wide variety of habitats.

Flycatchers and larks

Perching birds that hunt insects on the wing. Florida's smallest breeding flycatcher is the Acadian flycatcher, an inhabitant of swamplands and moist woodlands from central Florida through the panhandle, seen April through September.

Mockingbirds, thrashers and catbirds

The northern mockingbird is Florida's official state bird and can imitate the songs of other birds and some animal and man-made sounds. Brown thrashers and catbirds also mimic other birds' calls.

What about other Florida birds?

Anhinga, Reddish egret, Wood Stork, White Ibis, Laughing Gull, Roseate Spoonbill, Great Blue Heron, Greater Flamingo, Little Blue Heron, Burrowing Owls, Rufous Hummingbird, Brown Pelican, Green heron, Whooping crane, White Pelican, Sandpiper, Red-winged blackbird, Osprey, Grackle, Bluebird, Sandhill Crane, Oriole, Snowy egret, Tern, vultures, Tricolored heron, Cattle egrets, Loons, and raptors.

This is by no means a complete list, but visit the Florida Audubon for more birds and the North America Audubon website can also be a great resource to find out about woodpeckers, shorebirds, wading birds, and any other species birding experts are interested in!

What kind of birds are found in south-central Florida?

Long-tailed birds. The Mangrove Cuckoo is a year-round resident of south-central and south Florida mangrove habitats, and is distinguished by its buff breast and black mask.

Have you ever seen or heard of these wild birds? Please leave us a comment below!

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