Every year, white pelicans migrate to Florida’s warmer climes, leaving behind the chilly northern lakes of Canada and the Midwest. Here, they find sanctuary in our coastal estuaries, lakes, and rivers. Watching them soar in tight formation or feed in synchronized choreography is like witnessing a living ballet—a performance perfected over millennia. Today, let’s take […]
Birds
- American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)
- American Coot (Fulica americana)
- American Oystercatchers (Haematopus palliatus)
- American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
- American white ibis (Eudocimus albus)
- American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)
- Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga)
- Barred Owl (Strix varia)
- Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)
- Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger)
- Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
- Black-bellied whistling duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)
- Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)
- Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)
- Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
- Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
- Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)
- Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)
- Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens)
- Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
- Great Egret (Ardea alba)
- Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla)
- Limpkin (Aramus guarauna)
- Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens)
- Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus)
- Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)
- Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
- Painted bunting (Passerina ciris)
- Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum)
- Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)
- Red Shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)
- Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)
- Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens)
- Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)
- Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
- Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis)
- Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis)
- Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
- Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus)
- Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)
- Willet (Tringa semipalmata)
- Wood Storks (Mycteria americana)
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.
Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus)
Arguably the prettiest bird around these parts, it shows up late February and heads back south in September. They can be seen in Myakka Park and flying over I75.
American Coot (Fulica americana)
American white ibis (Eudocimus albus)
Greetings, birdwatchers and nature lovers! Today, we’re setting our sights on one of Florida’s most charming and entertaining residents: the American White Ibis (Eudocimus albus). With their graceful movements and quirky behavior, these birds are the comedians of the wetland world, always ready to put on a show. So, grab your binoculars and prepare to […]
Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla)
These birds are quite common in Sarasota, and can often be seen with non-breeding colors with the head less black and more mottled gray.
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
Painted bunting (Passerina ciris)
Felts Preserve is perhaps the only place near Sarasota where you can consistently see these birds in season (winter).