Water Birds of South West

Florida

ATLANTIC FLYWAY

ECOLOGICAL NICHEECOLOGICAL NICHE -how an organism makes a living:-how an organism makes a living:

NestingNestingFeedingFeedingRoostingRoostingMigrationMigration

We will look at the special adaptations We will look at the special adaptations that allow them to use niches that are that allow them to use niches that are

different from those of their different from those of their competitorscompetitors

WADING BIRDS & SEA BIRDS

Most inhabit coastal waters, marshes and estuaries where they feed on fishes, frogs insects.

YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON

Forage mostly at night unless feeding nestlings

YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON

Eyes yellowish to amber in

juvenile

Gradually acquires

adult plumage

over 2 years

BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONJuveniles are well camouflaged with streaks, Adults

have a black crown and are seldom active by day

GREAT BLUE HERONOne Heron has been reported as surviving

23 years after being banded.

GREAT WHITE HERON

Is a dimorphic form of the Great Blue

Heron

SNOWY EGRET

GREAT WHITE HERON

SNOWY EGRET

REDDISH EGRET

The dark morph predominates strongly in the Florida populations.

Brown pelican

Feeds by plunging into water at great heights, some dives from as high as 60 feet in the air.

White pelican

An adult can eat as much as 4 pounds of fish a day.

bill develops a fibrous keel during breeding season 

ANHINGAThe anhinga spears his prey with his arrow like beak and sometimes the thrust is so powerful that he has to swim to

shore and rub his prey off his beak on a rock.

DOUBLE CRESTED

CORMORANT

ANHINGA

DOUBLE CRESTED CORMORANT

Cormorants, Anhingas and Frigatebirds are distantly

related to Pelicans

Fishing cormorant

MAGNIFICENT FRIGATE-BIRD (female)

White breastremainder of plumage black

MAGNIFICENT FRIGATE-BIRD (male)

Red inflatable throat sac, entirely black

During breeding season males inflate their

red gular sacs

WHITE IBIS

found around fresh or saltwater

GLOSSY IBIS

Breeding adults have reddish-brown bodies and shiny bottle-green wings.

SHOREBIRDS & ALLIES

Wading birds along shorelines. Most are brownish and have slender bills they use to probe the sand and mud

for invertebrates

SanderlingThey often fly in compact coordinated flocks near surface of sea

BLACK NECKED STILT

RUDDY TURNSTONE

Known for turning over every stone and shell on the beach in search of food

AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER

The striking black and white

plumage, large size, and bright

orange bill make this bird

quite unlike any other.

SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER

Its long bill is short only in comparison with the very similar Long-billed Dowitcher

LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER

despite its name only the female has a slightly longer bill 

BLACK BELLIED PLOVER

GULLS & ALLIES

Long-winged birds are strong fliers and excellent swimmers. Gulls are usually gray and white and have webbed feet and square tails. Terns are smaller with

narrow wings, forked tails and pointed bills

LAUGHING GULL

TERNS versus GULLS-Terns how sometimes confused w/Gulls

SANDWICH TERN

The yellow-tipped bill makes this Tern stand out

LEAST TERN

Terns are enjoyed by many who flock to Florida's beaches

BLACK SKIMMER

Often roost by laying almost flattened, with their entire body in contact with the sand, people have been

surprised to find they are only resting!

HAWKS & FALCONS

Primarily carnivorous, these birds have sharp talons for grasping prey, and sharply hooked bills for tearing into flesh. Many soar on wind

currents when hunting.

OSPREY

The outer toes can be reversed to allow 2 toes to grasp each side of the fish.

tolerates a wide variety of habitats, located near a large body of water that provides an adequate

food supply

Places to visitCollier County Museum Gardens

Delnor Wiggins – Beginner Birder Tours 597-6196Corkscrew Swamp & Sanctuary

Rookery BayConservancy of Southwest Florida

Barefoot Beach, Bonita SpringsDing Darling Wildlife Refuge

Gulf, Bays, Estuaries your own backyard!

Suggested ReadingsFlorida’s Living Beaches – Witherington Blair & Dawn

Common Coastal Birds of Florida & the Carribean - Nellis DavidNational Geographic Florida Field Guide to Birds - Baughman M.

The Nature of Florida -Kavanagh JamesSmithsonian Handbook, Birds of Florida - Alsop III Fred

LEAST SAND PIPER

Surfbird

Pectoral sandpiper

Purple sandpiper

Curlew sandpiper

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Red knot

Elegant tern

Wilson’s plover

Piping plover

Long-billed curlew

Marbled godwit

• Less common in FL now

Whimbrell

Caspian tern

Willet

Roseate tern

Royal tern

Foster’s tern

Dunlin

Greater lellowlegs

Green heron

Tricolor heron

Little blue heron