South Florida Water Birds

It can fly with wet feathers but not as well.

South florida water birds. This list of birds of florida includes species documented in the u s. Anhinga the anhinga is a water bird. 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. When it goes swimming its feathers get wet.

As of december 31 2018 there were 525 species included in the official list. 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. Of them 159 species and eight identifiable subspecies are classed as accidental 14 have been introduced to north america four are extinct and one. Water birds such as gulls terns herons sandpipers and plovers share the water s edge with park visitors.

Florida s most beautiful waterbird is the purple gallinule found year round in fresh water marshes in the florida peninsula. This helps it dive and chase fish underwater. 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. Florida is the only place in the united states where birders can find the snail kite rostrhamus sociabilis a rare raptor with dark plumage and a severely hooked bill this bill is excellent for prying into the large snails that make up this bird s diet and snail kites have adapted well to feasting on the apple snail several species of which are.

Most of the families of water birds are well represented in florida. State of florida and accepted by the florida ornithological society records committee fosrc. It does not have oil glands for waterproofing its feathers like most 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.