Bird Scavenger Hunt: Florida Everglades in Spring

A large-print, one-page card for a phone-free day on the trails in the Florida Everglades Birding guide. It lists the 16 birds you are most likely to find from March to May, each with a clue for what to look or listen for, plus four harder bonus birds.

Other seasons: Winter · Summer · Fall

Trailside Birding · Bird Scavenger Hunt · Mar to May
Florida Everglades in Spring
Foundof 16
AAnhinga Trail 0.8 mi, paved and boardwalk. Arrive by 8am. Herons nest along the rail.
SShark Valley 14.9 mi loop, bike or tram. Go early, before the heat. Birdiest in the first few miles.
CCorkscrew Swamp 2.25 mi boardwalk. Go at opening. Watch the sky for kites.
  1. AnhingaA S C
    Snake-like neck. Dries its wings spread wide.
  2. Great Blue HeronA S
    Tallest heron here. Blue-gray and very still.
  3. Great EgretA S C
    Tall and all white. Yellow bill, black legs.
  4. Little Blue HeronS C
    Smaller heron, dark slate-blue all over.
  5. Green HeronA S
    Small and hunched, with a chestnut neck.
  6. White IbisS C
    All white. Long, curved, orange-red bill.
  7. Wood StorkC
    Big and white with a bald gray head.
  8. Purple GallinuleA
    Purple and green. Walks on lily pads.
  9. Swallow-tailed KiteA C
    Black and white, with a long forked tail.
  10. Red-shouldered HawkS C
    Rusty chest. Calls "kee-ah, kee-ah."
  11. Turkey VultureA S C
    Soars with wings held in a shallow V.
  12. Red-bellied WoodpeckerC
    Zebra-striped back, red on the head.
  13. Great Crested FlycatcherC
    Yellow belly. Calls a loud "wheep!"
  14. White-eyed VireoA S C
    Small and olive, with a white eye.
  15. Northern CardinalA S C
    Male all red with a crest. Female tan.
  16. Red-winged BlackbirdA S
    Black, with red-and-yellow shoulders.
Bonus round: harder to find
  1. Roseate Spoonbill
    Pink, with a flat spoon-shaped bill. Try: Shark Valley.
  2. Limpkin
    Brown, white-spotted. A wailing scream. Try: Shark Valley, Corkscrew.
  3. Barred Owl
    Calls "who cooks for you-all." Try: Corkscrew, early.
  4. Snail Kite
    Dark hawk with a white tail patch. Try: Shark Valley.