Florida is a paradise for bird lovers, offering a diverse variety of species to admire throughout the year. From energetic songbirds to graceful raptors, there’s something fascinating to observe year-round. 

If you’re inspired to start identifying birds on your own, the Merlin Bird ID app by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a fantastic free resource. It’s easy to use, offering bird identification by photo, sound, or step-by-step guidance.

This guide introduces you to just a few of Florida’s frequent flyers and highlights their unique characteristics:

tufted titmouse bird sitting in on a stump with an orange background

Tufted Titmouse

The tufted titmouse is a small, lively songbird often spotted darting through trees and shrubs. Its soft gray feathers, black forehead, and tufted crest make it easily recognizable. 

Tufted Titmice are one of the few perching birds that can use their feet to hold seeds while they break them open. This small songbird from North America has an alarm call that seems to fade off into the distance, giving the impression that the bird is moving from place to place.

white belly and black winging a hawk soaring in a blue sky.

Swallow-tailed Kite

With its elegant black-and-white plumage and striking forked tail, the swallow-tailed kite is known for its graceful glide. Part of the raptor family, this bird often appears motionless in the air, rarely flapping its wings. Its deeply forked tail is used as a rudder to steer and circle.

Swallow-tailed Kites use Spanish moss as their primary nesting material since they do not have particularly strong feet or talons. The species once nested in at least 21 states but now breeds in only seven Southeast states due to increasing habitat loss.

Anhinga anhinga bird with yellow beak swimming in water.

Also known as the snake bird or water turkey, the anhinga is a year-round resident of Florida found from coastal areas of South Carolina westward to Texas, Mexico, and as far south as Argentina. 

Unlike most water birds, the anhinga lacks waterproof feathers, which helps it submerge quietly to stalk prey. It is often seen nearly submerged in water where its long neck resembles a snake or sunning itself to dry its wings and warm its body. 

Brown and white bird, Carolina wren, perched on top of a trunk.

Carolina Wren

The Carolina Wren is an energetic and vocal songbird, found across eastern North America and celebrated as the state bird of South Carolina. This non-migratory songbird adapts to a variety of environments, including forests, shrublands, and does surprisingly well in suburban areas. 

Weighing less than an ounce, these energetic, non-migratory birds are often heard before they are seen. A single male can sing up to forty different songs which can be repeated as many as 3,000 times in a single day. 

What You Can Do.

These birds represent just a small fraction of the over 500 bird species that call Florida home. From wetlands to woodlands, the state’s diverse ecosystems provide critical habitats for a wide  array of avian life. 

Continuing to learn about Florida’s birds and understanding the challenges they face, such as habitat loss and climate change, is a vital step in protecting them for future generations. Explore more about these species and ways to help conserve their habitats through resources like Merlin Bird ID and local conservation organizations.

Information from  Crew Land and Water Trust, American Bird Conservancy and  Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Images sourced from CanvaPro.