10 Stunning Native Birds Every Florida Visitor Needs to See

Coming from the genus Aphelocoma^[1] which means “smooth-hair“, the Florida Scrub-jay, Aphelocoma coerulescens is the rarest of the five species of the genus.

It is distinguished from other members of Aphelocoma and other jays due to the absence of its head crest.

Males and females are physically alike with an overall plumage color of blue and grey, and only differ in size. Male Florida Scrub-jays are just slightly bigger than their female counterparts.

The Snail Kite bird^[2] Rostrhamus sociabilis can be considered as one of the most morphologically distinct raptors in the world. This is because of its presence of a highly modified and strong bill that enables it to feed on snails, Apple snails Pomacea in particular.

The Snail Kite bird is also seen mostly foraging in forested environments.

Regarding physical appearance, this bird is sometimes confused with the Slender Bill Kite due to their overall black plumage. However, one big difference between the two is the presence of white patches in the plumage of the former.

Limpkin^[3] is an unusual bird that thrives in the wet marshes of Florida. It can be seen feeding on Apple snails Pomacea with its long bill in these habitats.

The breeding behavior of this Florida bird still needs to be discovered since little literature has been written about it.

In terms of physical appearance, this bird has a heron-like stature with an overall plumage color of brown with white spots.

The next bird in this Florida birds list, the White Crowned pigeon^[4] is endemic only to the southernmost part of Florida and Keys in the United States.

Scientists strongly believe that this bird is one of the fastest in the speed of flight. Although no actual quantitative data have been shown, this Florida bird is thought to be faster than the speed of motorboats.

This bird, despite being of a shy type, can be found in wet swamps and marshes. Sometimes it can also be seen in the high treetops and electricity wires.

Widely distributed in Florida, the Short-tailed hawk^[5] is known to inhabit the evergreen forests and foothill forests of the area. This Florida bird is mostly observed flying as it hunts for its prey, normally smaller birds.

This Florida bird is considered one of the least studied birds in the U. S.

One of the most distinguishing characteristics of this bird^[6] is its presence of light and dark plumage that changes in a sympatric manner. And unlike what its name suggests, this bird has a rather long tail about its body size.

During the first days of April, Gray Kingbirds arrive to Florida from the cold lands of Caribbean.

The Gray Kingbird is characterized by having a 9-inch body length and a slightly forked tail feather. Its upper body is slightly pale gray (hence the name) and has a dark mask in the eyes. Its underside is color yellow when it is young and becomes pure white upon reaching adulthood.

Aside from Florida, these birds can also be found in places like Georgia and Mississippi.

The Northern Cardinal^[7] is a medium-sized songbird of Florida that exhibit sexual dimorphism. Males have an overall red plumage with a black face mask, whereas females have light brown to greenish brown plumage and some red highlights. Females also lack black face masks.

Northern Cardinals normally inhabit edges of woods and even the backyard of houses. This activity enables them to have free food given by the people themselves.

Just about the size of a chicken, the Purple Gallinule^[8] is a brightly colored bird adorned with blue-green feathers, red bill tipped with a bright yellow color, and long yellow legs. Check out this Florida bird which was also featured in the most colorful birds list too.

Despite being unable to fly, the purple gallinule is excellent in wading in the water and can distribute its weight evenly and walk on lily pads.

Aside from Florida, which is greatly distributed, this bird can also be found in Louisiana, Alabama, Texas, South Carolina, and Georgia. It likes to live in wet places like marshes and swamps with plenty of vegetation.

The Bald eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus^[9] is known to be the only species of eagle that is endemic to North America.

The Bald eagle primarily feeds on smaller birds and fish (sometimes large ones), rodents, and carrion.

Even from a distance, this bird is highly distinguishable due to its white head, tail, and a brown body. The bald eagle has yellow bills and feet.

This bird is known for its ability to soar with its flat wings during the flight instead of just flapping its wings.

The Killdeer got its name from the killdeer call they produce. During the 1800s, killdeers often annoyed townspeople, hence getting a name like “Chattering Plover” or “Noisy Plover“.

This bird is characterized by having brown color on its upper feathers and white ones in its undersides.

The Killdeer is a good swimmer. And although known to be a shorebird, the Killdeer ^[10] is a common sight in open places like backyard gardens, parking lots, and athletic fields.