Birds

10 Stunning Native Birds Every Florida Visitor Needs to See

Last Updated: Nov 14, 2023

Florida Birds: Because of its unique geographic location and suitable tropical climate, Florida is home to some of the most astonishing birds ever discovered. Here, we list the top ten most spectacular Florida birds.

Table of Contents

Florida Birds

Florida Birds

1. Florida Scrub-Yay (Aphelocoma coerulescens)

Kingdom	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Passeriformes	Corvidae	Aphelocoma	Aphelocoma coerulescens

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.

2. Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis)

Kingdom	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Accipitriformes	Accipitridae	Rostrhramus	Rostrhamus sociabilis

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.

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

3. Limpkin (Aramus guarauna)

Kingdom	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Gruiformes	Aramidae	Aramus	Aramus guarauna

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.

In terms of physical appearance, this bird has a heron-like stature with an overall plumage color of brown with white spots.
The breeding behavior of this Florida bird still needs to be discovered since little literature has been written about it.

4. White Crowned Pigeon (Patagioenas leucocephala)

Kingdom	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Columbiformes	Columbidae	Patagioenas	Patagioenas leucocephala

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.

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.
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.

5. Short-Tailed Hawk (Buteo brachyurus)

Kingdom	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Falconiformes	Accipitridae	Buteo	Buteo brachyurus

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.

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

6. Gray Kingbird (Tyrannus dominicensis)

Kingdom	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Passeriformes	Tyrannidae	Tyrannus	Tyrannus dominicensis

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

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

7. Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

Kingdom	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Passeriformes	Cardinalidae	Cardinalis	Cardinalis cardinalis

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.

8. Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinicus)

Kingdom	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Gruiformes	Rallidae	Porphyrio	Porphyrio martinicus

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.

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.
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.

9. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

Kingdom	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Accipitriformes	Accipitridae	Haliaeetus	Haliaeetus leucocephalus

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

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

10. Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)

Kingdom	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Charadriiformes	Charadriidae	Charadrius	Charadrius vociferus

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“.

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

Do you know the names of other bird species that can be found in Florida?

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BioExplorer.net. (2024, November 20). 10 Stunning Native Birds Every Florida Visitor Needs to See. Bio Explorer. https://www.bioexplorer.net/florida-birds.html/.

BioExplorer.net. "10 Stunning Native Birds Every Florida Visitor Needs to See" Bio Explorer, 20 November 2024, https://www.bioexplorer.net/florida-birds.html/.

BioExplorer.net. "10 Stunning Native Birds Every Florida Visitor Needs to See" Bio Explorer, November 20 2024. https://www.bioexplorer.net/florida-birds.html/.

Key References

All images are from Wikimedia under the creative commons license.
^[1] – “Florida scrub-jay videos, photos, and facts – Aphelocoma coerulescens | Arkive”. Accessed September 12, 2017. Link.
^[2] – “Snail Kite – Introduction | Neotropical Birds Online”. Accessed September 12, 2017. Link.
^[3] – “Limpkin, Identification, All About Birds – Cornell Lab of Ornithology”. Accessed September 12, 2017. Link.
^[4] – “10 Highlight Birds in Florida » Bird Watcher's Digest”. Accessed September 12, 2017. Link.
^[5] – “Short-tailed Hawk – Introduction | Neotropical Birds Online”. Accessed September 12, 2017. Link.
^[6] – “Short-tailed Hawk – | Birds of North America Online”. Accessed September 12, 2017. Link.
^[7] – “ADW: Cardinalis cardinalis: INFORMATION”. Accessed September 12, 2017. Link.
^[8] – “Purple Gallinule – Porphyrula martinica – NatureWorks”. Accessed September 12, 2017. Link.
^[9] – “Bald Eagle | Basic Facts About Bald Eagles | Defenders of Wildlife”. Accessed September 12, 2017. Link.
^[10] – “Killdeer, Life History, All About Birds – Cornell Lab of Ornithology”. Accessed September 12, 2017. Link.