Some
common birds: Besides birds
discussed below , notable year-round residents include: Mourning,
White-winged, Ground, and Eurasian Collared Doves, Screech, Barred, Barn, and
Great-horned Owls, Bobwhites, Pileated Woodpeckers, Black necked-Stilts,
virtually all wading birds (especially the ubiquitous Cattle Egret), Eastern Meadowlarks,
and a variety of blackbirds. During winter, you will see many Palm
Warblers, Eastern Phoebes, Savannah Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, Northern
Harriers, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Coopers Hawks, Kestrels, Bobolinks, Gray
Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, and American Robins.
Wintering
Warblers-Whenever you are near trees or
brushy areas during winter, listen for the characteristic "chip" of
Myrtle Warblers. They winter here and invariably will be traveling with
Black and White Warblers and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, variously accompanied by
White-eyed Vireos, blue-headed Vireos, Carolina Wrens, Prairie Warblers,
Northern Parulas, Pine Warblers, Yellow-throated Warblers, Common Yellowthroats,
and almost any of the eastern warblers. Tree
Swallows-These winter in south Florida in
enormous flocks (sometimes more than a mile wide!). You need not watch for
them-you can't miss a flock this size. Loggerhead
Shrikes and Mockingbirds-these are common
on the fences and power lines along the highway-learn to tell them apart! Black
and Turkey Vultures-you likely will be in
sight of one of these at every moment, practice telling them apart! Short-tailed
Hawks-uncommon, but regular, during winter Common
Crow- the crows you see on the prairie
drive are almost all Common, in contrast, the crows you see by Lake Okeechobee
are almost all Fish Crows. Special
prairie birds include: Crested
Caracaras-watch especially on fence posts,
electric poles, and even standing on piles of dirt, or other elevated surfaces. Sandhill
Cranes-will be seen standing in open
grassy fields, usually in pairs during summer and in flocks during winter They
also will loaf under trees and even in people's yards. Mottled
Ducks-common, watch for these on small
ponds and wetlands along the road. Florida
Grasshopper Sparrow-locally common at the
Kissimmee Prairie State Preserve, on of Florida's most endangered birds.
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