The following descriptions of birds will help you spot and recognize some of the more familiar feathered friends who live and visit the area.
Anhinga The anhinga is a duck-like bird. Its yellow pointed beak is used to stab fish as the bird swims underwater. The neck is extremely thin except when expanded to swallow a fish. Easily confused with the cormorant, the anhinga has a longer, wider tail with a pale brown stripe on the edge.
Brown Pelican The most widely recognized coastal bird is known for its beak and pouch. The pelican is most often seen diving into the water or perched atop a channel marker. The mature adult has a white head with a brown suede stripe down the back of its neck. Its webbed feet are designed more for paddling than walking.
Great Blue Heron The largest of the wading birds in this area and hard to miss, the great blue heron can reach up to four feet in height and has a grey-blue body and a navy blue stripe above its eye. Its beak is grey-black and its legs are green-yellow to blue in color. Another type, the great white heron, can sometimes be sighted in this area.
Roseate Spoonbill This elegant pink bird is often mistaken for a flamingo. Standing about two feet tall, the roseate spoonbill has a grey, spatulate-shaped beak and red legs. Not commonly seen in the spring, summer or fall, spoonbills migrate to Florida in the winter months for nesting and rearing their young.
Snowy Egret Smaller than the great egret, this bird also has a white body and black legs. Its beak is black with some yellow beneath the eyes, and it has bright yellow feet called “yellow snippers” by Seminole Indians.
White Ibis Mostly white in color, this medium-sized wading bird has a long, curved, orange-red beak and matching legs. In flight, black patches at the ends of the white wings are easily seen. An immaculate white ibis is brown in color, and its beak and legs are a faded orange. |
