Hi, my name is Peter Merritt, and I'll be your host on this video guide to identifying
Florida birds.
This program is designed to help you become familiar with the birds that you're likely
to encounter and teach you what to look for when identifying a species.
Florida is a great place for birding because of the high number of species you can find.
At least 480 native and established exotic species of birds have been verified in the
state, and this number is continuing to grow.
Because of the great mobility of birds and Florida's proximity to the tropics, there's
always the possibility to see an unusual species traveling outside its normal range.
The bird species presented in this video are arranged in the order in which they appear
in the standard checklist or field guide.
This video is meant to supplement a field guide, which contains a more complete listing
of species and plumage variations.
The video has the advantage of showing behaviors and lets you listen to the songs and calls,
which are often very important in identifying a species.
If you're not very familiar with the birds in Florida, you may want to follow along with
a field guide as you view this video program.
Once you get to know the birds, I guarantee that your whole view of the outdoors will
change.
Instead of just being in Florida, you'll be experiencing Florida.
Let's get started.
Throughout this program, I'll often refer to general regions in the state.
Northwestern Florida is known as the Panhandle.
This area joins the Florida Peninsula, which consists of North, Central, and South Florida.
The Florida Keys is a chain of islands that extends southwest from the mainland.
The Dry Tortugas is a small cluster of islands located about 68 miles west of Key West.
The Common Loon has a sharp, thick, gray bill.
The plumage is dark on top and light below.
Note that the light pattern intrudes into the dark pattern at the base of the neck.
The Common Loon is primarily a winter visitor in Florida, where it's most often found in
coastal and marine waters.
It's a strong swimmer that dives underwater to catch fish.
The Pied Billed Grieve is brown with a short, thick bill.
In non-breeding plumage during the winter, the bill is unmarked and the chin is white.
In breeding plumage, the bill has a dark ring and the chin is black.
The Pied Billed Grieve is a permanent resident and winter visitor that's found in ponds,
lakes, and marshes throughout Florida.
It forages by diving for aquatic insects and other small animals.
The American White Pelican has a white body with a yellow bill and black on the tips and
trailing edges of the wings.
It's primarily a winter visitor throughout much of the state.
It also occurs as a spring and fall migrant in the Panhandle.
These birds migrate from their breeding grounds in northwestern United States and Canada.
White pelicans often forage in flocks.
The birds catch fish by dipping their bills into the water while swimming.
The Brown Pelican has a dark brown body.
The head and neck are white on adults and light brown on immature birds.
In breeding plumage, the back of the neck turns brown.
The Brown Pelican is a permanent resident and winter visitor that occurs in coastal
areas throughout Florida.
A characteristic behavior of this species is to dive head first into the water while
flying to catch fish.
The Brown Pelican is listed by the state government as a species of special concern.
Red contamination caused a major decline of Brown Pelican populations in the 1950s and
60s, but populations have increased in recent years.
The double-crested Cormorant often swims low in the water with a head up at an angle.
This species has a hooked bill with a yellow-orange throat pouch and a dark plumage.
Immature birds are lighter on the neck and breast.
The double-crested Cormorant is a permanent resident and winter visitor throughout Florida.
This species occurs in both freshwater and marine communities.
The Anhinga has a long pointed bill.
The male has a black body with silvery wing patches and a long tail.
The female has a light brown head and neck.
It's shown here fluttering its gular sac for cooling purposes.
This species is a permanent resident and winter visitor that's most abundant from central
to south Florida.
Anhingas occur primarily in freshwater.
The sharp pointed bill is used to spear fish while swimming underwater.
The Magnificent Frigatebird is a large seabird with long wings, a deeply forked tail, and
a hooked bill.
The male is black with a red throat pouch that's not always visible.
The female has a dark head and a white breast.
The Immature Frigatebird has a white head and a white breast.
The male inflates its red throat pouch during courtship displays.
This species is a permanent resident that nests in the Dry Tortugas.
Frigatebirds are typically found in coastal areas from central Florida southward through
the Keys.
The Least Bittern is a small heron with a light brown wing patch.
The male has a black crown and a black back.
The crown and back are brown on the female.
In this scene, the male replaces the female at the nest.
The Least Bittern is a summer resident in north Florida in the Panhandle and a permanent
resident and winter visitor from central Florida southward.
It's most abundant and central to south Florida.
It nests in freshwater and saltwater marshes and mangrove forests.
The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird that exists in two color forms, a dark morph
and a white morph.
The dark morph, which is more common, is identified by its blue-gray body and black stripe over
the eye.
It's a permanent resident, spring and fall migrant, and winter visitor that's found
in shallow wetlands throughout the state.
The Great Blue Heron often remains still while foraging.
The white morph of the Great Blue Heron has a white plumage and yellowish-gray legs.
The lower mandible is yellow, but on adults the upper mandible is gray at the base.
On amateur birds, the upper mandible is dark.
This species is a permanent resident that's most abundant in the shallow coastal waters
in the Florida Keys and south Florida.
The white morph of the Great Blue Heron is often referred to as a Great White Heron.
It was formerly considered to be a separate species.
Intermediate forms between the white and dark morphs also exist.
The Great Egret is a large white wading bird with a yellow bill and black legs.
The black legs distinguish it from the white morph of the Great Blue Heron shown previously.
This species often stands still or walks slowly while foraging.
In breeding plumage, the Great Egret has long, showy feathers used in mating displays.
This species is a permanent resident, spring and fall migrant, and winter visitor throughout Florida.
The Snowy Egret is a medium-sized wading bird with a white body, black bill, and black legs.
It's most easily identified by its yellow feet, which are visible in this scene when
the bird walks.
The lower, the area between the bill and the eye, is usually yellow, but turns red at the
height of breeding plumage when the bird also develops showy plumes.
This species is a permanent resident throughout Florida.
The Snowy Egret is listed by the state government as a species of special concern.
It was hunted intensely for its elaborate feathers near the turn of the 20th century,
but populations have recovered since then.
The Little Blue Heron is a medium-sized wading bird.
Adults have a blue-gray body, and immature birds have a white body.
The white, immature birds can be identified by a combination of a gray bill with a dark
tip and dull greenish legs.
Immature Little Blue Herons begin to attain their dark plumage during the first spring
and attain full adult plumage by the second year.
This heron is a permanent resident throughout Florida.
The Little Blue Heron is listed by the state government as a species of special concern.
Alteration or elimination of natural wetlands is the main threat to this species.
The Tricolored Heron is a wading bird with a blue-gray back and a white belly.
Adults have a blue-gray neck except in the front, which is white with dark streaks.
Immature birds have reddish brown on the sides and back of the neck.
This species is a permanent resident that's most abundant from central Florida southward.
The Tricolored Heron is listed by the state government as a species of special concern.
Similar to other wading birds, the alteration or elimination of natural wetlands is the
main threat to this species.
The Reddish Egret is another species that exists in two color forms, a dark morph and
a white morph.
The dark morph has a blue-gray body and a reddish-brown neck.
This species is known for being an active feeder, frequently raising its wings and running
back and forth.
The Reddish Egret is a permanent resident that's most abundant in coastal tidal flats and marine
shorelines from central Florida southward.
Adults are best identified by the combination of gray legs with a bill that's light at
the base and dark toward the tip.
Some individuals, such as the bird in this scene, have a mixture of light and dark feathers.
The adult white morph of the Reddish Egret is identified by the combination of gray legs
with a bill that's light at the base and dark at the tip.
The Reddish Egret is on the right in this scene.
The Snowy Egret on the left will show its yellow foot when it takes a step.
The immature Reddish Egret has dark legs and an all-dark bill.
The immature white morph of the Reddish Egret in this scene looks similar to a Snowy Egret
except the Reddish Egret has black feet and dark lores.
The Reddish Egret is listed by the state government as a species of special concern.
The main threat is the alteration of coastal wetlands.
The Cattle Egret is a relatively small white heron.
In non-breeding plumage, it has a yellow bill and dark legs.
The bill and legs turn red-orange during the breeding season, and the bird acquires buffy
patches on its crown, back, and lower front of the neck.
This species is a permanent resident throughout the state.
The Cattle Egret spread from Africa to South America and recently colonized North America.
In the United States, this species was first found near Clewiston, Florida in the early
1940s.
It often occurs in small flocks and open fields and other upland habitats.
The Green Heron is a small, dark, wading bird with a reddish-brown neck and yellow legs.
The legs of the adult male turn bright orange during the breeding season.
This species is a permanent resident that occurs near ponds and wetlands throughout
Florida.
It generally perches or walks very slowly along the water's edge when foraging.
It feeds on a variety of small animals, including fish, amphibians, and insects.
The individual in this scene is an immature Green Heron.
The immature birds are browner above and streak below and have a yellow or partly yellow bill.
The Black-crowned Night Heron is a stocky heron with a short neck.
It's of a black cap, black back, and gray wings.
This species is a permanent resident throughout Florida.
It's more common at inland locations than along coastal areas.
Black-crowned Night Herons often roost during the day in trees and hunt for food in shallow
wetlands at night.
They feed mainly on fish.
The adult Yellow-crowned Night Heron has a gray body.
It has a black head with a yellowish crown and a white patch on the cheek.
This species is a permanent resident that occurs in swamps and wetlands throughout Florida.
The Yellow-crowned Night Heron hunts during the day as well as at night.
Its feeding activity is often associated with tidal cycles.
Crabs and crayfish form a large part of its diet.
The White Ibis is a white wading bird with a reddish face, long down-curved bill, and
black wing tips.
In full breeding plumage, the facial skin, bill, and legs turn scarlet red.
Immature White Ibises are dark with a white belly.
They attain adult plumage by the end of their third year.
This species is a permanent resident, spring and fall migrant, and winter visitor throughout
Florida.
It's listed by the state government as a species of special concern.
White Ibis populations have experienced great declines related to changes in drainage patterns
in Florida.
The Glossy Ibis is a dark wading bird with a long down-curved bill.
The adult plumage has a dark chestnut color, and the wings, back, and tail often appear
iridescent.
This species is a permanent resident and winter visitor that's most abundant from central
to south Florida.
The Glossy Ibis occurs primarily in freshwater wetlands.
This species also forages in agricultural fields, where it probes the mud for insects
and other small animals.
The Roseate Spoonbill is a large wading bird with a pink body and a long spoon-shaped bill.
It forages by sweeping its bill back and forth through the water, snapping at fish and other
items that touch its bill.
This species is a permanent resident that's most abundant from central Florida south through
the Keys.
The Roseate Spoonbill is listed by the state government as a species of special concern.
It experienced a rapid population decline from the 1850s to the 1920s due to collectors,
plume hunters, and disturbance of colonies.
Since then, this species has made a slow recovery in Florida.
The Adult Woodstork is a large white wading bird with a dark head and neck and a long
down-curved bill.
Immature Storks have a black face, white neck, and a yellow bill.
Notice that the tail, wing tips, and the entire trailing edge of the wing are black.
This species is a permanent resident that's most abundant in central and south Florida.
The Woodstork is listed by the state and federal governments as an endangered species.
The ability for this species to nest successfully is closely tied to wetland water levels where
the birds forage for fish.
The Black Vulture is a large dark bird with a gray featherless head.
It's one of two species of vultures that are very common in Florida.
In flight, the Black Vulture has a whitish or silvery patch on the primary wing feathers
near the tips of the wings.
This species also has a short, squared-off tail.
The Black Vulture is a permanent resident and winter visitor throughout Florida.
Black vultures are often seen on the sides of highways feeding on animals that have been
killed on the road.
The Adult Turkey Vulture is a large dark bird that has a red, featherless head.
On immature birds, the head is gray.
This species has a long, rounded tail.
When flying, it holds its wings in a shallow V-shape known as a dihedral pattern and often
rocks side to side.
Similar to anhingas and cormorants, vultures often spread their wings when perched.
This species is a permanent resident, spring and fall migrant, and winter visitor throughout
the state.
A large spiraling flock of vultures can sometimes be seen when the birds leave the roost and
ride thermal air pockets upward.
The Black-Bellied Whistling Duck has a chestnut-colored body with a gray face, red bill, and black
belly.
It has a white wing patch that appears as a stripe on the side when the bird is at rest.
This species is a permanent resident that's most abundant in central Florida.
Outside of Florida, it has a more tropical distribution and is abundant in Mexico and
South America.
The Black-Bellied Whistling Duck is currently colonizing the state.
It occurs in marshes, ponds, and agricultural fields.
It's active at dawn and dusk and also forges at night.
The Fulvis Whistling Duck, shown in the center of the screen, is buffy with a dark back and
gray bill.
It has white markings on the side, dark wings, and a white band on the tail.
In this scene and the next scene, it's being chased by a Black-Bellied Whistling Duck.
The Fulvis Whistling Duck is a permanent resident that's most abundant in central and south
Florida.
It's a tropical species that occurs on many of the Caribbean islands.
It has rapidly colonized Florida since the 1960s.
The Fulvis Whistling Duck is active at night and found in marshes and agricultural fields.
The Canada Goose has a brown body, black head and neck, and a white chin patch.
In the wild, it occurs as a winter visitor throughout the state, but it's most abundant
in north Florida and the Panhandle.
Feral individuals, which represent domesticated forms that have escaped from captivity, also
occur as permanent residents in the state.
The feral birds frequently occur in developed areas.
The male wood duck has a colorful body with a distinctive white patch on the throat.
The female is gray with a white teardrop-shaped patch around the eye.
This species is a permanent resident that's most abundant on the Florida mainland.
Wood ducks occur in freshwater and forage at the surface.
They often perch in trees and frequently use artificial nest boxes placed near sheltered
bodies of water.
The male American Wigeon in breeding plumage has a white crown with a green ear patch.
The female is brown with a gray head and neck.
This species is a winter visitor that's most abundant in Florida north of the Keys.
It often occurs in large flocks and is found in marshes, lakes and other water bodies.
The American Wigeon is a dabbling duck that picks up food from the surface of the water.
The male mallard has a green head, yellow bill and chestnut-colored breast.
The female is brown with an orange bill that has a dark center.
Both male and female have a blue wing patch known as a speculum, but it's not visible
unless the wing is extended.
In the wild, the mallard occurs as a winter visitor that's most abundant in north Florida
and the Panhandle.
Feral individuals are permanent residents throughout Florida, but they're most abundant
north of the Keys.
The mallard is a dabbling duck that feeds by dipping its head in the water.
The mottled duck is brown with a tan head, yellow bill and orange legs.
It has a blue speculum with narrow white borders.
The speculum is located on the secondary wing feathers.
The mottled duck is a permanent resident on the Florida mainland.
It's most abundant in central and south Florida where it occurs in marshes.
This species forages by dabbling at the surface of the water.
The male blue-winged teal in breeding plumage has a white crescent on its face.
The female is all brown with a mottled pattern on its back.
Both the male and female have light blue patches on the wings.
The male also has a green speculum.
The blue-winged teal is a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor that's most abundant
from central Florida southward.
In north Florida and the Panhandle, it's most abundant during spring migration.
This duck inhabits ponds and marshes and often occurs in large migratory flocks.
The northern shoveler is a duck that has a large spoon-shaped bill.
Both the male and the female have a green speculum.
In breeding plumage, the male has a green head, white breast, and reddish-brown sides.
In non-breeding plumage, the head and breast of the male are gray.
The male in this scene is in transition from non-breeding to breeding plumage.
The female is brown with a grayish-orange bill.
This species is a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout the state.
The northern shoveler uses its bill to strain aquatic organisms from the water.
The male northern pintail in breeding plumage has a white breast and a white stripe running
up the side of the neck to the back of the head.
The male also has a long, pointed tail.
The female has a brown body, light brown head, and a gray bill.
The northern pintail is a winter visitor throughout the state.
This duck occurs in a variety of water bodies and forages by dabbling or tipping forward.
The green-winged teal is a small duck with a green speculum.
In breeding plumage, the male has a gray back, chestnut-colored head, and green ear patch.
The female is all brown.
This species is a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor that's most abundant in
North Florida and the Panhandle.
The green-winged teal occurs in marshes, rivers, and bays.
It forages by swimming slowly with its bill partially submerged.
The white vertical bar on the side is a good field mark from a distance.
The male redhead has a rounded reddish head, black breast, and a gray back.
The female is all brown.
The bill is gray or bluish gray and has a black tip.
The redhead is a winter visitor that's most abundant in North Florida and the Panhandle.
It's a diving duck that forages by swimming underwater.
The male lesser scop has a dark head and breast and a light-colored back and sides.
The female is all brown and has a small patch of white at the base of the bill.
The upper surface of the secondary wing feathers is also white.
The lesser scop is a winter visitor that's most abundant from central Florida northward.
This species is a diving duck that's very similar in plumage to another species, the
greater scop, which is not shown in this program.
The male buffal head is black with white sides and a white patch on the back of the head.
The black portions of the head are iridescent.
The female has a dark head and back and a white patch on the side of the head.
The female also has a small white patch on the secondary wing feathers.
The buffal head is a winter visitor that occurs primarily in North Florida and the Panhandle.
This species is a diving duck that forages underwater for aquatic plants and animals.
The male hooded merganser has a white crest with a black border.
The female is brown with a rusty crest.
This species is a winter visitor that occurs primarily from central Florida northward.
Hooded mergansers are often found in ponds and small freshwater lakes.
This species has a thin bill with a serrated edge.
Mergansers are diving ducks that eat fish, crustaceans, and other aquatic organisms.
The red-breasted merganser and non-breeding plumage is a duck that has a rusty head and
crest, whitish throat, and a gray back.
It has a long, thin, orange bill that's serrated along the edges.
Males and females look similar in the winter.
The red-breasted merganser is a winter visitor throughout the state where it's most abundant
in coastal waters.
It's often found in lagoons and estuaries where it dives to catch fish and crustaceans.
The ruddy duck is a relatively small duck that's dark on top of the head, neck, and
back.
The male, shown in this scene, has a large white patch on the cheek.
The female and immature ruddy ducks have a dark line in the cheek patch.
This species is primarily a winter visitor that occurs in waters throughout the state.
Occasionally, it's a summer resident that breeds in Florida.
The tail on the ruddy duck often points upward.
The long, stiff tail feathers can serve as a rudder for these ducks when they dive and
swim underwater.
The osprey is a large raptor, which is a term that refers to the birds of prey.
It has a dark back and is mostly white below.
The head is white with a dark stripe through the eye.
Note the characteristic bend in the wing when the osprey soars.
Ospreys are often seen hovering over water and dropping in feet first to capture fish.
This species is a permanent resident and spring and fall migrant throughout most of Florida.
Ospreys often nest near the top of dead pine trees, and they also nest on towers, power
poles, and artificial platforms.
The swallow-tailed kite has a black and white plumage with a deeply forked tail.
It's white on the head, lower body, and leading edge of the underside of the wing.
The back, tail, and primary and secondary wing feathers are black.
This species is a summer resident and spring and fall migrant that's most abundant from
central Florida southward through the Keys.
The swallow-tailed kite often nests and roosts in wooded swamps.
It's a graceful flyer that preys on insects, reptiles, and birds.
The snail kite has a broad white band at the base of the tail and a deeply hooked bill.
The male has a black body and the female and immature birds are brown with streaks.
It's a permanent resident that occurs primarily in central and south Florida.
It forages over freshwater marshes and water bodies in search of apple snails, its main
food source.
It uses its hooked bill to extract the snail body from the shell.
The snail kite is listed by the state and federal governments as an endangered species.
The alteration of natural wetland systems in Florida has had a negative impact on snail
kite populations.
The Mississippi kite has a gray body that's dark above and light below.
It has a light head, dark tail, and a broad white patch on the upper surface of the secondary
wing feathers.
This species is a summer resident that's most abundant in north Florida and the Panhandle.
It's also a spring and fall migrant throughout the state.
The Mississippi kite glides and soars over grasslands and moist woods.
Birds make up the main part of its diet, but it also preys on reptiles and tree frogs.
The adult bald eagle has a black body, white head, and a white tail.
It has a characteristic behavior of holding the wings very flat when it soars.
Immature birds are dark brown with whitish modeling on the body, wings, and tail.
They take four years to reach adult plumage.
This species is a permanent resident throughout the state and a winter visitor in northern
Florida.
The bald eagle is listed by the state and federal governments as a threatened species.
Population levels of this species have increased in recent decades since use of the pesticide
DDT was halted in the early 1970s.
The northern harrier has a slender body with long wings and a distinctive white patch on
the rump.
The male has a gray back and is light below.
The female has a brown back with brown streaks below.
Immature birds have a brown back and rusty orange undersides.
The northern harrier is a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout Florida.
It often flies low over marshes and fields searching for small mammals and birds.
The harrier in this scene makes an unsuccessful attack on a flock of brown-headed cowbirds
and red-winged blackbirds.
The adult sharp-shinned hawk has rusty horizontal bands on the breast and belly.
The back is gray on the male and brown on the female.
Immature birds have brown vertical streaks below.
This is a small hawk with a squared off tail.
The sharp-shinned hawk is a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout the
state.
It's one of several species referred to as an exhibitor.
Exhibitors are a group of hawks that have short rounded wings and long tails.
They have a characteristic flight pattern consisting of several short-winged beats followed
by a glide.
The cooper's hawk is an exhibitor that's similar in appearance to the sharp-shinned hawk except
the cooper's hawk is a little larger and the tip of the tail is more rounded.
Notice that when the cooper's hawk soars, it holds the leading edge of the wing very
straight.
This species is a permanent resident from central Florida northward and a spring and
fall migrant and winter visitor throughout the state.
It primarily occurs in wooded areas and preys on small birds.
The red-shouldered hawk belongs to a group known as the beautios.
Hawks in this group are characterized by having broad wings and a short wide tail.
The adult red-shouldered hawk has rusty color on the breast and leading edge of the wing
and black and white bands on the tail.
The immature red-shouldered hawk is brown with streaks on the breast.
This species is a permanent resident throughout the state.
In flight, it can be identified by the pair of white crescent panels on the primary wing
feathers.
The broad-winged hawk is a small beautio.
The adult has a dark brown back, rusty breast, light belly, and banded tail.
The undersides of the wings are light, but the wing tips and trailing edges of the wings
are dark.
Immature birds can be identified by the translucent square-shaped panels on the primary wing feathers.
These panels are visible on most individuals featured in this segment.
The broad-winged hawk is a summer resident in the north half of Florida and a winter
visitor in the south half of the state.
The short-tailed hawk is a beautio that is present in two forms, a light morph and a
dark morph.
The light morph has a dark back and is light below.
It has a black hood on the head, dark wing tips, and a dark band at the base of the tail.
This species is a permanent resident throughout the state, but is most abundant in central
and south Florida.
Short-tailed hawks hunt for small birds in forested areas.
The red-tailed hawk is a large beautio.
Adults have a reddish tail and immature birds have a banded tail.
A dark pitagial mark on each wing is a distinctive feature of this species.
This is the narrow dark patch on the leading edge of the underside of the wing, close to
the point where the wing joins the body.
The red-tailed hawk often has a dark band across the belly, but this feature is not
always present.
This species is a permanent resident, spring and fall migrant, and winter visitor throughout
Florida.
The crested caracara has a black crest, white throat and neck, and a dark back.
It has white patches near the ends of the wings and base of the tail that are distinctive.
The caracara forages for live prey, but similar to vultures, it also feeds on carrion and
is often seen eating animals killed on the road.
This species is a permanent resident that occurs in open prairies and rangeland in central
Florida.
It frequently nests in cabbage palm trees.
The crested caracara is listed by the state and federal governments as a threatened species.
Loss of habitat is a major concern for the crested caracara.
The American kestrel is a small falcon with a reddish-brown back and two black facial
stripes.
The female has rusty wings and brown streaks in the breast.
The male has gray wings and black spots on the sides.
This species is a permanent resident from central Florida northward and a spring and
fall migrant and winter visitor throughout the state.
The southeastern American kestrel, the subspecies that breeds in Florida, is listed by the state
government as a threatened species.
The main threat is the elimination of longleaf pine and turkey oak communities.
The Merlin is a small falcon that has a streaked breast and a dark tail with narrow white bands.
The male has a blue-gray back and the female and immature birds have a brown back.
This species occurs during spring and fall migration and as a winter visitor throughout
Florida.
Merlins often use a sudden burst of speed to catch small birds in flight.
The peregrine falcon has a black patch extending down through the eye and the side of the head.
The back is blue-gray on adults and brownish-gray on immature birds.
It's a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout Florida.
Populations of this species dramatically declined from the 1940s to the 1970s due to the effects
of pesticides.
Two subspecies of the peregrine falcon have been listed by the state and federal governments
as endangered or threatened.
This species has partially recovered in North America following the reintroduction of birds
raised in captivity by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The peregrine falcon is a fast, powerful flyer that makes steep dives to prey on flying birds.
The peregrine in this scene is drying out after flying through the rain.
The wild turkey has a large body with a long neck and a small head.
It has a long tail and a gold iridescent plumage.
This species is a permanent resident throughout Florida north of the Keys.
The wild turkey is an ancestor of the domestic turkey.
It forges on the ground for seeds, nuts, and insects, and roots and trees at night.
Wild turkeys are often found in open woodlands and fields and sometimes occur in large flocks.
The northern bobwhite has a rounded body with a short tail and a short neck.
The male has a black head with a white throat patch and a white line on the supracillium,
the side of the head above the eye.
The female has a brown head with a buffy supracillium and a buffy throat patch.
The female is on the right.
This species is a permanent resident throughout Florida north of the Keys.
Northern bobwhites occur in brushy open country and can be very secretive.
The clapper rail is grayish brown above and buffy below with barring on the sides.
It has a long down curved bill.
This species is a permanent resident and winter visitor that occurs in coastal salt marshes
and mangrove swamps throughout the state.
The clapper rail is very similar to another species, the king rail, which occurs primarily
in freshwater marshes.
The sora is a small brown rail with a short yellow bill.
It has white speckles on the back and barring on the sides.
Adults have a black patch at the base of the bill, which is visible in this scene.
This species is a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout Florida.
Soras are usually found in freshwater marshes.
They often flick their tail while walking.
The purple gallinule has a purple and green body with a short red and yellow bill.
This species is a permanent resident in central and south Florida, a summer resident that
breeds in the north half of the state and a spring and fall migrant throughout the state.
Immature purple gallinules are brownish.
Purple gallinules occur in marshes and swamps and often walk on lily pads and climb through
vegetation.
The common moorhen has a dark plumage with white markings on the sides of the body.
It has a red bill with a yellow tip.
The base of the bill merges with a red frontal shield on the forehead.
The common moorhen is a permanent resident and spring and fall migrant that occurs in
marshes throughout the state.
It forages for small animals and plants as it swims or walks.
The American coot has a dark gray body, blackish head, and a thick white bill.
Adults have a reddish-brown shield on the forehead.
This species is a permanent resident, spring and fall migrant, and winter visitor throughout
the state.
It's most abundant during the winter months.
American coots are very duck-like, dabbling at the surface.
They also dive underwater to feed on aquatic plants.
The limpkin is brown with white spots and streaks.
It has a long down-curved bill, this dark at the tip.
This species is a permanent resident that's most abundant in freshwater swamps in central
and south Florida.
The limpkin is listed by the state government as a species of special concern.
Similar to the snail kite, the limpkin's main food source is the apple snail, which
occurs in freshwater wetlands.
The sandhill crane has a gray or brown plumage.
The adult has a red patch on its head.
It's a permanent resident from north Florida to south Florida and a spring and fall migrant
and winter visitor throughout the mainland.
The Florida sandhill crane is a subspecies that breeds in Florida.
It's listed by the state government as a threatened species.
It forages in wide-open prairies and nests in shallow freshwater marshes.
Loss of habitat is the main threat to this species.
The hooping crane is a large white bird with black wing tips.
Adult birds have red on the face and head.
Immature cranes, as shown here, lack the red on the face and head.
The hooping crane is a federally listed endangered species that breeds in Canada and migrates
to Texas during the winter.
In Florida, the hooping crane is part of an experimental population.
In 1993, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission started releasing immature captive-reared
cranes in central Florida.
The goal of the project is to establish a self-sustaining population of hooping cranes
in the state.
The black-bellied plover is a stocky shorebird with a heavy black bill.
In non-breeding plumage, it has a gray body.
This species has characteristic black axillaries, the feathers at the base of the underside
of the wing.
The black-bellied plover is primarily a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor in Florida.
Sometimes during migration, adults of this species are in breeding plumage, which includes
a light crown and a black face, throat, and belly.
The snowy plover is a small shorebird with a short, slim black bill, dark legs, and a
light-colored back.
Adults in breeding plumage have a dark patch behind the eye, but immature birds lack this
feature.
This is a permanent resident that occurs along beaches of the Gulf Coast from south Florida
northward.
The snowy plover is listed by the state government as a threatened species.
The primary threat is the loss of undisturbed beach habitat where it nests on the open ground.
The Wilson's plover has a dark back, pinkish-gray legs, and a relatively thick black bill.
In breeding plumage, it has a broad, dark neck band, but immature individuals and non-breeding
adults have a light brown neck band, as shown in this scene.
The Wilson's plover is a permanent resident, spring and fall migrant, and winter visitor
that occurs in coastal areas throughout Florida.
The semi-palmated plover is on the right.
It has a short, slim bill, yellowish legs, and a dark brown back.
The bill appears all dark on immature and adult birds in winter plumage, or yellow to
orange with a black tip in breeding adults.
This species is a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout the state.
The semi-palmated plover is the most common of the small plovers in Florida and is generally
found on shorelines, tidal flats, and beaches.
The piping plover has a short, slim bill, yellowish legs, and a light-colored back.
The bill is all black on immature and adult birds in winter plumage.
The bill is yellow to orange with a black tip in adults in breeding plumage.
The piping plover is a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor that occurs in coastal
areas throughout Florida.
It's listed by the state and federal governments as a threatened species.
The main threat in Florida is the loss of undisturbed beach habitat.
The kill deer is a large plover identified by two black breastbands and a long reddish
brown tail.
It's a permanent resident, spring and fall migrant, and winter visitor throughout the
state.
Kill deer are often found in upland habitats, including fields, airports, and lawns.
They nest on the open ground and are known for acting like they have a broken wing to
distract intruders that are near the nest.
The American oyster catcher is a large shorebird with a black and white body and a red bill.
It uses the bill to pry open shells of clams, oysters, and other shellfish.
This species is a permanent resident that's most abundant along the coasts of the Florida
Peninsula.
The American oyster catcher is listed by the state government as a species of special concern.
The primary threat is the loss of undisturbed beaches where it nests.
The black-necked stilt is a large shorebird that's black above and white below.
It has long, thin, dark bill and reddish legs.
This species is primarily a summer resident during the breeding season, but some individuals
remain in Florida through the winter.
Black-necked stilts are abundant in shallow freshwater wetlands in central and south Florida.
They forage by picking at their prey, which includes insects, crustaceans, and fish.
The American avicet is a large shorebird with a long, slim, up-curved bill and a black and
white pattern in the wings.
This species is primarily a winter visitor that's occasionally present in Florida throughout
the year.
American avicets are most abundant from central Florida southward through the Keys.
They feed by sweeping their bill from side to side to stir up bottom-dwelling organisms.
The greater yellowlegs is a large shorebird with a gray body and yellow legs.
This species has a slightly upturned bill that's greater in length than the width of
the head.
It's primarily a spring and fall migrant and a winter visitor in Florida that's most abundant
during the fall.
The greater yellowlegs actively forges for small fish in shallow wetlands and along shorelines
throughout the state.
The lesser yellowlegs is similar in appearance, but slightly smaller than the greater yellowlegs.
The bill on the lesser yellowlegs is straight, and the length of the bill is about the same
as the width of the head.
This species is primarily a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor in Florida that's
most abundant in the fall.
The lesser and greater yellowlegs often occur together in shallow wetlands and along shorelines
throughout the state.
The solitary sandpiper is a shorebird with a dark breast and back.
It has white spectacles around the eyes and greenish-gray legs.
This species occurs in shallow wetlands and along shorelines throughout Florida primarily
during spring and fall migration.
The solitary sandpiper characteristically bobs its tail as it forges by itself.
The willet is a large gray shorebird with a long straight bill and gray legs.
Much of the body is heavily speckled during the breeding season, but plain gray during
the winter.
The wing has a distinctive black and white pattern that can be seen when the bird is
flying or when the wing is extended.
The willet is a permanent resident and winter visitor that's common in coastal areas throughout
the state.
The spotted sandpiper is a small shorebird with a short neck.
It has a dark back and is light below.
In breeding plumage, its underparts are heavily spotted as shown in this video clip.
The undersides are white without spots during the winter.
The spotted sandpiper is a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor along shorelines
throughout the state.
It characteristically bobs up and down while foraging.
The whimbrel is a large gray and brown shorebird with a long down-curved bill.
It's pictured here in the center of the screen standing next to a willet.
The whimbrel has dark stripes on the head and a light median stripe on the crown.
This species is primarily a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor that occurs in
coastal wetlands and shorelines throughout Florida.
Whimbrels prefer mud and grass flats and typically feed by picking rather than probing.
In this video clip, the whimbrel changes places with a laughing gull.
A black-bellied plover and then a laughing gull are behind the whimbrel in this scene.
The marbled godwit is a large brown shorebird walking to the right in this scene.
It has a long, slightly up-curved bill that's pink at the base and dark at the tip.
This species is primarily a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor that's most abundant
along shorelines in central and south Florida.
Some individuals remain year-round in the panhandle.
Marbled godwits forage for invertebrates by probing into the substrate.
The ruddy turnstone is a small shorebird with orange legs.
In breeding plumage, it has large patches of chestnut color on the wings and a distinctive
black and white pattern on the face and breast.
In non-breeding plumage, the face and breast are grayish and the wings and upper back appear
mottled gray and brown.
It's a year-round non-breeding visitor and spring and fall migrant that occurs along
coastal shorelines throughout the state.
Ruddy turnstones use their bill to flip pebbles and shells while foraging.
The red knot is a stocky shorebird with a thick, straight bill and greenish legs.
In non-breeding plumage, it's primarily gray as shown in this scene.
In breeding plumage, it has a reddish-brown head and breast with a gray back.
This species is a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor that occurs along coastal
shorelines throughout the state.
It's also a summer visitor on the Gulf Coast.
The sanderling is one of the most common sandpipers on Florida beaches in the winter.
In non-breeding plumage, it's gray above, light below, and has black markings on the
leading edge of the wing.
The immature sanderling has a speckled back.
In breeding plumage, the sanderling has a rusty head, breast, and back.
This species is primarily a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor that occurs in
coastal areas throughout Florida.
The semi-palmated sandpiper is a small gray or grayish-brown sandpiper with dark legs.
It has a short, straight, dark bill.
This species occurs along shorelines during spring and fall migration throughout the state
and may be a winter visitor in extreme southern Florida.
The semi-palmated sandpiper featured in this video clip is an immature bird, which is characterized
by a scaly grayish-brown back with a light gray breast.
In non-breeding plumage, this species may be impossible to distinguish from the western
sandpiper, which is featured in the next segment.
The western sandpiper is a small gray or grayish-brown sandpiper with dark legs.
The bill on this species droops slightly at the tip.
The bill averages slightly longer than that of the semi-palmated sandpiper, but there
is an overlap in bill length between these species.
In the breeding plumage, rufous color in the upper scapulars, which are the feathers on
the sides of the back, helps to identify the western sandpiper.
In the non-breeding plumage shown in this video clip, the western sandpiper is gray
above and white below.
This species is primarily a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout Florida.
The leased sandpiper is a small shorebird with yellow legs.
It has a short, dark fill that is pointed and slightly down-curved.
In the non-breeding plumage, the upper parts are grayish-brown.
In the breeding plumage, the feathers on the back become tinged with rufous.
This species is primarily a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout Florida.
Note that the leased sandpiper has yellow legs, while the semi-palmated and western
sandpipers have dark legs.
The purple sandpiper is a dark shorebird with yellow legs.
It has a dark gray head, breast, and upper parts, and has a white belly.
It has a relatively long, slightly down-curved bill.
The bill is mostly dark, but is yellowish-orange at the base.
The purple sandpiper is a winter visitor that is most abundant in North Florida along the
Atlantic coast.
This species spends much of its time foraging on rock jetties.
The dunlin is a sandpiper with black legs and a long bill that curves down at the tip.
In the winter non-breeding plumage, which is shown in this video clip, the head, breast,
and upper parts are grayish-brown, and the belly is white.
In breeding plumage, the dunlin has a large black patch on the belly, and the back and
wings are partially rufous.
This species is a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout Florida.
Dunlins forage by wading in the shallow water and rapidly probing the substrate.
The stilt sandpiper is a shorebird with yellowish-green legs.
It has a long bill that's thick at the base and curves down at the tip.
In the non-breeding plumage, which is shown in this video clip, the upper parts are gray
and it's lighter below.
In breeding plumage, stilt sandpipers are dark with black blotches on the back and heavy
black bars below.
This species occurs during spring and fall migration throughout the state.
It's also a winter visitor that's most abundant in central to south Florida.
The short-billed dowager is a stocky shorebird with a long, straight bill.
In the non-breeding plumage, the body is gray.
In the breeding plumage, the body has a rusty color.
This species is primarily a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor that occurs along
coastal shorelines throughout Florida.
The short-billed dowager is very similar to the long-billed dowager, which is less common
and generally occurs at freshwater wetlands.
The common snipe is a stocky shorebird with a long, straight bill.
This species has distinctive brown stripes on the head and back.
It occurs in Florida during spring and fall migration and as a winter visitor.
It's most abundant in shallow freshwater wetlands from central Florida northward.
Common snipes are usually solitary and they often fly away in a zigzag pattern when disturbed.
The laughing gall is a small gall with a gray back, black wingtips, and a white underside.
In breeding plumage, adults have a black head and a red bill.
In non-breeding plumage, the head turns white with patches of gray and the bill is black.
Juvenile laughing galls are brown.
This species is a permanent resident in coastal areas throughout the state.
It's also a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor in Florida.
The bone-apart skull is a small gall with a short, black bill.
In non-breeding plumage, it has a white head with a black patch behind the eye.
In breeding plumage, the head turns black.
The bone-apart skull is a winter visitor that's most abundant from central Florida northward.
Notice that this species has a white patch on the leading edge of the upper surface of
the wing.
Bone-apart skulls are often found at ponds at sewage treatment facilities.
The adult ring-billed gall has a yellow bill with a black ring near the tip and yellowish
legs.
Immature birds have pink at the base of the bill and pink legs and can have brown patches
on the body depending on age.
The ring-billed gall is primarily a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout
Florida, but some individuals remain through the summer.
The immature gall in this video clip is in its first winter plumage.
Like many of the galls, ring-billed galls undergo several plumage changes during their
first several years of life.
The adult herring gall has pink legs and a yellow bill with an orange spot on the lower
mandible.
This species is primarily a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout the
state.
This herring gall is in its second winter plumage, which is mostly brown and has a dark
tip on the bill.
Plumage variations in the herring gall warrant careful study using a field guide.
The adult great black-backed gall has a black back, pink legs, a white head, and a yellow
bill with an orange spot on the lower mandible.
This species is primarily a winter visitor that's most abundant on the Atlantic coast
from central Florida northward.
The gall in this scene is in its third winter plumage, which can be identified by the ring
on the yellow bill.
The bird in this scene is in its first winter plumage, which is identified by the brown
body with a whitish head and a dark bill.
The great black-backed gall is the largest gall in North America.
The Caspian tern is light gray and white with a red bill and black wing tips.
The crown is streaked with gray in the non-breeding plumage shown here.
Compare the gray forehead and red bill of the Caspian tern to the white forehead and
orange bill of the royal tern.
In breeding plumage, both of these species have a black crown.
The Caspian tern is a permanent resident, spring and fall migrant, and winter visitor
throughout the state.
The royal tern is light gray and white with an orange bill, black wing tips, and a deeply
forked tail.
In breeding plumage, it has a black crown.
In the non-breeding plumage, it has a white forehead and black feathers on the back of
the head form a crest.
This species is a permanent resident, spring and fall migrant, and winter visitor that
occurs in coastal areas throughout the state.
The sandwich tern has a light gray and white body with a black crest.
The key identification feature is the thin black bill with a yellow tip.
Adults have an all-black crown in breeding plumage.
The forehead is white in the non-breeding plumage as shown in this scene.
This species is a permanent resident, spring and fall migrant, and winter visitor in coastal
areas throughout Florida.
The adult rosy tern is light gray above and whitish below.
In breeding plumage, it has a black crown, a faint pink coloration on the chest and belly,
and the bill is red at the base and dark toward the tip.
This species is primarily a summer resident in Florida, where it nests at only a few locations
in the Keys.
The subspecies that breeds in Florida is part of a Caribbean population that is listed by
the state and federal governments as a threatened species.
The main threat is the lack of suitable nesting sites, which consist of islands with open
sand or broken coral that are free from predators and disturbance by humans.
The rosy tern occurs primarily over the open ocean, where it forges by diving for small
fish.
The adult arctic tern in breeding plumage has a light gray body with a black cap and
a slender red bill.
The underside of the wing has a very narrow dark line on the trailing edge of the primary
wing feathers.
The arctic tern is similar to the common tern, which has a red bill and a dark tip and has
a greater amount of dark markings in the primary wing feathers.
The arctic tern breeds in the arctic tundra and migrates annually to spend the winter
at sea in the southern hemisphere.
This rare visitor to Florida is most often seen during late spring migration over the
open ocean off the Atlantic coast.
The forester's tern has a gray and white body with orange legs.
In non-breeding plumage, it has a whitish head with a black patch behind the eye and
a black bill.
In breeding plumage, the forester's tern has a black crown with an orange bill with
a black tip.
The tern in this scene is in transition from non-breeding to breeding plumage.
The forester's tern is primarily a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout
the state.
The leased tern is a small tern with yellow legs.
In breeding plumage, adults have a black crown with a small patch of white on the forehead
and a yellow bill with a black tip.
In non-breeding plumage, the bill turns black and part of the crown turns gray.
This species is a summer resident that breeds throughout Florida.
It's listed by the state government as a threatened species.
The primary threat is disturbance to nests, which occur on open sandy beaches.
These terns are also known for nesting on flat gravel rooftops.
The bridled tern has a dark gray back, a black cap, and is white below.
It has long pointed wings and a deeply forked tail.
This species has a white patch on the forehead that extends back behind the eye on the side
of the head.
The back of the neck has a whitish collar separating the black cap from the dark gray
back.
The bridled tern is primarily a summer visitor in Florida where it has been found nesting
in association with roseate terns in the Florida Keys.
This species occurs over the open ocean and is widely distributed in the West Indies.
The bridled tern forages by diving or picking up prey on the surface of the water.
The sooty tern is similar in appearance but slightly larger than the bridled tern.
The back and back of the neck are black on the sooty tern and the white patch on the
forehead extends back to the eye but not past the eye.
This tropical species is abundant from February to August at its nesting colony on Bush Key
and the Dry Tortugas.
Sooty terns forage over the open ocean where they swoop down to take small fish from the
surface of the water.
The brown knotty has a brown plumage with a white forehead that grades into a gray crown.
Similar to the sooty tern, the brown knotty is a tropical tern that is primarily found
over the open ocean.
This species is abundant from March to September in the Dry Tortugas where there is a large
nesting colony on Bush Key.
This is the only location where brown knotties nest in Florida.
This scene shows brown knotties and sooty terns over their nesting site on Bush Key.
The black skimmer is a large tern with a black back and white underparts.
It has a large bill that's red toward the base and dark toward the tip.
The lower mandible is longer than the upper mandible.
This species often searches for fish by flying with the lower mandible cutting through the
surface of the water.
The black skimmer is a permanent resident that's most abundant in coastal areas from
north Florida southward.
It's listed by the state government as a species of special concern.
The black skimmer requires undisturbed sandy beaches for nesting and is highly vulnerable
to human disturbances.
The rock dove is an exotic species that is often referred to as a pigeon.
The typical plumage is gray with two black wing bars, a white rump, and a broad dark
band at the end of the tail.
This species is a permanent resident in urban areas throughout Florida.
Rock doves prefer rocky areas for nesting where they are native in western Eurasia in
north Africa.
Domesticated varieties of rock doves have escaped into the wild and are responsible
for much of the color variation in this species.
The white-crowned pigeon is all dark with a white crown.
It's a permanent resident in south Florida and the Keys where it's most abundant during
the summer breeding season.
This species is listed by the state government as a threatened species.
White-crowned pigeons require mangrove islands that are free of raccoons and human disturbances
for nesting.
This species spends much of its time foraging for fruit in tropical hardwood forests.
The Eurasian collar dove is a light brown with a narrow black ring around the back of
the neck.
It's a permanent resident that occurs in urban areas throughout the state.
This is an exotic species that was introduced into the Bahamas in 1974.
It spread to southeastern Florida in the late 1970s and has rapidly expanded throughout
the state.
The morning dove has a light brown body with a long pointed tail.
It's a permanent resident, spring and fall migrant, and winter visitor that occurs in
a variety of habitats throughout the state.
This species is common at bird feeders in residential areas and it's often seen perched
on wires along roads.
The common ground dove has a small light brown body.
In flight it shows rufous on the primary wing feathers and on the lower side of the wing.
The base of the bill is pink or red and the tip of the bill is dark.
This species is a permanent resident that occurs in dry brushy areas.
It's most abundant from central Florida to the northern Keys.
The yellow-billed cuckoo is brown above and white below.
The lower mandible is yellow, distinguishing it from the all-dark bill of the black-billed
cuckoo.
The yellow-billed cuckoo has bright rufous primary wing feathers that can be seen when
the wing is extended.
This species is primarily a summer resident and a spring and fall migrant throughout the
state.
The yellow-billed cuckoo often moves through dense vegetation searching for caterpillars
and other insects.
The mangrove cuckoo is similar to the yellow-billed cuckoo, but the mangrove cuckoo is identified
by a black mask that extends back through the eye.
The mangrove cuckoo also has buffy underparts.
This species is a permanent resident that occurs in mangrove forests in South Florida
and the Keys.
In addition to mangrove communities, this species is also found in tropical hardwood
forests.
The mangrove cuckoo is a secretive species that preys on caterpillars and other insects.
The eastern screech owl is a small owl identified by conspicuous ear tufts that can be raised
or flattened.
It's a permanent resident throughout the Florida mainland and upper Keys.
This nocturnal species is present in a variety of wooded habitats and is often common in
residential areas.
The eastern screech owl has three plumage variations, which include a red morph, a brown
morph, and a gray morph.
All three color morphs can occur within the same population.
This gray morph screech owl often roosted during the day in a shed that was left open.
The great horned owl is a large owl with ear tufts and a white throat.
It's a permanent resident in wooded areas throughout Florida south to the northern Keys.
The owl in this video clip is sitting on a nest.
The great horned owl is a nocturnal species that hunts mammals from a perch.
They're often very active at dawn and dusk.
The burrowing owl is a small owl with a rounded head and no ear tufts.
It has a white chin and long legs.
This species is a permanent resident, spring and fall migrant, and winter visitor that
occurs in open grassland and dry prairies throughout the state.
It's most abundant on the Florida peninsula.
The burrowing owl is listed by the state government as a species of special concern.
Habitat loss is the primary threat to this species.
Burrowing owls dig burrows with their feet and they nest underground.
When disturbed, they tend to bob up and down.
The barred owl is a large brown owl with a rounded head and no ear tufts.
It has bars across the breast and stripes running up and down on the belly.
This species is a permanent resident that occurs in wooded areas throughout Florida
south to the northern Keys.
Similar to the great horned owl, the barred owl is primarily nocturnal and hunts small
mammals from a perch.
The common night hawk has a grayish-brown body with pointed wings and white wing bars.
This species is primarily a summer resident and migrant throughout the state.
Night hawks are not really hawks, but they're members of the night jar family.
They have a unique way of sitting lengthwise on branches and wires.
They often fly at dawn and dusk catching insects over open pine forests and a variety of other
habitats including developed areas.
The Antillian night hawk is nearly identical in appearance to the common night hawk.
This species typically gives a rapid series of calls, whereas the common night hawk usually
gives a single nasally buzz.
The Antillian night hawk is a summer resident that breeds primarily in the Keys.
It's most abundant from Marathon to Key West.
The Chuck Wills widow is a large brown member of the night jar family.
It's primarily a summer resident and spring and fall migrant that occurs in forested areas
throughout the state.
It's also a rare winter visitor in South Florida and the Keys.
Chuck Wills widows are nocturnal, the song that you are hearing now was recorded at night
in a pine forest.
The chimney swift has a short dark body with long wings.
It's easy to identify by its unique pattern of flying and vocalizations.
This species is a spring and fall migrant and summer resident throughout the state.
They're usually seen in the open sky over towns and cities where they feed on insects
while flying.
Breeding occurs in areas north of the Keys.
Chimney swift nests in cavities with a vertical entrance such as a hollow tree or a chimney.
The ruby-throated hummingbird has a small body with a green back.
The female shown in this scene has a white throat.
The male has a deep red throat.
The red throat of the male is iridescent and may appear black unless the light is reflecting
on it properly.
The ruby-throated hummingbird is a summer resident that breeds from central Florida
northward through the panhandle, a winter visitor in South Florida and the Keys, and
a spring and fall migrant throughout the state.
The belted kingfisher has a blue-gray back with a large head and crest and a large dark
bill.
The male has a single dark band across the breast.
In addition to the dark band, the female also has a second band that's brown.
The belted kingfisher is a permanent resident in the north half of Florida and a winter
visitor throughout the state.
It often perches on wires and branches near water and hovers before diving to catch fish.
The red-headed woodpecker is black and white with a red head.
Immature birds have a brown head.
It's a permanent resident from the panhandle to South Florida and a winter visitor throughout
the state.
Generally breeds in open woodlands.
In the fall, red-headed woodpeckers often form small groups that move into wooded areas
that have a good supply of acorns or fruit.
The red-bellied woodpecker has black and white barring on its back and a white rump with
speckles.
It gets its name from having a reddish color on the belly which is often difficult to see.
This species is a permanent resident in wooded areas throughout the state.
This video clip is of a male which has a red crown and a red nape.
This scene is of a female which has a gray crown and a red nape.
Red woodpeckers are the most common woodpeckers in developed areas.
The yellow-bellied sapsucker has a red forehead, black and white bars or speckles on the back
and a yellowish wash on the undersides.
The male has a red throat patch and the female, shown in this video clip, has a white throat
patch.
Usually a long white stripe is present on the wing.
The white stripe is visible on the male in this scene.
This species is a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor that occurs in wooded areas
throughout the state.
The downy woodpecker is a small black and white woodpecker with a prominent white stripe
on its back.
This species has a short bill with its length being equal to about half the width of the
head.
The male has a red patch on the back of the head.
This species is a permanent resident that occurs in wooded areas throughout Florida
primarily north of the Keys.
The downy woodpecker is very similar to the hairy woodpecker, which is featured in the
next segment.
The hairy woodpecker looks like the downy woodpecker, except the hairy is larger and
has a thicker and longer bill.
The length of the bill is nearly equal to the width of the head.
This species is a permanent resident that occurs in mature forests from south Florida
northward.
Tensions of the hairy woodpecker have declined in recent years, especially in southern parts
of the state.
The red cockaded woodpecker has a black cap and a large white cheek patch.
It's a permanent resident that occurs in extensive stands in mature open pine forests from south
Florida northward.
Red cockaded woodpeckers live in family groups known as clans that may range over hundreds
of acres.
The red cockaded woodpecker is listed by the state government as a threatened species and
by the federal government as an endangered species.
The harvesting of timber and clearing of forests has caused a major decline in this species
and fragmented remaining populations.
The northern flicker is brown with black bars in the back, a black patch in the breast,
black spots in the belly, a white rump, and yellow under the wings.
The male has a black facial stripe at the base of the bill.
This stripe is absent in the female.
This species is a permanent resident from the upper Keys northward and a winter visitor
throughout the state.
The pileated woodpecker is a large black and white woodpecker with a red crest and a white
facial stripe.
The male has a red patch at the base of the bill which is not present on the female.
The pileated woodpecker is a permanent resident throughout Florida but it's most abundant
north of the Keys.
It excavates a large rectangular or oval nest cavity in dead trees.
This species is the largest woodpecker in North America.
The Acadian flycatcher is greenish brown with a white eye ring and two light wing bars.
It's a summer resident in the Panhandle in north Florida and a spring and fall migrant
throughout the state.
It occurs in low forests.
Acadian flycatchers are very similar to several other species collectively referred to as
empydenax flycatchers.
The Acadian flycatcher is best identified by its characteristic vocalization.
The eastern phoebe is a flycatcher that's grayish brown above and light below.
It has light wing bars.
This species is most abundant as a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout
Florida.
It's also a rare summer resident in the Panhandle.
The eastern phoebe often perches low near water and bobs its tail.
The great crested flycatcher has a gray head and crust.
It has a rusty colored tail and wings and a yellow belly.
This species is a summer resident from central Florida northward, a permanent resident in
south Florida and the Keys, and a migrant throughout the state.
The eastern kingbird has a black head, gray back, and is white below.
It has a narrow white band on the end of a black tail.
This species is a summer resident in Florida north of the Keys and is a spring and fall
migrant throughout the state.
Eastern kingbirds occur in open areas with scattered trees and often perch on branches,
fences or wires and fly out to capture insects.
The great kingbird is gray above and whitish below.
It has a large black bill and a dark mask through the eye.
This species is primarily a summer resident throughout Florida that's most abundant
from central Florida southward.
It's especially abundant in the Keys.
Similar to the eastern kingbird, the great kingbird occurs in open areas and often flies
out from a perch to capture insects.
The scissor-tailed flycatcher has a whitish head, dark wings, and a very long, deeply
forked black and white tail.
This species is primarily a spring and fall migrant that's most abundant along the Gulf
Coast and a winter visitor that's most abundant in south Florida and the Keys.
Scissor-tailed flycatchers breed in Texas and surrounding states and a small part of
their population migrates to Florida for the winter.
It's found in open areas and often forages near the ground.
The loggerhead shrike has a dark gray head and back and is lighter below.
It has a white throat and cheek, a black mask through the eye, and a short, hooked bill.
This species is a permanent resident north of the Florida Keys and a winter visitor in
the northern half of the state.
When it flies, it has a very rapid wing beat.
Shrikes are known for impaling large prey items on thorns and twigs and eating them
at a later time.
The white-eyed virio is grayish olive with white wing bars.
This species is identified by the combination of yellow spectacles around the eyes and a
whitish throat.
It's a permanent resident and winter visitor that inhabits dense thickets and wooded areas
throughout the state.
The iris of the eye is dark and immature white-eyed virios and turns white after the first year.
The yellow-throated virio has a gray back and a bright yellow throat and breast.
It has two wing bars on dark wings and yellow spectacles around the eyes.
This species is a summer resident from the Panhandle to central Florida and a spring
and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout the state.
The red-eyed virio has a prominent white line with black borders on the supracillium.
This species is a summer resident that occurs in hardwood forests from the Panhandle to
south Florida and a spring and fall migrant throughout the state.
Immature red-eyed virios have brown eyes that turn red when the bird becomes an adult.
The red eye color is often difficult to see in the field.
The black-whiskered virio is similar in appearance to the red-eyed virio, except the black-whiskered
virio has a thin black stripe resembling a whisker on each side of the throat.
This species is primarily a summer resident that occupies mangrove and hardwood forests.
It occurs in coastal areas throughout the state, but is most abundant in south Florida
and the Keys.
The blue jay has a blue crest and a blue back.
It's light below and has a black ring around the neck.
The blue jay is a permanent resident and winter visitor throughout the state.
This species occurs in a variety of habitats and is easily attracted to different types
of bird feeders.
The blue color in the blue jay and many other species is produced by light reflecting off
the structure of the feather and not from pigments, which are responsible for producing
many colors in birds.
The adult Florida scrub jay has a bluish head, wings and tail, and a grayish-brown back and
belly.
It's a permanent resident that's restricted to the oak scrub community.
The Florida scrub jay is listed by the state and federal governments as a threatened species.
The main threat is the fragmentation and loss of habitat.
This species is a cooperative breeder that lives in small family groups.
It's the only species of bird that's entirely restricted to the state of Florida.
The American crow is all black with a large bill.
This species is a permanent resident throughout the state, but it occurs primarily north of
the Keys.
It's very similar to the fish crow, but the American crow is best identified by its full
sounding call.
The fish crow is all black and slightly smaller than the American crow.
This species is a permanent resident throughout the state where it's common in coastal areas.
It's best identified by its more nasally call.
In the fall and winter, it often occurs in large flocks and forms roosts consisting of
hundreds of individuals.
The purple marten is a large dark swallow with a forked tail.
The male is all bluish-black.
The female has a bluish-black back, gray throat and breast, and a light belly.
This species is primarily a summer resident from south Florida northward and a spring
and fall migrant throughout the state.
Purple martens occur in open country and are colonial nesters.
The tree swallow has dark upper parts and is white below.
The male has a bluish-green back and the female has a gray back.
This species is a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout the state.
The tree swallow is the most common swallow in Florida during the winter and sometimes
occurs in large flocks consisting of hundreds of individuals.
The northern rough-winged swallow in this scene is on the right.
It has a dark head and a gray throat that fades into white on the belly.
The upper parts are all brown.
This species is primarily a summer resident from south Florida northward and a spring
and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout the state.
In this scene, the northern rough-winged swallow is perched between two barn swallows.
The bank swallow is a small swallow with a brown back.
It has a white throat and belly and a dark band across the breast.
This species occurs during spring and fall migration throughout the state.
These birds migrate through Florida to spend the winter in South America.
The barn swallow has a dark head and back, reddish-brown throat and forehead, and a deeply
forked tail with white spots.
The male, shown on the right in this video clip, has an orange belly.
The female has a whitish belly.
This species is a summer resident from the upper Keys northward, a spring and fall migrant,
and a winter visitor throughout the state.
It's most abundant during fall migration.
This barn swallow is resting in the dry tortugas after an extended migratory flight.
The Carolina chickadee is gray with a black cap and a black throat.
It has a white cheek patch and a light belly.
This species is a permanent resident in the north half of the state.
Carolina chickadees inhabit a variety of wooded areas and nest in cavities.
The tufted titmouse is gray above and has a prominent gray crest.
It's light below with buffy sides.
This species is a permanent resident from the Panhandle to South Central Florida.
Tufted titmice occur in a variety of wooded areas and nest in cavities.
The white-breasted nuthatch has a gray back and a white breast.
The male has a black cap and the female has a gray cap.
It's a permanent resident that occurs in open, mature forests in north Florida and the Panhandle.
Populations of this species have declined in Florida in recent years.
Populations have the characteristic behavior of climbing headfirst down the side of a tree.
The brown-headed nuthatch is smaller than the white-breasted nuthatch.
It has a gray back, a brown cap, and is light below.
The brown cap fades to a light gray during the year from the fall through the summer.
This species is a permanent resident that occurs in open pine forests from South Florida
northward.
Brown-headed nuthatches often travel in groups high in trees where they are difficult to see.
The Carolina wren is reddish-brown above and buffy below.
It has a prominent white stripe above the eye.
This species is a permanent resident throughout the state, but it's most abundant north of
the Keys.
Carolina wrens inhabit dense, brushy areas and frequently occur in overgrown sections
of urban and suburban communities.
The blue-gray nathatcher is bluish-gray above and light below.
It has a white eye ring and a black tail with white outer tail feathers.
This species is a permanent resident from the Panhandle to South Florida and a spring
and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout the state.
It's most abundant in southern parts of Florida during the winter, where it often forges with
warblers in wooded areas.
The male eastern bluebird is bright blue above, reddish-brown on the throat and breast, and
white on the belly.
The female is similar except the upper parts are gray-brown and the throat is white.
This species is a permanent resident that occurs in open pinelands from the Panhandle
to South Florida and a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout the state.
Competition from the non-native house sparrow and European starling for nesting cavities
has contributed to a decline in eastern bluebird populations in recent decades.
Breast box programs have been started in many areas to help eastern bluebirds.
The gray-cheeked thrush is grayish-brown above and light below with spots on the breast.
The cheeks on this bird are streaked or mottled gray.
This species occurs during spring and fall migration throughout the state.
The gray-cheeked thrush is very similar to the Swainson's thrush and several other species
of thrushes that are not featured in this video program.
The American robin has a dark gray head and back and a reddish-brown breast.
This species is a permanent resident in North Florida in the Panhandle and a spring and
fall migrant and winter visitor throughout the state.
American robins often forage in large flocks during the winter.
They're attracted to fruiting trees and they also forage on the ground.
Fruiting in northern Florida often occurs in suburban areas.
The gray catbird has a dark gray body with a black cap and a black tail.
The undertail covert's are rufous.
This species is a permanent resident from the Panhandle to central Florida and a spring
and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout the state.
Gray catbirds occur in dense brushy areas and often flip their tail while moving through
vegetation.
The northern mockingbird is gray above, light below, and has white wing bars.
This species is a permanent resident and winter visitor that occurs in developed areas and
open forests throughout the state.
White patches on the wings are conspicuous when the bird is flying or when the wing is
extended.
Unmated males often sing at night during the breeding season from February to August.
Northern mockingbirds generally repeat various song types several times before switching
to a different song type.
The brown thrasher is reddish brown above and light below with dark streaks.
It has two wing bars and a long tail.
This species is a permanent resident, spring and fall migrant, and winter visitor throughout
the state.
The brown thrasher's song is very similar to that of the mockingbird, except the various
song types of the thrasher are usually only repeated twice before switching to a different
song type.
The European starling is dark with an iridescent body and speckles.
The straight black bill turns yellow during the breeding season.
This species is a permanent resident, spring and fall migrant, and winter visitor that
occurs in urban and agricultural areas throughout the state.
The European starling was introduced from Western Europe into New York City in 1890.
Since then, it has spread and become established across most of North America.
It nests in cavities and often competes with native birds for nest sites.
The northern perula has a blue head, a yellow throat, and a split white eye ring.
The male has a rufous band on the breast.
This species is a summer resident from the Panhandle to South Florida, a winter visitor
in the south half of the state, and a migrant throughout the state.
Northern perulas usually occur in hardwood and swamp forests.
The yellow warbler has a bright yellow face and lower parts.
The male has reddish streaks on the breast and sides.
A northern race of this species is a spring and fall migrant throughout the state.
This entire section is of the Cuban yellow warbler.
It's a subspecies that's a permanent resident in the mangrove forests in the Keys and extreme
south Florida.
The Cape May warbler has a yellow breast with dark streaks.
It has yellow on the sides of the neck and the male has a rufous patch on the side of
the face.
The female is less brightly colored than the male and lacks the rufous patch.
This species is a spring and fall migrant throughout the state and a winter visitor
from the Keys north to central Florida.
Cape May warblers are most abundant on the east coast of the peninsula during spring
migration but are more widely distributed across the state during fall migration.
The male black-throated blue warbler has blue-gray upper parts and a white breast and belly.
It has a black face, throat and sides and a small white patch on the wing.
The female, which is not shown in this program, is olive green over much of its body but it's
easy to identify because it has a similar white patch on the wing.
The black-throated blue warbler is a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout
the state.
The yellow-rumped warbler has yellow patches on the sides and rump.
This species also has a whitish throat, white wing bars, and dark streaks on the breast
and sides.
It's a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout the state.
Yellow-rumped warblers often occur in small flocks and forage in trees and open wooded
areas.
This species is usually one of the most abundant warblers in Florida during the winter.
The black-throated green warbler has a green back, white wing bars, and yellow patches
on the face.
The male has a black throat and breast and black stripes on the sides of the body.
The female, which is not shown, has a white throat and less black on the breast.
The black-throated green warbler is a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout
the state.
The yellow-throated warbler has a yellow throat and a black and white pattern near the eye.
It has a gray back and a white patch on the side of the neck.
This species is a permanent resident in the north half of the state and a spring and fall
migrant and winter visitor throughout Florida.
The pine warbler has a yellow throat and breast, white wing bars, and yellow spectacles.
This species is a permanent resident in open pine lands throughout Florida north of the
Keys.
It's also a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout the state.
The prairie warbler is greenish above and bright yellow below with dark streaks on the
sides of the face and body.
This species is a summer resident that occupies brushy fields and open woodlands in the Pan
Handle in north Florida.
It's also a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout the state.
Another subspecies, which is shown in this video clip, is a permanent resident that occupies
mangrove forests from central Florida southward.
The paw warbler is light brown with a dark eye line, light supracillium, and yellow undertail
culverts.
In breeding plumage, the paw warbler has a rufous cap and yellow throat.
In non-breeding plumage, it has a brown cap and whitish throat.
This species is a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout the state.
The palm warbler is one of the most common warblers in Florida during the winter.
It's easy to identify because it frequently wags its tail.
The male black pole warbler has a black cap with a white cheek patch.
It's white below with black streaks on the sides.
A distinctive feature is that it has yellow legs and feet.
The female, which is not shown, has a yellowish wash on its head, back, and sides.
The black pole warbler is a spring and fall migrant throughout the state.
The male American red start is black with orange patches on the sides, wings, and tail.
The female, shown in this scene, is gray and olive with yellow patches.
This species is a summer visitor in the western part of the panhandle where it breeds.
It's also a spring and fall migrant and rare winter visitor throughout the state.
The prothonotary warbler has a yellow hat and breast, greenish back, and blue-gray wings
and tail.
This species is a summer resident from the panhandle to south Florida and a spring and
fall migrant throughout the state.
It's also a rare winter visitor from central Florida through the Keys.
The prothonotary warbler breeds in swamp forests and wooded areas near rivers and streams.
This is the only warbler in North America that nests in cavities.
The ovenbird is a relatively large warbler that resembles a thrush.
It's greenish-brown above and white with black streaks in spots below.
The ovenbird has a white eye ring and an orange crown that's bordered by black stripes.
This species is most abundant during spring and fall migration, but it's also a winter
visitor throughout the state.
Ovenbirds usually forage on the ground in shady woods.
The Louisiana water thrush has a brown back and is light below with dark streaks.
This species is similar to another species, the northern water thrush.
The Louisiana water thrush is best identified by the combination of a white, unspotted throat,
a broad white supercilium behind the eye, and buffy flanks that contrast with white
underparts.
The Louisiana water thrush is a summer resident in North Florida in the Panhandle, a spring
and fall migrant throughout the state, and a winter visitor from North Florida to the
Keys.
The common yellowthroat is a small warbler with brown upper parts and a yellow throat.
The male has a distinctive black mask on the face.
This species is a permanent resident north of the Keys and a spring and fall migrant
and winter visitor throughout the state.
The hooded warbler has a greenish back, wings, and tail, and yellow on the face and belly.
The male has a black hood that wraps around the head.
The black hood is incomplete and variable on the female.
This species is a summer resident in North Florida in the Panhandle and a spring and
fall migrant throughout the state.
It's also a rare winter visitor in South Florida in the Keys.
Hooded warblers often breed near water in low, dense, wooded areas.
The male summer tanager is all red.
The female is greenish above and yellowish below.
This species is a summer resident throughout Florida, but is most abundant in North Florida
in the Panhandle.
It's also a spring and fall migrant and rare winter visitor throughout the state.
Summer tanagers breed in open pine and oak woods and often forage high in the forest
canopy.
The male eastern tohi has a black head, rufous sides, and a white belly.
The female is similar but has a brown head and upper parts.
This species is a permanent resident throughout Florida north of the Keys.
It's also a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout the state.
The eastern tohi breeds in pinelands and other forested areas.
The Bachman sparrow is gray above with brown streaks on its head and back.
It has a buffy throat and breast and a whitish belly.
This species is a permanent resident and winter visitor from the Panhandle to South Florida.
The Bachman sparrow occurs in pine forest and oak palmetto scrub.
The chipping sparrow in breeding plumage has a reddish crown, black eye line, and a white
supercilium.
In non-breeding plumage, brown replaces the reddish crown and the white supercilium turns
buffy.
This species is a permanent resident in the Panhandle and a spring and fall migrant and
winter visitor throughout Florida.
The savanna sparrow has brown stripes on the head and a whitish median crown stripe.
It has a bold whitish supercilium that's yellow next to the bill.
The back is dark and heavily streaked and the lower parts are whitish with dark streaks
across the breast and sides.
It also has pink legs and a notched tail.
This species is a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout the state.
Savanna sparrows occur in a variety of habitats including grassy fields, prairies, and salt
marshes.
The grasshopper sparrow has a flat head, white eye ring, buffy breast, and a short tail.
The Florida grasshopper sparrow is a subspecies that's a permanent resident occurring in
palmetto prairies in central Florida.
A northern subspecies is a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout the
state.
The Florida grasshopper sparrow is listed by the state and federal governments as an
endangered species.
Its primary threat is the loss and degradation of habitat.
The seaside sparrow has a gray and brown body with a white throat and yellow lores.
The scott seaside sparrow, a subspecies from the gulf coast, is shown in this video clip.
It's listed by the state government as a species of special concern.
The alteration of coastal salt marshes has severely reduced populations of seaside sparrows
in Florida.
The Cape Sable seaside sparrow is a permanent resident in Everglades National Park.
This subspecies of the seaside sparrow is listed by the state and federal governments
as an endangered species.
It occurs in brackish and freshwater marshes.
The nesting requirements of the Cape Sable seaside sparrow are a major consideration
in ongoing efforts to restore the Florida Everglades.
The male northern cardinal is all red with black at the base of the bill and a prominent
crest.
The female is mostly brown with some red in the wings, tail, and crest and a red-orange
bill.
Juvenile cardinals have a dark bill.
This species is a permanent resident in woodland edges and suburban communities throughout
the state and a winter visitor in northern Florida.
The rose-breasted grosbeak has a very thick bill and bold white wing bars.
The female and first-year male have brown and white stripes on the head and streaks
on the breast and sides.
Males have a black head and a red patch on the breast.
This species occurs during spring and fall migration and as a rare winter visitor throughout
the state.
The male blue grosbeak is blue with a thick bill and two brown wing bars.
The female is light brown with tan wing bars.
This species is a summer resident in the north half of the state and a spring and fall migrant
and winter visitor throughout the state.
Blue grosbeaks are found in forest edges and brushy fields.
In breeding plumage, the male indigo bunting is all blue and the female is light brown.
In non-breeding plumage, the male becomes brown with blue patches and more closely resembles
the female.
This species is a summer resident in the north half of the state and a spring and fall migrant
and winter visitor throughout the state.
The indigo bunting inhabits open brushy areas.
The adult male painted bunting has a blue head, green back and red under parts.
This species is a summer resident in the Panhandle in north Florida where it's most abundant
along the Atlantic coast.
It's also a spring and fall migrant throughout the state and a winter visitor that's most
common in south Florida.
The female and immature male are greenish above and yellowish below.
The painted bunting in this scene is sharing the feeder with a female red winged black
bird.
The male red winged black bird is black with red and yellow patches on the wings.
The female is all brown with streaks.
This species is a permanent resident, spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout
the state.
Red winged black birds often nest near water and in marshes.
During the winter they sometimes form large flocks with other species.
The eastern meadowlark has yellow undersides with a large black V on the breast.
This species is a permanent resident that's most abundant north of the Keys.
It's also a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout the state.
Eastern meadowlarks often forage on the ground and sing from a low perch.
The common grackle is a large iridescent black bird with whitish eyes.
The male and female have a similar plumage.
Juveniles are less iridescent and have a dark eye.
This species is a permanent resident, spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout
the Florida mainland.
In the Florida Keys, the common grackle is a summer resident and a spring and fall migrant.
The male bow-tailed grackle is a large iridescent black bird with a very long tail.
The female is brown and has a shorter tail.
This species is a permanent resident throughout the Florida mainland.
Bow-tailed grackles in Florida often have a dark eye while individuals from more northerly
locations of the Atlantic coast have a lighter eye color.
The brown-headed cowbird is a small black bird with a short cone-shaped bill.
The male is black with a brown head and the female is all grayish brown.
This species is a permanent resident and winter visitor throughout the state.
It's most abundant in the winter in the Panhandle in North Florida where it often forms large
flocks.
The flock shown in this video clip is mixed with red-winged blackbirds.
The brown-headed cowbird is a brood parasite which means that it lays its eggs in the nests
of other species and lets them raise its young.
The male orchard oriole has a black head and back and is reddish brown below.
The female is greenish above and is yellowish below.
The plumage of the immature male is similar to that of the female except the immature
male has a black throat patch.
This species is a summer resident in North Florida in the Panhandle, a spring and fall
migrant throughout the state, and a rare winter visitor from central Florida southward.
The orchard oriole breeds in forest edges and shady groves.
The male house finch has a streaked gray and brown body with a reddish face and breast.
The female has a similar streaked gray and brown body but lacks the red color.
This species is a permanent resident and winter visitor from the Panhandle to south Florida.
The house finch is an exotic species that occurs in urban and suburban communities.
It's native to the western United States and Mexico.
It spread to Florida in the 1980s following its release in New York in 1940.
The adult male American goldfinch in breeding plumage has a bright yellow body with a black
forehead and black wings with wing bars.
The female has grayish brown upper parts and is pale yellow below.
In the winter non-breeding season, the head and body of the male become grayish brown
and the plumage resembles the female.
This species is a spring and fall migrant and winter visitor throughout the state but
it's most abundant from central Florida northward.
Our final species is the house sparrow.
The male has a black throat and breast, whitish cheeks, a gray crown, and chestnut color behind
the eye.
The female has a plain face and has light grayish brown under parts.
This species is a permanent resident that breeds in urban and suburban communities throughout
the state.
The house sparrow is native to Eurasia and North Africa.
It was introduced into New York in 1850 and reached Florida by 1882.
This exotic species spread across the entire country by about 1910.
Thanks for joining me in this look at Florida birds.
There are many more species of birds in Florida than we were able to cover in this program.
We did view the ones that you're most likely to encounter and we looked at some that are
rare.
While only a brief introduction to each species was possible, I hope that you'll refer to
a field guide and other resources to learn more.
I also hope that this program has heightened your awareness of endangered and threatened
species and the need to protect their habitat.
One of the great thrills in birding is seeing a species for the first time and an even greater
thrill is being able to identify it.
Whether you're in a backyard, at the beach, in a city park, or a wilderness preserve,
your birding skills will aid you in your enjoyment of the Florida outdoors.
That's all for now.
Have fun and I hope to see you out birding.