Feathered Friends

10 Types of Birds You'll See in Sarasota

Our region is a bird lover's paradise.

By Kay Kipling August 29, 2018 Published in the September 2018 issue of Sarasota Magazine

Purple Martin

A migrant from South America, this bird flies north to breed. Native Americans used to create gourd homes for them because they eat mosquitoes. You’ll spot lots of martin houses in the Pinecraft neighborhood.

Photography by Lou Newman

Purple Gallinule

This pretty bird breeds in swamps (that’s why it’s at the Celery Fields) before migrating to the Caribbean and tropics.

Photography by Rick Greenspan

Limpkin

A year-round star that loves to dine on apple snails, this is one of the most sought-after birds, with many watchers traveling to Florida to view it. It has a distinctive scream during mating season.

Photography by Lou Newman

Loggerhead Shrike

Another year-round bird, the shrike is called the butcher bird because it hangs its prey on barbed wire for females to inspect and for later meals.

Photography by Rick Greenspan

Least Bittern

This small bittern, part of the heron family, is a secretive wetland bird that migrates from the south. It heads to the Caribbean and South America after breeding.

Photography by Rick Greenspan

Swallowtail Kite

This bird nests in pine trees near wetlands and comes to the Celery Fields for its food, arriving from South America each February to breed and raise its young before returning south in September. Gorgeous in flight.

Photography by Lou Newman

Least Tern

This cute beach bird with a yellow bill nests directly on the sand, wintering in South America and coming here in April to breed. It’s an endangered species.

Photography by Rick Greenspan

Roseate Spoonbill

Another year-round resident, this bird nests in colonies on islands, especially mangrove islands. They take four years to mature, so the adolescents don’t go to the breeding sites until they’re ready to produce offspring.

Photography by Lou Newman

Crested Caracara

A striking-looking falcon that mainly eats carrion, this bird also is in trouble, since it nests in pine flatwoods that are disappearing. You can see them in Myakka River State Park when it reopens to the public.

Photography by Lou Newman

Black Skimmer

This beach bird is decreasing in population, but quite a number find a home in front of the Holiday Inn on Lido, because of the dunes. Year-round residents, they’re goofy and fun to watch, breeding from April through August.

Photography by Rick Greenspan

The natural world along the Gulf coast holds many wonders, not least among them a wide variety of birds that ensure new bird lovers and veteran watchers alike keep their binoculars close at hand. Blessed with both migratory visitors and colorful year-round residents, we host a multitude of beautiful species, all ready for their close-ups. We asked local experts to spotlight 10 of their favorites and where to find them.

Birds

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