Birds of the Everglades - Miami Discount Tours

1. Birds of the Everglades May 20, 2015 Burrowing Owls in the Everglades The Florida Everglades are a unique and important element of South Florida’s ecosystem. The wildlife that this ecosystem supports is singular and unmatched anywhere else on planet earth. As human beings, it is our responsibility to maintain and ensure the wellbeing of this wildlife reserve wonderland and its inhabitants. In achieving this worthwhile goal, it is the intent of this article to share, educate, and depict just some of the wondrous creatures that inhabit these lands with the hope, of course, that an appreciation for the many animals that thrive here will instill in each of us, the individual, practical, and logical resolve to preserve this amazing place on our planet for generations to come. The story of the Florida Everglades is heart breaking yet all too common. As occurs so often in the human realm; it is with all our Godly intentions and know-it-all skills that humanity so seamlessly and efficiently manages, in our overly jealous need to fix that which needs no fixing, to destroy a perfectly balanced and thriving eco-system, only to later (often too late) realize the catastrophe we’ve created and attempt to make amends. The Florida Everglades have thankfully survived due to the efforts and foresight of just a few remarkable and insightful individuals whose dedicated efforts have safeguarded this wildlife sanctuary for those that follow. Florida Everglades tours are a great way to gain an appreciation of the plethora of wildlife that the Florida Everglades support. What follows is just a sample of the amazing, many of which are

2. endangered, birds whose survival depends on the conscious, willful, and pragmatic preservation of the Florida Everglades. Florida Scrub Jay Florida's only endemic bird species (occurs nowhere else), can be found year-round throughout much of the Florida peninsula at sites with well-managed oak scrub or shrub-scrub habitats. Read more Kirkland's Warbler The Kirtland's warbler, an endangered species, is a songbird that nests in young jack pine stands. Until 1995 Kirtland’s warblers had only been known to nest in the northern part of Michigan’s Lower

3. Peninsula. Today, they also nest in the Upper Peninsula, and since 2007, have nested in Wisconsin, Florida, and Canada. Read more Burrowing Owls in the Everglades Burrowing owls are so named because they live underground in burrows that have been dug out by small mammals like ground squirrels and prairie dogs. They are covered in brown spotted feathers and have long legs. Read more Crested Caracara

4. The Crested Caracara while related to typical falcons is very different in shape and its behavioral habits. The Crested Caracara is a strikingly patterned, broad-winged predatory opportunist that often feeds on carrion. Aggressive, it will often even chase vultures away from road kills. Widespread in the American tropics, it enters our area only near the Mexican border and in Florida. "Caracara" comes from a South American Indian name, based on the bird's call. Read more Brown Pelican The Brown Pelican is a comical yet elegant bird, with an oversized bill, sinuous neck, and a big, dark body. These birds often fly in squadrons and glide just above the surf along the southern and western coasts, rising and falling in a graceful echo of the waves. Read more

5. Cape Sable Sparrow Everglades National Park is home to one of eight, remaining subspecies of Seaside Sparrow, the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow, which is named for the southernmost point of land in the continental United States. Although the original range of this non-migratory subspecies likely included all suitable freshwater and brackish water marsh habitats in south Florida, the current known distribution of this endangered sparrow is restricted to five separate subpopulations. Read more Thank you for reading this article. Learn more about the Florida Everglades preservation effort.