Fun with Feathered Friends

For the birding devotee, Northeast Florida is a popular spot to witness creatures in flight due to its moderate temperature, diverse array of habitats and location on the migratory routes. Bring binoculars because with the large number of parks in the region and beautiful surroundings, as well as an annual festival dedicated to birding and photography, bird lovers find Jacksonville a natural choice for an excursion.

The 2,000-mile Great Florida Birding Trail, designated by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, is specially designed for visitors and locals to check out exotic bird life. The self-guided trail features detailed guide books, complete with species descriptions, directions and maps of birding opportunity sites, and special signs identifying trail sites. One of the Trail's designated "gateway" sites is at Amelia Island's Fort Clinch State Park. At this gateway, bird fans will find a staffed visitor center with Birding Trail information and birdwatching tips.

While Huguenot Memorial Park is a popular spot for beachgoers during the warmer months, its sand dunes also serve as the breeding grounds for many coastal birds including vulnerable colonies of laughing gulls, royal terns and black skimmers. Along with the nearby Bird Islands in the Nassau Sound, the areas are designated as "critical wildlife areas," but birders are able to get a view from a distance.

Each spring, Jacksonville's ultimate traveler, the migratory red knot, travels roundtrip between southern Argentina and Arctic Canada with an annual layover in Little Talbot Island. Spectators can observe these birds as they feed on small surf clams to build up their strength and fat reserves for the final push to breeding grounds up north.

Northeast Florida is also home to the largest birding and photography festival in the state of Florida. Florida's Birding & FotoFest, held annually in April, offers visitors over 100 field trips, boat trips, workshops, seminars and special events from Jacksonville to St. Augustine. Learn successful birding techniques from the experts and discover undisturbed habitats on guided tours through the Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve in search of the dazzling painted bunting, whose range in colored plumage must be seen to believe, or visit the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park to walk through the wild rookery. For birders who prefer to do their watching from the water, there are boat tours and kayak excursions to undisturbed habitats including the otherwise inaccessible North Island of Anastasia State Park, the Salt Marsh of the Intracoastal Waterway and the Timucuan Preserve.

More Hotspots for Birding