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Bird Species You'll Spot in Sarasota & Manatee Counties
Welcome to bird watching paradise! The coastal regions of Manatee and Sarasota Counties offer some of America's richest and most diverse bird habitats, and our real estate agents are always eager to cross a few rare species off our lists!
Bird Species to Look For
Our corner of the state is hosts a wealth of bird species year-round, and many more use it as a stop-over on their annual migrations. All told, more than 320 bird species have been recorded in Sarasota and Manatee Counties.
When you're exploring our local beaches, forests, prairies, and estuaries this spring, be sure to keep an eye out for these amazing birds.
- Purple Martin: This South American native flies north every year to breed in Florida. Many residents in the Sarasota area put out gourd houses for them.
- Roseate Spoonbill: This year-round resident really sticks out in a crowd thanks to its bright pink plumage and spoon-like bill. You'll see colonies of them around mangrove islands.
- Loggerhead Shrike: Though this small gray bird may not look scary, it's earned the nickname "butcher bird" for its habit of hanging prey out to dry on thorns or barbed wire to be eaten later.
- Black Skimmer: This increasingly rare black-and-white beach bird can still be seen around Lido Beach in good numbers. It gets its name from the way it hunts, "skimming" the water's surface with its bill.
- Florida Scrub-Jay: This handsome blue-and-gray member of the jay family is found only in Florida, making it one of the state's most sought-after birds.
- Snowy Egret: This small wading bird with brilliant white feathers is a member of the heron family and one of several egret species in Florida.
- Downy Woodpecker: America's smallest woodpecker, this is one of at least six woodpecker species you can see in the region.
- Limpkin: This wading bird is known for its distinctive shriek-like call (earning it the nickname "crying bird") is often seen dining on snails in Florida's wetlands.
- Purple Gallinule: With its purplish-blue plumage and bright orange beak, this bird is instantly identifiable. It often haunts the margins of swamps, sometimes walking across the surface of aquatic vegetation.
- Swallowtail Kite: With spectacular plumage that always catches the eye in flight, this black-and-white bird of prey often nests in pine trees adjacent to wetlands.
- Crested Caracara: This resident of Florida's pine flatlands—a scavenger in the falcon family—is among our largest and most striking birds.
Where to Go Birding
Not sure where to find these unique and fascinating birds? Try some of these local parks and preserves in Sarasota and Manatee Counties:
- Myakka River State Park: The pine flatwoods of this park, located just minutes from these Sarasota homes for sale, are among the best places to see Crested Caracara.
- Pinecraft Park: Spanning 15 acres, this small park has a unique hammock forest habitat crisscrossed by streams, making it a prime spot to see a wide variety of bird species.
- Oscar Scherer State Park: Just outside Sarasota, this park harbors one of the largest populations of Florida scrub-jays.
- Felts Audubon Preserve: This conservation area offers beautiful birding trails, a short drive from many Bradenton homes for sale.
Contact us today to learn more about ways to explore the great outdoors in Bradenton, Sarasota, and the surrounding areas. And be sure to ask our team about how we can help you find your dream home in Florida today.