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Everglades Birding Festival 2011

Editor — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 13:31:25 +0000

Those attending the 2011 Everglades Birding Festival can look forward to a full program of events, including birding, workshops, tours, night hikes, and the opportunity to meet birding experts. Amongst the target birds for the event are Snail Kite, Peregrine Falcon, Purple Gallinule, Roseate Spoonbill, Short-eared Owl, Burrowing Owl, Wood Stalk and others.

For more details, please visit the official website of the Everglades Birding Festival.

Date: 12 to 17 January 2011
Venue: Florida Everglades
State: Florida
Country: United States of America

Everglades Birding Festival

Editor — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:59:05 +0000

The Everglades Birding Festival is a fantastic opportunities for bird watching enthusiasts to explore the natural features of Cypress Swamps, beaches and Everglades prairies. Birds you may spot include Peregrind Falcon, Burrowing owl, Sora, Snail Kite, Roseate Spoonbill, Pileated Woodpecker and others. During the event, expert guides will assist you in bird identification. There will be instruction and workshops regarding bird watching skills and techniques, along with field trips, friendly birders, and great lodgings.

Date: 13 – 19 January 2010
Venue: Hollywood Beach Golf Resort
City: Hollywood, FL
Country: United States of America

The Plight of the Endangered Snail Kite

Editor — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:09:20 +0000

The Florida Everglades offer a variety of habitats that are home to an amazing array of birds and wildlife. But, as is increasingly the case all over the world, man is encroaching on the delicate balance of these tropical wetlands with disastrous results. The latest casualty in the Florida Everglades is the Snail Kite which, according to the most recent count, is now considered to be critically endangered in this region.

A number of possible reasons has been cited for this dire situation, but the main factors appear to be extended periods of drought, together with an Everglades water management scheme that has been a subject of controversy for some time now. This has resulted in a loss of suitable breeding sites due to the dwindling of suitable food sources for these regal birds. The Snail Kite’s diet consists mainly of aquatic snails from the family Ampullariidae – commonly known as apple snails – which are deftly extracted from their hard, golf-ball sized shells by means of the bird’s specially adapted beak.

A small number of adult Snail Kites have been spotted in their historic nesting grounds of the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee. However, the majority of the surviving birds have relocated to a chain of Central Florida lakes about 100 miles north, where they have been seen nesting at Lake Tohopekaliga in Florida’s Osceola County. The decline in the Snail Kite’s numbers is seen by many as a reflection of the ineffectiveness of federal wildlife protection and conservation measures in the Everglades.

The Miccosukee tribe has long argued against the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s implementation of a plan to protect the endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow which is restricted to the Everglades. The plan, which involves closing floodgates along the Tamiami Trail in an effort to prevent flooding of the sparrows’ nesting area, causes water to back up and flood tree islands in tribal lands north of the trail, killing off the tiny eggs laid by apple snails on the stems of marsh plants, thereby breaking a link in the vital food chain of the Everglades which Snail Kites rely on. Joette Lorion, spokesperson for the Miccosukee tribe, draws attention to the fact that they Sable Seaside Sparrow is being saved at the expense of the Snail Kite.

Field supervisor at the Wildlife Service’s Vero Beach office, Paul Souza, acknowledges that the current situation is not ideal, but is confident that upcoming plans to improve water flow through Tamiami Trail in an Everglades restoration project will improve conditions for both the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow and the Snail Kite.

Birding in the Remarkable Florida Everglades

Editor — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 10:00:24 +0000

The moment the word “Everglades” is spoken, many people imagine the dark waters of a marshland filled with alligators. However, even though alligators are at home in the Florida Everglades, it is the bird species that steal the spotlight from these illusive predators. Birding in the Florida Everglades has become a popular activity, and while silently waiting for a bird to appear visitors also get the chance to meet some of the other fascinating animals that have carved out their own existence in the Florida Everglades.

The rich animal and bird life in the Florida Everglades continues to exist due to the selfless efforts of conservationists and everglade protection advocates, such as Marjory Stoneman Douglas, who have fought against development and the destruction of this precious land. After the year 1930, many developers had their sights set on commercial and industrial growth in the Florida Everglades, destroying river flows and reducing some of the area from healthy eco systems to unforgiving marshlands. Through awareness and endless battles, establishments, such as the Everglades National Park, have been opened to conserve this breathtaking piece of natural paradise.

The varying eco systems and unique network of swamps, rivers, prairies, ponds and large pools of water, create ideal living and nesting environments for a large variety of birds. While birding in the Florida Everglades, bird watching enthusiasts can look forward to seeing Osprey, Purple Gallinule, Great Blue Heron, Roseate Spoonbill, Snowy Egret, Great Egret, Common Moorhen, White Ibis, Reddish Egret, Bald Eagles, Pelicans, Wood Storks and Red Tailed Hawks, to name a few. With over ten thousand small islands scattered throughout the Florida Everglades, visitors will be amazed to see how every living species within the everglades reside together and survive the changing climates and conditions.

Other wonderful animals to be on the lookout for include Wild Hogs, American Crocodiles, American Alligators, Raccoons, Deer, Opossums, Treefrogsm Florida King Snakes, Tree Snails, Indian Manatees, Giant Land Crabs and the magnificent Florida Panther. Of course there a many ways to view the birds of the Florida Everglades, such as kayak excursions, river cruisers, motorboat trips and canoeing. Not surprisingly, very few visitors volunteer to canoe or kayak through the waterways. After a day of searching for the magnificent birds of the everglades, visitors can also enjoy some of the activities offered by the park, in a safe and restricted area. Here the adventurous travelers can practice their horse riding skills, try their hand at jet skiing, snorkel, swim and even fish. The Florida Everglades is a wonderful natural destination, and a paradise for birds and wildlife.

Everglades BirdFest

Editor — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 07:59:19 +0000

Attention all bird lovers! An event that you cannot afford to miss! The Everglades BirdFest is a birding and ecology event taking place over three stimulating days at the Everglades National Park every year in January.

The Everglades BirdFest provides its many visitors with guides that have an environmental and biological background. This means that any questions or background information wanted by keen bird watchers and enthusiasts will be well supplied by their informative guides. You can be assured that you will walk away with newly acquired information and the latest facts on all the species of bird found here at the Everglades National Park.

The guided bird watching tour takes you through the Shark and Main Valley parts of the park where you are sure to see the beautiful and colourful birds found in these parts of the country. Apart from the actual tours visitors to the Everglades BirdFest will be given full use of any of the facilities contained within the park. You will also be able to attend informative seminars in the evening, exhibitions and information covering topics like natural history, conservation and habitats of all the birds here.

The Everglades National Park is a well-known park and has in recent years been recognized as a World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve renowned for its international importance as a wetland. Here you will be blown away by the beauty and variety of birds and animals contained in this park in the United States.

The whole Everglades BirdFest incorporates two nights at the comfortable Flamingo Lodge where you will be given first class treatment. All your transport needs will be looked after by luxury coaches so there is no need to worry yourself about how to get to all the trails and sites within the Park. All your meals during the BirdFest are well catered for ensuring that there are no rumbles to interrupt the beautiful sounds of the birds around you.

When you have a little spare time you can take advantage of boating, biking, canoeing and kayaking facilities here. If you enjoy fishing there are beautiful places around the park that provide stunning options for fishing. If you are more of a hiking person that is available as well.