Tropical Audubon Society offers a diverse lineup of outings and programs of every feather, including bird, butterfly and plant trips; morning forays, all-day adventures, overnight trips; local outings and expeditions far afield. Nature lovers of all experience levels from novice to expert are welcome to attend. Our field trips are designed for adults, though children may attend if accompanied and supervised by their parent(s) or guardian(s). Unless otherwise indicated, trips are free and open to the public. Online registration is required for all field trips.
Field trips take place rain or shine — remember that rainy days are often “birdy” days, especially during spring and fall migration. Please note: Some parks charge entrance fees; carpooling participants usually share fuel costs; overnight trips carry additional costs. To facilitate communication with trip leaders, a limited number of walkie-talkies will be available for some full-day trips. Specifics for each trip, including wheelchair accessibility, are noted in the calendar below. In most cases, the trip leader has included his/her email address for direct contact.
All participants attending our birding trips are expected to provide their own binoculars. National Audubon Society’s Guide to Binoculars provides valuable advice for anyone seeking to buy binoculars.
Photo courtesy of Barbara Rumberger
Types of Field Trips:
Half-day trips - typically takes place at a single location. Participants are required to provide or arrange their own transportation to the trip location. No fee is charged for half-day trips and there is no limit to the number of participants.
Full-day trips - typically, more than one location is visited. Participants are required to provide or arrange their own transportation to the trip’s starting point and from location to location. No fee is charged for full-day trips and there is no limit to the number of participants.
Youth field trips - Tropical Audubon Society now offers birding field trips for young birders! Our youth birding field trips are for youth ages 10-17 and are designed to introduce fledgling nature lovers to the world of birding. Whether your child has just started birding or is an experienced teen birder, these field trips are a great way to bring your budding birder to the next level. No fee is charged for youth field trips. Parents or guardians must be in attendance and are responsible for their child.
Tours - either a full-day or multi-day trip in which multiple locations are visited. Participants are transported to each location in rented vans or buses. Tours may take place within Florida, out-of-state or internationally. On multi-day tours, hotel accommodations are arranged for all participants. A fee is charged for tours and there is a limit to the number of participants.
Our Field Trip Leaders
All of our field trips are led by volunteer leaders who are ready to assist you in finding and identifying south Florida's incredible flora and fauna. When possible, we indicate field trips that are led by bilingual guides. Want to know more about our leaders? Want to find out about each leader's upcoming trips? Just click on the link below.
All field trip participants are expected to practice and promote respectful, enjoyable, and thoughtful birding as defined in the American Birding Association’s Code of Birding Ethics. Photographers are encouraged to review National Audubon Society’s Guide to Ethical Bird Photography.
For more information concerning any field trip, if you have field trip suggestions or if you'd like to volunteer to lead a field trip, contact Brian Rapoza, the TAS field trip coordinator via email.
Field trips are regularly scheduled and updated on the events calendar below.
TAS In-State Trip Reports
Following are trip reports for TAS-sponsored in-state birding tours, from 2002 to present:
Red-headed Woodpecker. Photo: Gary Robinette
Masked Booby Photo: Larry Manfredi
American Oystercatcher. Photo: Scott Gilbert
TAS Out-of-State/International Trip Reports
Following are trip reports for TAS-sponsored out-of-state and international birding tours, from 2008 to present:
Banner photo: Birders gather at the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center before embarking on Tropical Audubon field trip at Everglades National Park . Photo by Federico Acevedo