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Compiled by Brian Rapoza
Last updated January 15, 2024

Please post updates for the following on eBird (providing the specific location where the bird was seen is always appreciated) or on either of our Bird Boards (website and Facebook):

Recent Reports

Common Eider

Bowditch Point Park, Ft. Myers Beach, Lee County: Last reported January 15 (eBird) Photo Directions: From I-75 in Ft. Myers, take Alico Road (CR 840, Exit 128) west 3.6 miles to US 41 (Tamiami Trail).  Turn right and drive north 2.7 miles to Gladiolus Drive (CR 865). Turn left and drive west 1.2 miles to Summerlin Road (CR 869). Turn left (flyover) and drive west 4 miles to San Carlos Blvd. (CR 865). Turn left and drive south 3 miles to Fifth Street. Turn right and drive west 1 mile to the park (fee, open 7:00AM to sunset). The bird has been seen anywhere along Matanzas Pass from the park to the Matanzas Pass Bridge. Map

Franklin’s Gull

Sugden Regional Park, Naples, Collier County: Last reported January 15 (eBird) Photo Directions: From I-75, exit at Collier Blvd. (CR 851, Exit 101). Drive south 7 miles to Tamiami Trail (US 41). Turn right and drive north 5.2 miles to Avalon Drive. Turn left and drive west 0.1 mile to the park entrance (no fee, open 8 AM to sunset). The bird has been seen at the park’s lake. Map

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

Cypress Swamp Boardwalk, Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Palm Beach County: Last reported January 15 (eBird) Photo Directions: From Florida’s Turnpike, exit at Atlantic Avenue (FL 806, Exit 81). Drive west 2 miles to US 441. Turn right and drive north 3 miles to Lee Road. Turn left and drive west to the entrance (fee, open sunrise to sunset). The parking area for the visitor center and Cypress Swamp Boardwalk is the first right after the entrance station. The bird has been seen on the east section of the boardwalk just before it curves back toward the visitor center. Map

Vermilion Flycatcher

  • C-111 Canal, Homestead, Miami-Dade County: Last reported January 15 (eBird) Photo Directions: From the intersection of Florida's Turnpike and US 1 in Florida City, turn right on Palm Drive (SW 344 Street). Drive west 1.6 miles to SW 192 Avenue. Turn left and drive south 2 miles to SW 376 Street (FL 9336). Turn right and drive west 4 miles to the C-111 Canal. The bird has been seen on the fence surrounding the water control structure on the west side of the canal. This bird has also been reported at the L-31W Canal, 1 mile west of the C-111 Canal. Map

  • Paul Rardin Park, Belle Glade, Palm Beach County: Last reported January 14 (eBird) Photo Directions: From Florida’s Turnpike in West Palm Beach, exit at Southern Boulevard/SR 80. Drive west 33 miles to FL 715. Turn right and drive north 1.8 miles to the park (no fee, open sunrise to sunset). The bird has been seen near the water control structure at the south end of the park. Map

Tropical Kingbird

  • L-31W Canal, Homestead, Miami-Dade County: Last reported January 15 (eBird) Photo Directions: From the intersection of Florida's Turnpike and US 1 in Florida City, turn right on Palm Drive (SW 344 Street). Drive west 1.6 miles to SW 192 Avenue. Turn left and drive south 2 miles to SW 376 Street (FL 9336). Turn right and drive west 5 miles to the L-31W Canal. Two birds have been seen; one near where the canal crosses FL 9336, the other about 1.5 miles north, where the canal bends west. The latter area is only accessible on foot or bicycle. Map

  • Belle Glade Marina and Torry Island, Palm Beach County: Last reported January 14 (eBird) Photo Directions: From SR 80 in Belle Glade, drive west 3.6 miles on CR 717 to the marina and campground. The bird has been seen near the observation tower. Map

  • Paul Rardin Park, Belle Glade, Palm Beach County: Last reported January 14 (eBird) Photo Directions: From Florida’s Turnpike in West Palm Beach, exit at Southern Boulevard/SR 80. Drive west 33 miles to FL 715. Turn right and drive north 1.8 miles to the park (no fee, open sunrise to sunset). No specific location has been provided for this sighting. Map

  • C-357 Sparrow Fields, Miami-Dade County: Last reported January 12 (eBird) Photo Directions: From Florida's Turnpike, exit at Eureka Drive (SW 184 Street, Exit 13). Drive west 6.5 miles to Krome Avenue (SW 177 Avenue). Turn right and drive north one mile to Richmond Drive (SW 168 Street). Turn left and drive west 3.2 miles to SW 213 Avenue (road gated beyond this point). The bird has been seen on power lines along Richmond Drive, both east and west of the gate. Map

  • Holey Land Wildlife Management Area, Palm Beach County: Reported January 11 (eBird) Photo Directions: From I-75 in Broward County, exit at US 27. Drive north 15 miles to Holey Land Road, immediately south of the Palm Beach County line. Turn left and drive west 14.6 miles to the Miami Canal. Turn right and drive north 7.5 miles along the east side of the canal to a water control structure. The bird was seen near the water control structure. Map

Western Tanager

Dreher Park, Palm Beach County: Last reported January 14 (eBird) Photo Directions: From I-95, exit at Forest Hill Blvd. (Exit 66). Drive east 0.3 miles to Parker Avenue. Turn left and drive north 0.7 miles to Summit Blvd. Turn left and drive west 0.3 miles to the park entrance at Dreher Trail (no fee, open 7:30 AM to 8:00 PM). The bird has been seen around the park’s northernmost parking lot. Map

Greater Scaup

West Lake, Everglades National Park, Miami-Dade County: Last reported January 12 (eBird) Photo Directions: From the intersection of Florida's Turnpike and US 1 in Florida City, turn right on Palm Drive (SW 344 Street) and drive west 1.6 miles. Turn left on SW 192 Avenue and drive south 2 miles. Turn right on SW 376 Street (SR 9336) and drive west 5 miles to the park entrance (fee, open 24 hours).  From the fee station, continue west 30 miles to West Lake. Several birds have been seen in a large raft of ducks, visible from the boat docks. Map

Smooth-billed Ani

C-357 Sparrow Fields, Miami-Dade County: Last reported January 12 (eBird) Photo Directions: From Florida's Turnpike, exit at Eureka Drive (SW 184 Street, Exit 13). Drive west 6.5 miles to Krome Avenue (SW 177 Avenue). Turn right and drive north one mile to Richmond Drive (SW 168 Street). Turn left and drive west 3.2 miles to SW 213 Avenue (road gated beyond this point). The bird was seen from the berm that crosses Richmond Drive just west of the gate. The location where the bird has been seen is about 2 miles south of Richmond Drive. This area is only accessible on foot or bicycle. Map

Yellow-headed Caracara

Haulover Park, Miami Beach, Miami-Dade County: Last reported January 11 (eBird) Photo Directions: From I-95, exit at FL 826 E (NW 163 Street, Exit 12). Drive east 5.8 miles to Collins Avenue (A1A). Turn right and drive south 1.3 miles to the park entrance (fee, open 8:00 AM to sunset). The bird has been seen around the bait shop in the park’s marina area and in the picnic area near the Haulover Inlet bridge. This bird has also been seen at Oleta River State Park and the adjacent Biscayne Bay campus of Florida International University. Map

Cassin’s Kingbird

L-31W Canal, Homestead, Miami-Dade County: Reported January 11 (eBird) Photo Directions: From the intersection of Florida's Turnpike and US 1 in Florida City, turn right on Palm Drive (SW 344 Street). Drive west 1.6 miles to SW 192 Avenue. Turn left and drive south 2 miles to SW 376 Street (FL 9336). Turn right and drive west 5 miles to the L-31W Canal. The bird was seen in a strangler fig tree about 1.5 miles north of FL 9336. This area is only accessible on foot or bicycle. Map

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Sem-Chi Rice Mill, Palm Beach County: Last reported January 11 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From Florida’s Turnpike in West Palm Beach, exit at Southern Boulevard/SR 80. Drive west 13.5 miles to CR 880. Turn left and drive west 4 miles to Atlantic Mill Road. Turn left and drive 0.7 miles to the rice mill. Several birds have been seen around the mill. Please bird from the road and don't trespass onto the mill property. Map

Neotropic Cormorant

Lennar at Crescent Ridge Pond, Davie, Broward County: Last reported January 10 (eBird) Photo Directions: From I-75, exit at Griffin Road (Exit 13). Drive east 2 miles to Flamingo Road. Turn left, then immediately right onto Orange Drive. Continue east 0.2 miles to SW 121 Terrace. The bird has been seen in the pond on the west side of SW 121 Terrace, north of Orange Drive. Map

Older Reports

Vermilion Flycatcher

Beard/Robertson Centers Area, Everglades National Park, Monroe County: Last reported January 5 (eBird) Photo Directions: From the intersection of Florida's Turnpike and US 1 in Florida City, turn right on Palm Drive (SW 344 Street). Drive west 1.6 miles to SW 192 Avenue. Turn left and drive south 2 miles to SW 376 Street (FL 9336). Turn right and drive west 5 miles to the park entrance (entrance fee, open 24 hours). From the fee station, continue west 2 miles to Royal Palm Road. Turn left and drive south 0.8 miles to Research Road. Turn right and drive 0.5 miles to a stop sign. Turn right and drive west 3.7 miles to the Dr. Bill Robertson Jr. Center. The bird has been seen in trees around this building or the nearby Daniel Beard Research Center building (both are park employee offices). Map

Sabine’s Gull

Boynton Beach, Palm Beach County: Reported January 5 (eBird) Photo Directions: The bird was seen 1.2 miles offshore. Map

Snow Goose

CREW Flint Pen Strand, Lee County: Reported January 3 (eBird) Photo Directions: From I-75, exit at Bonita Beach Road (Exit 116). Drive west 4.3 miles to the parking area (no fee, open from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset). The bird was seen flying over the lake. Map

Lark Sparrow

South Bay RV Campground, Palm Beach County: Last reported January 2 (eBird) Photo Directions: From US 27 in South Bay, turn left onto Levee Road, on the west side of the campground. Drive north 0.4 miles to Water Plant Road. The bird has been seen around the water treatment building. Please bird from the road and don't trespass onto the water treatment facility property. Map

South Florida as defined here includes the following counties: Broward, Collier, Hendry, Lee, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach. Only sightings at publicly accessible locations are listed here. Click on each county to view that county’s eBird Rare Bird Alert.

Click here for locations to see regularly occurring south Florida specialties. Click here for directions to those locations. 

Banner photo: White-tailed Tropicbird by Daniel Gribbin

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