On Saturday, March 29, TAS President Joe Barros and TAS Field Trip Coordinator Brian Rapoza led Tropical Audubon’s annual spring birding trip to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables. The assembled group, which included both Tropical Audubon and Fairchild Garden members, was split into two smaller groups, one led by Joe and the other by Brian. Both groups made a complete circuit of the garden, but in opposite directions, then reassembled at the end of the morning to compare sightings. As is often the case when we split into two groups, each group saw a few birds that the other group didn’t.
A total of 43 different bird species were tallied during the morning, including:
A Keeled Billed Toucan, presumably someone’s escaped pet, which has been present at the garden for the past week or so.
Six different parrot species: Lilac-crowned Amazon, Orange-winged Amazon, Blue-and-yellow Macaw, Chestnut-fronted Macaw, Red-masked Parakeet and Yellow-chevroned Parakeet.
Four different woodpecker species: Pileated, Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.
Eight different warblers: Black-and-white, Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Palm and Prairie Warblers, plus Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart and Northern Parula
Three different waterfowl: Egyptian Goose, Muscovy Duck and Blue-winged Teal.
A baby Red-shouldered Hawk still in the nest.
Other birds seen or heard along the way included Mourning Dove, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Common Gallinule, Anhinga, Double-crested Cormorant, White Ibis, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Green Heron, Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingfisher, American Kestrel, Blue Jay, Fish Crow, European Starling, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Cedar Waxwing, Northern Cardinal and Painted Bunting. All are listed in this eBird checklist.
Lilac-crowned Amazon: Photo by Brian Rapoza