- May 1, 2024
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Have you ever thought of having your own Big Year, like in the movie “The Big Year” — an epic search for as many bird species as possible, over the course of the calendar year?
Not everyone can search for birds with the fortitude, or perhaps obsessiveness, of Kenny Bostick, the character played by Owen Wilson in the true story-inspired film.
Nonetheless, here are a few examples of birds you might be able to spot in the area, selected with input from Sarasota Audubon Society staff, as you head outdoors throughout the year.
You might try to start the year with a rarity by searching for the ash-throated flycatcher.
Many birds that do not belong in Sarasota end up in the area, and one such example is the ash-throated flycatcher which has been spotted this year atop the hill at The Celery Fields.
“It’s not big and colorful. Because it’s rare, we like it,” said Kathryn Young, first vice president of Sarasota Audubon Society.
Normally found west of the Rockies, the species is one of several that have appeared in Florida recently, Young said, and one of multiple rare species that have just occurred in the local area.
She said many times birds are blown off course by winds, while sometimes young birds can fly beyond their range.
Although not easily identifiable visually, the ash-throated flycatcher is often recognized by its distinctive “ka-brick” call.
There are over 60 bald eagle nests locally, and October marks the time when eagles return to the area to search for their previous mate, a behavior known as “nest fidelity.”
Bald eagles lay eggs around Thanksgiving which hatch around Christmastime, and stay with their young until they are fledgling, before the parents part ways in May and June.
Once classified as an endangered species, the bald eagle has rebounded with great success, although Young noted a major threat it faces today is poisoned prey due to certain rodenticides.
In addition to watching the nests, Sarasota Audubon Society operates an eagle trolley which visits four to five of the sites.
During the winter months, many birds arrive in Sarasota from the north.
Among the birds that migrate here are ducks, one example being the green-winged teal. Less frequently seen in the area than the blue-winged teal, the bird, which is the smallest dabbling duck in North America, is recognizable for the green crescent extending from its eye to the back of its head.
“Not as many come to Sarasota, so it’s always exciting to see a green-winged teal,” Young said.
One bird you likely won’t have trouble recognizing is the swallow-tailed kite, which can be found in the area beginning in February.
“They're a beautiful bird that soars,” Young said.
This raptor has a distinctive forked tail which it flicks and rotates as it flies through the air, navigating with only a limited use of its wings.
You will often find them in the skies, or in the treetops where they feast on prey like tree frogs.
From about mid-April to early May, a peak migration season, birders are on the search for finds that include migrant warblers from further south, said Stu Wilson, a naturalist with Sarasota Audubon Society.
Warblers are a term for small perching birds, and one type which Wilson called “very distinctive” is the Magnolia Warbler, which, in boasts black neck, face and chest markings and a white wing patch, in addition to a yellow underbelly.
These warblers depart from about late September to mid-October.
A favorite of many people is the purple gallinule, whose breeding season takes place in May and June.
“Adults are quite striking; they do get to be quite bright,” Wilson said.
The Celery Fields is an excellent location to spot a gallinule, although don’t confuse them with the grey-headed swamphen, an invasive species similar in appearance.
“The grey-headed swamphen has become entrenched, and we’re seeing fewer gallinules, and the logical conclusions is that they're being bullied by the grey-headed swamphen,” Wilson said.
Wintering in the Caribbean, the gray kingbird flies north to breed during spring and summer.
It isn’t just its large, distinctive bill that earns this species of flycatcher its name.
“They're called kingbirds because they tend to have a bit of a personality,” Wilson said. “They think they’re the king when they’re around.”
The black skimmer is immediately recognizable, with not only a distinctive array of colors, but also an oversized bottom bill.
Young describes the bird as looking like “a little clown.”
The black skimmer uses the bill to skim along the surface of the water in order to catch fish.
A colony of the birds in Lido Key has consistently been one of the largest in Florida, although it is important that beachgoers respect the birds’ designated space.
The least tern is the world’s smallest tern; it weighs about the same as a mockingbird, but possesses the distinctive white and black colors and yellow bill of a tern, a type of seabird.
The least tern arrives in the area for the spring season, but you still have a chance to spot one in August. They will likely be feeding their chicks then, Young said. Like the black skimmer, she noted, they are also extremely vulnerable as they lay their eggs on the beach.
Later in the year, Sarasota hosts many migrating shorebirds including terns, gulls and more.
One such bird, which also stays for the whole winter, is the least sandpiper, the world’s smallest shorebird at a weight of about 1 ounce. One distinctive feature is its yellow legs.
There are numerous other opportunities to spot shorebirds, and many royal terns also gather on Egmont Key in the Tampa Bay area.
Meet one of Sarasota’s resident birds, a sighting for October, or any time of year.
Limpkins are found wherever their food is, their typical prey being freshwater snails. Their beaks are curved in a manner similar to a snail’s shell, which allows them to wedge it inside the shell and pry out a meal.
Young said they can often be found at Myakka River State Park.
One favorite winter visitor in Sarasota is the painted bunting, a distinctive and colorful bird that combines bright hues of blue, red and green.
“Painted buntings are a bird that people love to see and photograph,” Wilson said.
He noted the buntings have been consistently appearing at the feeders outside the Sarasota Audubon Nature Center.
Although many people believe the only type of sparrow is the house sparrow, there are over 26 different species, Young said.
One example is the swamp sparrow, which arrives in the winter and is easily recognizable due to its gray face and nape. It can be found flitting about at Celery Fields looking for insects and invertebrates.
