The Real Snowbirds of Hillsborough County

 

Florida is an international birder’s paradise. 

Visitors travel from all over the world to see our amazing variety of avians, from the bright roseate spoonbill and crested caracara to the threatened Florida scrub jay and the tiny, endangered Florida grasshopper sparrow. Many birders who come from out of state head straight for the Everglades, which have an incredible variety of birds species, or the Keys, where a dazzling array of migratory birds rest in the spring on their way north. But don’t despair if you can’t make it to the Keys or the Everglades this year- we’re here to tell you that Hillsborough County also has amazing birding opportunities, even in the winter!

Hillsborough County’s nature preserves offer breeding and nesting sites and year-round habitat for hundreds of bird species- in fact, over 300 bird species have been sighted at Cockroach Bay Nature Preserve alone! Although going out during nesting season makes for a great birdwatching experience, some of our most interesting birds don’t show up until the winter months. 

Rookery at Cockroach Bay Nature Preserve

One of our most beautiful winter visitors is the American white pelican, one of the largest birds native to North America. This species has the second-largest wingspan of any North American bird, after the California condor, and the sight of a flock of white pelicans flying together in a V-shaped formation is truly breathtaking. These majestic birds migrate into Florida in the winter months and are commonly seen throughout Hillsborough County until early March. They can be found at coastal preserves like Cockroach Bay Nature Preserve in Ruskin, where you may spot them swimming as a group and chasing fish towards the shallows. Surprisingly, white pelicans can also occasionally be found at many nature preserves further inland, such as Lake Dan Nature Preserve in Odessa and Golden Aster Scrub Nature Preserve in Gibsonton.

A pod of white pelicans standing in the shallows
Judy Gallagher, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Another attractive coastal species, the American avocet, also graces us with its presence during the winter season. This shorebird has long, delicate grey-blue legs and a distinctive long, upturned black bill. Its white winter plumage is set off by black wing and shoulder patches. Avocets winter all along the coast of Florida and never get too far inland- you’ll see them in coastal preserves like Fred and Idah Schultz Nature Preserve in Ruskin, picking their way along the shoreline and feeding on brine shrimp or preening their glossy feathers. They're rare at this site and you may need a spotting scope to see them! They can also be found at McKay Bay Nature Park, which is owned by the City of Tampa, and several other coastal sites around the Tampa Bay. These beautiful birds were once much more common in the eastern United States, and their populations are still threatened by habitat loss. Nature preserves like those in Hillsborough County provide them with a safe place to spend the winter months before flying back north to nest. 

American avocet in non-breeding plumage
Mike's Birds from Riverside, CA, US, CC BY-SA 2.0  via Wikimedia Commons

It’s not only shorebirds who fly down for the winter - we get our share of migratory land-dwellers here as well. One of the more distinctive winter visitors, the cedar waxwing, spends its winters in nature preserves all over Hillsborough County. With a rusty-brown body, yellowish chest, and bold black facial stripes, these small passerines catch the eye easily. Sadly, they lack a loud call, so you’ll have to find them visually. Look for them in clumps of American beautyberry at Bell Creek Nature Preserve in Riverview and Brooker Creek Headwaters Nature Preserve in Odessa, as well as many other preserves both coastal and inland.

Cedar waxwing perched on a branch
Becky Matsubara from El Sobrante, California, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

These aren’t our only fascinating winter visitors - bright Baltimore orioles, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, and eastern phoebes also make appearances during this time of year, as well as the Hudsonian whimbrel, long-billed curlew, black and white warbler, and many others. See these “snowbirds” and our well-loved year-round resident birds at a Hillsborough County Nature Preserve or Conservation Park near you. Learn more about Hillsborough County’s conservation lands by visiting our website. 

Many thanks to Mary Keith of the Tampa Audubon Society for the help and inspiration that she lent to this article.