South Florida Rare Bird Update
Compiled by Brian Rapoza
Last updated February 16, 2020
Please post updates on the TAS Bird Board, positive or negative, for the following:
Recent Reports
Heermann's Gull
Lake Worth Beach Park, Palm Beach County: Last reported February 16 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From I-95 in Lake Worth, exit at South 6 Avenue (Exit 63). Drive east 0.5 miles to US 1. Turn left and drive north 0.5 miles to Lake Avenue. Turn right and drive east 1 mile to A1A. Turn right and drive north 0.1 miles to the park entrance (parking fee, open sunrise to sunset). The bird has been seen around the pier. Map
Hammond's Flycatcher
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Collier County: Last reported February 16 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From I-75 in Naples, exit at Immokalee Road (County Road 846, Exit 111). Drive east 15.2 miles to Sanctuary Road. Turn left and drive 1.5 miles to the entrance (fee, open 7:00AM to 5:30PM, wheelchair accessible). The bird has been seen near two benches at the north end of the Lettuce Lake area. Map
La Sagra's Flycatcher
Hidden Lake Road, Everglades National Park, Miami-Dade County: Last reported February 16 (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). From the fee station, continue west 2 miles to Royal Palm Road. Turn left and drive south 1 mile to Research Road. Turn right and drive 0.4 miles to a stop sign at Hidden Lake Road (unpaved). The bird has been seen along Hidden Lake Road, four to five power poles south of the stop sign. Map
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Sem-Chi Rice Mill, Palm Beach County: Last reported February 16 (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 the Sem Chi Rice Mill entrance road. Turn left and drive 0 .7 miles to the rice mill. Several birds have been seen among other blackbirds and cowbirds around the rice mill. Please bird from the road and don't trespass onto the mill property. Map
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Aerojet Road, Homestead, Miami-Dade County: Last reported February 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) 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 4.5 miles to Aerojet Road (SW 232 Street, closed to vehicular traffic, park at the locked gate). The bird has been seen around this intersection. Map
Sem-Chi Rice Mill Road, Palm Beach County: Last reported February 12 (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 the Sem Chi Rice Mill entrance road. The bird has been seen at this intersection. Map
Neotropic Cormorant
Wakodahatchee Wetlands, Delray Beach, Palm Beach County: Last reported February 12 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From Florida's Turnpike, exit at Atlantic Avenue (Exit 81). Drive east 1.7 miles to Jog Road. Turn left and drive north 1.5 miles to the entrance (no fee, open sunrise to sunset). From the boardwalk t-intersection, turn left. The bird has been seen around the tree island near the "wading bird" sign. Map
Tropical Kingbird
Aerojet Road, Homestead, Miami-Dade County: Last reported February 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 4.5 miles to Aerojet Road (SW 232 Street, closed to vehicular traffic, park at the locked gate). The bird has been seen along Aerojet Road or on SR 9336 up to 0.5 miles east or west of Aerojet Road. Map
Sem-Chi Rice Mill Road, Palm Beach County: Last reported February 12 (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 the Sem Chi Rice Mill entrance road. The bird has been seen at this intersection. Map
Rusty Blackbird
Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Palm Beach County: Last reported February 12 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From Florida's Turnpike, exit at Boynton Beach Boulevard (Exit 86). Drive west 2 miles to US 441. Turn left and drive south 2 miles to Lee Road. Turn right and drive west to the entrance (fee, open sunrise to sunset). Continue west to the boat ramp and levee at the end of Lee Road. Walk north on the levee about 1 mile to the second road leading east. the bird was seen among Common Grackles in a cypress stand on the north side of this road, near the end. Map
Western Tanager
Spanish River Park, Boca Raton, Palm Beach County: Last reported February 12 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From I-95 in Boca Raton, exit at Palmetto Park Road (Exit 44). Drive east 3 miles to SR A1A. Turn left and drive north 2 miles to the entrance (fee, open 8:00AM until sunset). The bird has been seen around pavilion 6. Map
Older Reports
Tropical Kingbird
Wellington Environmental Preserve, Palm Beach County: Last reported February 9 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From Florida's Turnpike in West Palm Beach, exit at Southern Boulevard/SR 80 (Exit 97). Drive west 8 miles to Flying Cow Road. Turn left and drive south 3.5 miles to the parking area (no fee, open sunrise to sunset, wheelchair accessible). Th bird has been seen in the southwest corner of the preserve, along the horse trail. Map
White-cheeked Pintail
Eagle Lakes Community Park/Lely Resort, Naples, Collier County: Last reported February 8 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From I-75 in Naples, exit at Collier Blvd. (CR 851, Exit 101). Drive south 7 miles to Tamiami Trail (US 41). Turn right and drive west 1.5 miles to the park entrance (no fee, open 8:00AM to 10:00PM, wheelchair accessible). The bird has been seen in lakes on either side of the Lely Resort entrance, located east of the park on Tamiami Trail. These lakes can be accessed by walking east from the park on the paved walkway that parallels Tamiami Trail. Please stay on paved walkways. Map
South Florida as defined here includes the following counties: Broward, Collier, Hendry, Lee, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach. Click here for locations to see regularly-occurring south Florida specialties. Click here for directions to those locations. BirdBoard reports for these species are also appreciated. If any errors are found in this report, please email Brian Rapoza.