South Florida Rare Bird Update
Compiled by Brian Rapoza
Last updated May 11, 2019 (On hiatus until June 6)
Please post updates on the TAS BirdBoard, positive or negative, for the following:
Recent Reports
Zenaida Dove
West Kendall Agricultural Area, Miami-Dade County: Last reported May 11 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From Florida's Turnpike, exit at SW 120 Street (Exit 19). Drive west 4 miles to agricultural fields west of SW 157 Avenue. The bird was seen on the north side of SW 120 Street, where the pavement ends. Map
Smooth-billed Ani
Loxahatchee Road, Palm Beach County: Reported May 8 (eBird)
Directions: From the Sawgrass Expressway (SR 869) in Coral Springs, exit at Coral Ridge Drive (Exit 14). Drive north 3.5 miles (becomes Nob Hill Road) to Loxahatchee Road (SR 827). Turn left and drive west about two miles to the Loxahatchee air boat launch at the end of the road. Two birds were seen; no specific location has been provided for this sighting. Map
Old Sugar Refinery, CR 880, Palm Beach County: Last reported May 4 (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 7 miles to a bridge crossing the canal on the north side of CR 880. The bird has been seen in the area around the bridge. Map
Least Grebe
Green Cay Wetlands, Palm Beach County: Last reported May 7 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From Florida's Turnpike, exit at Atlantic Avenue (Exit 81). Drive east 0.7 miles to Hagen Ranch Road. Turn left and drive north 2.2 miles to the entrance (no fee, open sunrise to sunset). From the visitor center, take the long loop boardwalk in a clockwise direction. The bird has been seen just before the cypress forest on the right side of the boardwalk. Map
La Sagra's Flycatcher
Hidden Lake Road, Everglades National Park, Miami-Dade County: Reported May 5 (eBird) Audio
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. Continue straight onto Hidden Lake Road (unpaved). The bird was heard along Hidden Lake Road, about 0.1 mile south of the stop sign. Map
Spanish River Park, Boca Raton, Palm Beach County: Last reported May 4 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From I-95, 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 8:00 AM until sunset). The bird was last seen on the north side of the nature trail intersection between the campground and the boat ramp. Map
Western Spindalis
Crandon Park, Key Biscayne, Miami-Dade County: Last reported May 5 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From I-95, exit at the Rickenbacker Causeway (Exit 1). Drive east to the causeway toll plaza. Continue 4 miles to the park's north entrance (fee, open sunrise to sunset). The bird has been seen around the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Nature Center at the north end of the parking area. Map
Key West Quail-Dove
Dr. Von D. Mizell Eula Johnson/John U. Lloyd Beach State Park, Broward County: Last reported May 4 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From I-95, exit at Sheridan Street (Exit 21). Drive east 2.8 miles to SR A1A. Turn left and drive north 1.5 miles to the entrance (fee, open 8:00 AM until sunset). From the entrance, drive north to the Barrier Island Nature Trail, at the north end of parking area 1. The bird was last seen along the trail near an interpretive sign for Spanish stopper. Map
Arctic Tern
Boynton Inlet, Boynton Beach, Palm Beach County: Reported May 4 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From I-95 in Boynton Beach, Exit at Woolbright Road (Exit 56). Drive east 1 mile to SR A1A. Turn left and drive north 2 miles to the inlet. Free parking is available at Ocean Inlet Park, just south of the inlet on SR A1A. The bird was seen offshore from the inlet. Map
Bahama Mockingbird
Evergreen Cemetery, Ft. Lauderdale, Broward County: Reported May 4 (eBird)
Directions: From I-95, exit at Davie Boulevard (exit 26). Drive east 2 miles to US 1. Turn right and drive south 0.1 miles to SE 13 Street. Turn left and drive east 0.2 miles to the entrance (no fee, open sunrise to sunset). The bird was seen along the canal on the east side of the cemetery. Map
Bananaquit
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Miami-Dade County: Reported May 4 (eBird)
Directions: From I-95, exit at the Rickenbacker Causeway (exit 1). Drive east to the causeway toll plaza. Continue 6 miles to the park entrance (fee, open 8:00AM until sunset). From the entrance station, turn right onto No Name Harbor Road and drive west to the parking area. Take the bike path that leads south from the west side of the parking area. The bird was seen about 250 feet south of the bike path intersection with restrooms. Map
Older Reports
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Sem-Chi Rice Plant, Palm Beach County: Last reported April 30 (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 entrance road. Turn left and drive 0 .7 miles to the rice plant. Multiple birds have been seen among other blackbirds and cowbirds around the rice plant. Map
Black Noddy
Bush Key, Dry Tortugas National Park, Monroe County: Last reported April 28 (eBird)
Directions: See http://www.drytortugasinfo.com/ for Dry Tortugas ferry information. The bird has been seen on Bush Key among Brown Noddies, visible using a spotting scope from the top of the fort on Garden Key. Map
Warbling Vireo
Point Ybel Lighthouse Beach Park, Sanibel Island, Lee County: Last reported April 28 (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 8 miles to the Sanibel toll plaza. Continue west, then south 3.3 miles to Periwinkle Way. Turn left and drive east 1.5 miles to the parking area (fee, open sunrise to sunset). No specific location has been provided for this sighting. 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.