South Florida Rare Bird Update
Compiled by Brian Rapoza
Last updated September 18, 2019
Please post updates on the TAS Bird Board, positive or negative, for the following:
Recent Reports
Thick-billed Vireo
Long Key State Park, Monroe County: Last reported September 18 (eBird) Photo
Directions: The park entrance is at MM 67.5 on US 1 in the Florida Keys (fee, open 8:00 AM until sunset). Turn left after the entrance station to reach the Golden Orb Trail parking area. Up to three birds (one adult and two juveniles) have been seen, often around the parking area or the beginning of the nature trail. Map
Black-faced Grassquit
Blue Hole, Big Pine Key, Monroe County: Last reported September 18 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From US 1 on Big Pine Key, turn right onto Key Deer Boulevard (mile marker 30.5). Drive north 2.8 miles to the Blue Hole parking area. The bird has been seen near the Blue Hole overlook as well as across the street from the parking area. Map
Smooth-billed Ani
Dump Marsh, Miami-Dade County: Last reported September 14 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From Florida's Turnpike, exit at SW 112 Avenue (exit 9). Drive north to SW 248 Street and turn right. Drive east 1.5 miles (bearing right when the road forks) to SW 97 Avenue. Continue east on the unpaved road on the south side of the canal to a locked gate. Two birds have been seen on the east side of the berm that leads south from the locked gate. Map
American Golden-Plover
West Kendall Agricultural Area, Miami-Dade County: Last reported September 14 (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. Up to three birds have been seen in plowed fields in this area, often associating with large flocks of Black-bellied Plovers. Map
Older Reports
American Golden-Plover
CR 700, Pahokee, Palm Beach County: Last reported September 11 (eBird)
Photo
Directions: From Florida’s Turnpike in West Palm Beach, exit at Southern Boulevard/SR 80. Drive west 18.5 miles to CR 700. Turn right and drive northwest 9.3 miles to a bridge crossing the canal on the right, just north of CR 717. Turn right and cross the bridge to the sod field east of the bridge. Up to five birds have been seen on the sod field. Map
Airport and Sam Senter Roads, Belle Glade, Palm Beach County: Last reported September 9 (eBird)
Photo
Directions: From Florida’s Turnpike in West Palm Beach, exit at Southern Boulevard/SR 80. Drive west 24.7 miles to Hatton Highway. Turn left and drive south two miles to Airport Road (also called Gator Road). Turn left and drive east one mile to Sam Senter Road. The bird has been seen on the sod field at this intersection. Map
Lark Sparrow
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, Key West, Monroe County: Reported September 9 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From US 1 (N Roosevelt Boulevard) in Key West, drive west to Truman Avenue. Continue west to Whitehead Street. Turn right and drive 0.5 miles to Southard Street. Turn left and follow the signs to the park entrance (fee, open 8:00 AM until sunset). The bird was seen at the edge of the grass field near the fort. Map
Tropical Kingbird
Aerojet Road, Homestead, Miami-Dade County: Reported September 7 (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 was seen south of a second locked gate, about 0.7 miles south of the first gate, in a section of Aerojet Road known to local birders as "The Annex." Map
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
West Kendall Agricultural Area, Miami-Dade County: Last reported September 6 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From Florida's Turnpike, exit at SW 120 Street (Exit 19). Drive west 4.5 miles to agricultural fields west of SW 157 Avenue. Up to two birds have been seen in a plowed field on SW 120 Street, 1.25 miles west of the end of the pavement, or on a plowed field west of SW 172 Avenue and south of SW 128 Street. 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.