South Florida Rare Bird Update
Compiled by Brian Rapoza
Last updated September 19, 2018
Please post updates on the TAS BirdBoard, positive or negative, for the following:
Recent Reports
Bell's Vireo
Spanish River Park, Boca Raton, Palm Beach County: Last reported September 19 (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). No specific location for this sighting has been provided. Map
Zenaida Dove
West Kendall Agricultural Area, Miami-Dade County: Last reported September 18 (TAS BirdBoard) 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 has been seen around puddles on the north side of SW 120 Street, where the pavement ends. Map
Bachman's Sparrow
A. D. Barnes Park, Miami-Dade County: Last reported September 16 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From the Palmetto Expressway, exit at Bird Road (SW 40 Street). Drive east 0.5 miles to SW 72 Avenue and turn left to the park entrance (no fee, open 7:00 AM until sunset). At the t-intersection, turn left and drive north towards the nature center entrance. The bird has been seen in the understory of an area of pines on the south side of the road where it curves around before reaching the nature center entrance. Map
Smooth-billed Ani
Browns Farm Road, Palm Beach County: Last reported September 15 (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 14.7 miles to Browns Farm Road. Turn left and drive south 9.5 miles to a pump house on the west side of the road. Birds have been seen near the pump house, as well as where the pavement ends in another 2.5 miles. Map
Thick-billed Vireo
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Miami-Dade County: Last reported September 15 (eBird) Photo
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. The entrance to a nature trail is just east of the No Name Harbor parking area. The bird was last seen about 120 yards from the trail entrance. Map
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Sem-Chi Rice Plant, Palm Beach County: Reported September 15 (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. Two birds were seen among blackbirds and cowbirds around the rice plant. Map
Townsend's Warbler
A. D. Barnes Park, Miami-Dade County: Last reported September 15 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From the Palmetto Expressway, exit at Bird Road (SW 40 Street). Drive east 0.5 miles to SW 72 Avenue and turn left to the park entrance (no fee, open 7:00 AM until sunset). The bird has been seen in Ficus trees near the exercise machines to the east of the pond. Map
Older Reports
Smooth-billed Ani
Aerojet Road, Homestead, Miami-Dade County: Last reported September 11 (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 on either side of Aerojet Road between the gate and Lucky Hammock, about 0.3 miles south. Map
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Spanish River Park, Boca Raton, Palm Beach County: Reported September 10 (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). No specific location for this sighting has been provided. 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.