South Florida Rare Bird Update
Compiled by Brian Rapoza
Last updated March 23, 2019
Please post updates on the TAS BirdBoard, positive or negative, for the following:
Recent Reports
La Sagra's Flycatcher
A. D. Barnes Park, Miami-Dade County: Last reported March 23 (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 right, then left and drive east to the pool parking area. The bird has been seen in trees near the pool. Map
Thick-billed Vireo
Crandon Park, Key Biscayne, Miami-Dade County: Last reported March 22 (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 along the cement path at the entrance to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Nature Center at the north end of the parking area. Map
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Sem-Chi Rice Plant, Palm Beach County: Last reported March 22 (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. A flock of over forty birds has been seen among blackbirds and cowbirds around the rice plant. Map
Western Spindalis
Crandon Park, Key Biscayne, Miami-Dade County: Last reported March 23 (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
Neotropic Cormorant
Wakodahatchee Wetlands, Delray Beach, Palm Beach County: Last reported March 18 (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
Crandon Park, Key Biscayne, Miami-Dade County: Last reported March 17 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From I-95, exit at the Rickenbacker Causeway (Exit 1). Drive east to the causeway toll plaza. Continue 4.5 miles to the park's south entrance (fee, open sunrise to sunset). The bird has been seen around ponds in the gardens (the old zoo) at the south end of the park. Map
Warbling Vireo
Greynolds Park, Miami-Dade County: Last reported March 17 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From I-95 in North Miami Beach, take Miami Gardens Drive (NE 183 Street, Exit 14) east 1.7 miles to NE 185 Street. Bear right and drive east 0.1 mile to the park entrance (fee on weekends, open sunrise to sunset). From the entrance, bear left and drive south to the park's golf course. The bird has been seen near three benches on the path between the golf course’s first hole fairway and West Lake. Map
Bananaquit
Crandon Park, Key Biscayne, Miami-Dade County: Last reported March 17 (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 was seen near the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Nature Center at the north end of the parking area. Map
Older Reports
Smooth-billed Ani
CR 880, Palm Beach County: Last reported March 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 7 miles to a bridge crossing the canal on the north side of CR 880. The bird has been seen along the canal on either side of the bridge. Map
Spotted Towhee
Dr. Von D. Mizell Eula Johnson/John U. Lloyd Beach State Park, Broward County: Last reported March 16 (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. At the north end of the trail loop, take a spur trail, marked by a rope barrier and a "no entry" sign (permission to enter this area has been granted by the park manager). The bird has been seen beyond a dirt mound at the end of the spur trail, which is about 100 yards north of the rope barrier. Map
Lark Sparrow
Okeeheelee Park South, Palm Beach County: Last reported March 10 (eBird) Photo
Directions: From Florida's Turnpike, exit at Lake Worth Road (exit 93). Drive east 1 mile to Pinhurst Drive. Turn left and drive north 2.3 miles to Forest Hill Blvd. Turn left and drive west 0.5 miles to the park entrance (no fee, open sunrise to sunset). The bird has been seen in the grassy area just north of the equestrian trailhead, between the fence and the Brazilian Pepper hedges. 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.