List of birds of Florida

These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to special oils.

Order: Phoenicopteriformes   Family: Phoenicopteridae Flamingoes are gregarious wading birds, usually 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 m) tall, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres.

Order: Nyctibiiformes   Family: Nyctibiidae The potoos (sometimes called poor-me-ones) are large near passerine birds related to the nightjars and frogmouths.

Order: Apodiformes   Family: Trochilidae Hummingbirds are small birds capable of hovering in mid-air due to the rapid flapping of their wings.

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Aramidae The limpkin is an odd bird that looks like a large rail, but is skeletally closer to the cranes.

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Haematopodidae The oystercatchers are large, conspicuous, and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.

They are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat.

Different lengths of legs and bills enable multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.

Their most unusual feature for birds classed as waders is that they typically hunt their insect prey on the wing like swallows, although they can also feed on the ground.

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Stercorariidae Skuas are medium to large seabirds, typically with gray or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings.

Order: Phaethontiformes   Family: Phaethontidae Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans with exceptionally long central tail feathers.

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Oceanitidae The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering.

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Procellariidae The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterized by united tubular nostrils with a median septum.

Order: Ciconiiformes   Family: Ciconiidae Storks are large, heavy, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long stout bills and wide wingspans.

Order: Suliformes   Family: Phalacrocoracidae Cormorants are medium-to-large aquatic birds, usually with mainly dark plumage and areas of colored skin on the face.

Unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises, and spoonbills, members of the Ardeidae fly with their necks pulled back into a curve.

Although not a water bird, a flock of black vultures at the Myakka River State Park, southeast of Sarasota, has been seen bathing at the edge of the lake and then drying out their wings in the same way as cormorants like the Florida anhinga.

They have very large, hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons, and keen eyesight.

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Strigidae Typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey.

Found in tropical woodlands worldwide, they feed on insects and fruit, and their broad bills and weak legs reflect their diet and arboreal habits.

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Alcedinidae Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails.

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Meropidae The bee-eaters are a group of near passerine birds found mostly in Africa, but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia, and New Guinea.

Order: Piciformes   Family: Galbulidae The jacamars are near passerine birds from tropical South America, with a range that extends up to Mexico.

Order: Piciformes   Family: Picidae Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails, and long tongues used for capturing insects.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Laniidae Shrikes are passerines known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Bombycillidae The waxwings are a group of birds with soft silky plumage and unique red tips to some of the wing feathers.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Icteriidae This species was historically placed in the wood-warblers (Parulidae) but nonetheless most authorities were unsure if it belonged there.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Parulidae The wood warblers are a group of small, often colorful, passerines restricted to the New World.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Thraupidae The tanagers are a large group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World, mainly in the tropics.

The following introduced species, while not considered officially established by the FOSRC, have self-sustaining populations and, within range and proper habitat, are likely to be encountered.