While giving several presentations on Birding Central Florida, I’m often asked where I like to go birding. This is a prominent topic during the presentation, but I frequently get the follow-up question of whether I have this list of my top ten eBird hotspots anywhere online. This is the answer to that question!

This list isn’t in any particular order from my number one spot down to tenth place; it’s more of a list of locations moving north to south across Central Florida, ending with two locations on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts.

My primary goal is to include as many areas as possible that provide unique species that call Central Florida home. I also want to include some exceptionally easy-to-access, underrated, or under-birded locations.

Many of you who have birded in Central Florida for any length of time will be familiar with at least some of these locations. Still, potential visitors to our state could enjoy a nice break from the traffic and noise of the more densely populated areas most people associate with our region.

Here is Part 3 of my favorite birding locations in Central Florida, along with some honorable mentions that deserve a spotlight!

If you’d like to see Part 1 and 2, here are their links:

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

• Black Point Wildlife Drive – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L127381
• Scrub Trail – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L619944
• Cruickshank Trail – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L773076
• Haulover Canal Area – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L917920
• Parrish Park/Max Brewer Causeway – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L376218
• Pumphouse Road – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L376251
• Visitor Information Center – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L773402
• Oak & Palm Hammock Trails – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L577207
• Peacocks Pocket – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L577195

Merritt Island is one of my favorite birding locations. With over 300 species, its diverse ecosystems support this wide array of unique species, which is what makes it so interesting.

Just after crossing the bridge to get onto the island, this is a great location to look for Black Skimmers sleeping in the empty parking lot of the Parrish Park boat ramp.

It’s also worth keeping an eye out for large groups of ducks in the intercoastal here. Occasionally, some rare winter waterfowl, like Long-tailed Duck and Surf Scoters, mix with the thousands of Ring-necked Duck and Lesser Scaup.

Once entering Merritt Island, watch for small offshoots from the main road. Many of these lead to very productive ponds for waterfowl since they are more secluded than Wildlife Drive. You may also hear Clapper Rails in the mangroves and occasionally see if you’re lucky.

Still, Black Point Wildlife Drive is a spectacular birding location. Over 270 species call Black Point home, and there is a lot of potential here.

The pristine brackish mangrove ecosystem produces the perfect environment for tiny microorganisms to grow, forming the base of the food web. Small fish and many birds feed off this food source, creating the next web layer. Finally, the main predators that hunt larger fish and some of these prey birds reach the peak of this area’s hierarchy. 

Some of these more basal predatory birds are waterfowl, smaller herons and egrets, gulls, terns, and songbirds. However, the final layer of Merritt Island’s food web includes American White Pelicans, Great Blue Herons, Peregrine Falcons, Osprey, and Great-Horned Owls.

Reaching this pinnacle means the only threats to these birds are members of their own species or other predators at their level that may be stronger, faster, or more intelligent than they are.

Throughout the Wildlife Drive, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to watch how these different layers interact. Roseate Spoonbills and mid-sized egrets (Snowy and Reddish) often work together without much issue. However, when a Great Blue Heron comes, there is a palpable change in the smaller bird’s demeanor, and they become much more flighty.

Shorebirds are another great group to see here, particularly American Avocet. I’ve seen several large groups of Avocet on Black Point, and they occasionally fly around in the earlier hours. 

Black Point is a protected area from hunters, and the birds know this, so you’ll have good chances to see nearly all of Florida’s wintering waterfowl here. Be prepared for anything that may flush from a hidden pond behind the wall of mangroves.

Several times, I’ve had to slam on my breaks and jump out of my vehicle to catch a small flock of fast-flying ducks as they lift from one area and drop back down into another secluded pocket.

Still, several species are happy to spend time in the open water and poise for you. Sometimes, you’ll get lucky with a beautiful male Northern Pintail or Shoveler in an exposed pool.

Here, use your vehicle as a blind so the duck doesn’t see you as a human and is much less likely to take off.

If you can, try to turn off your engine as well, as your image will often show its vibration.

Regardless, due to this large volume of waterfowl, rare western species sometimes mix in with our typical visitors. One bird in particular has been a seemingly repeat visitor to the island: a male Cinnamon Teal.

This bird is very similar in size and behavior to its residential cousin, the Blue-winged Teal. These two species occasionally interbreed, creating a hybrid type that takes on features of both birds.

However, the typical range of the Cinnamon Teal ends well before the Mississippi River in North America, so seeing this bird all the way on Florida’s Atlantic Coast is a mystery.

My theory is because of the similarities between these two groups, this male Cinnamon likely mixed with his relatives around the Great Plains and followed them to Florida for the winter rather than into Mexico or South America.

If you want to learn more about this species, check out my article, 7 Cinnamon Teal Facts – Western Dabbling Duck and Rare Eastern Visitor:

Off of Black Point Wildlife Drive, some spectacular birding locations remain.

At the time of writing this, there are between two to fourteen American Flamingos hanging out on Merritt Island. One of the few locations to view them is the Haulover Canal kayak launch.

However, if you want to see these birds, you’ll need something with extreme magnification. When I viewed a pair of Flamingos from the kayak launch, I estimated they were on a small island roughly one mile away.

It’s surprising to learn that they are extremely rare here, even with how iconic Flamingos are to Florida. Your best chance at seeing one is in the Everglades, and even this isn’t a guarantee.

Yet, several recent hurricanes have caused American Flamingos to be seen as far north as New York and Ohio, and they are filling some empty niches much further north in the Sunshine State.

One final point of interest is a pocket of ancient oak scrub habitat, where you can find the endemic Florida Scrub-Jays. About two and a half miles northeast of Black Point’s exit, Scrub Ridge Trail beautifully complements Merritt Island.

Due to residential and agricultural development, the ecosystem that Florida Scrub-Jays require is extremely limited across the state.

Currently, just over 2% of Florida’s landmass contains this vital habitat. Without this, we would lose around 100 endemic species of plants and animals that only exist in Florida.

Still, this is a superb location to view this vulnerable species. Their curiosity and intelligence make them a joy to observe as they stash acorns or harass Northern Flickers that get too close to a nest.

It is always special to watch the young fledglings in late spring and early summer. They stay relatively active, even in the afternoon, chasing insects to consume as much protein as possible to grow quickly.

Fort DeSoto Park

• Fort De Soto Park – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L127332
• Shell Key Preserve – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L480913
• Duck Ponds & Tierra Verde – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L581441
• Boyd Hill Nature Park & Lake Maggiore – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L127331

Fort De Soto boasts the highest number of avian species of any eBird hotspot in Florida. With 352 species, this park is simply magical during migration.

Located in Pinellas County, Fort De Soto is the westernmost point of peninsular Florida. Meaning this is the first patch of land incoming birds will see when flying into the state, and it is likely their first place to land after traveling across the Gulf of Mexico from the Yucatan Peninsula.

Because of its location, several species that are extremely rare to see in other areas of the state are simply routine.

For instance, seeing a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak in full breeding plumage in Marion County would likely get every major birder out in the area looking for him. However, someone might casually mention that there’s a Grosbeak off in a tree a few dozen yards away, and it’s just sitting in the open, eating some seeds or berries, trying to rebuild his fat reserves.

Many warbler species come through Fort De Soto on their way north into the Midwest for their breeding season. Shy species like the Kentucky, Worm-eating, Magnolia, Cerulean, and Blue-winged Warblers are much more cooperative here than anywhere else in the state.

The beauty of visiting Fort De Soto in April is catching all these incoming birds in full, striking breeding plumage. Seeing a male Hooded Warbler in his highlighter-yellow plumage is stunning. Because this warbler rarely stays longer than necessary, having great views of a healthy adult is memorable.

Many of these birds remain in the park throughout the season, particularly some first-year birds. However, the majority of these songbirds will return to their nesting grounds up north only a few weeks after landing in Fort De Soto.

One of the unique residents here is Nanday Parakeets. These parakeets are native to Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil but are well-established at Fort De Soto.

You’ll likely hear these boisterous birds before you see them, but their bright green plumage makes them easy to spot as they fly between the trees. Like many other parakeets, Nandays are highly social and tend to stay in groups of ten or more individuals.

These exotic birds are secondary cavity nesters, so they unfortunately take the nesting sites of many native species, such as the Eastern Bluebird, Great Crested Flycatcher, and Eastern Screech Owl.

However, with these incoming songbirds follow their predators. Bird hunters, like Merlin, follow their prey down into the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central and South America during the winter and tail them back into Florida as they cross the Gulf.

Specializing almost entirely in hunting small birds, Merlins are formidable predators. They can chase prey into thick brush, where they might outrun a larger hawk. Merlin can quickly chase down even some of the fastest songbirds with their sharp, nimble wings.

Occasionally, an extremely rare visitor, also known as a vagrant, blows in from Central or South America. The most recent example was a Piratic Flycatcher in April 2024. This was the third time this species had been seen in Florida, creating quite a commotion. 

People drove to Fort De Soto from the Keys and neighboring states to see this bird. In the birding world, there is a system known as the American Birding Association’s rare bird codes.

These codes rank birds from one to six, with one being in the area at an unusual time but not typically a rare species to see there and six being so rare that the bird is likely extinct in the wild. The Piratic Flycatcher ranked as a four, making this a high-priority bird for anyone wanting to grow their Florida numbers.

Besides these migratory and vagrant songbirds, Fort De Soto is home to several residential and migratory shorebirds. Species like Red Knot, Snowy Plover, Least Tern, Black Skimmer, Marbled Godwit, Short-billed Dowitcher, and American Oystercatcher are all excellent to see at the North Beach.

While many of these shorebirds only stay at Fort De Soto during the winter, several otherwise migratory birds remain in our state year-round. 

After I submitted a report on a banded Piping Plover, one of the researchers emailed me back with some information about the bird.

Her name is Outback. She had a successful clutch in 2018 but lost all her eggs the following year and has never migrated back to Minnesota.

I was fascinated by this since we might not associate wild animals with the feeling of grief and loss. It’s even encouraged to prevent these thoughts on anthropomorphizing our world views onto nature. However, it’s hard not to come to this conclusion after hearing about Outback’s story.

The beach is a fantastic place to watch Reddish Egrets perform their seemingly frantic hunting dance. These wading birds dart in one direction, then quickly shift their movement and flash their wings to steady their balance.

While this looks frenzied, the purpose is to startle fish into moving, making them easier to spot and spear.

Surprisingly, I’ve seen a pair of Reddish Egrets working together to capture prey, though I’m not sure if they were doing this intentionally. One bird would conduct the hunting dance, driving a shoal of fish toward the other and giving both birds an easy meal.

During the nesting season, rangers rope off tern and plover nests to prevent wandering tourists from getting too close. A pair of American Oystercatchers have been nesting at Fort De Soto for several years with some success.

These beautiful birds have remarkable yet simple coloration. With their bold black-and-white plumage, brilliant orange bill, and golden eyes, Oystercatchers are the epitome of simple yet effective.

The nesting pair can cause quite a show as they chase off potential nest robbers in the form of Laughing Gulls and Fish Crows. And, for the most part, they are quite calm around people, so as long as you respect their distance, they will give you some excellent views.

25 Honorable Mentions

To close, here are 25 Honorable Mentions for eBird hotspots around Central Florida.

All of these have their own great reasons to add to your hit list. However, I either haven’t personally birded them enough to consider them in my Top 10 hotspots for Birding Central Florida, or there is significant overlap with my previous choices that I feel deserve to be here rather than there.

But this is all my opinion, and if you have a favorite eBird hotspot you think should be on this list, please let me know!

I’ve formatted these into a simple list in alphabetical order with some notable species or reasons to visit:

Canaveral National Seashore Apollo Beach – Volusia – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L582428

Odd northern winter waterfowl (Brant, Black Scoter, Surf Scoter). Great area for shorebirds and migratory songbirds. Overlapping species with Merritt Island, Fort De Soto, and several others.

Carney Island Recreation & Conservation Area – Marion – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1912718

Excellent potential for migratory sparrows and warblers. Shorebirds and freshwater wintering species (Common Loon and Horned Grebe) are great additions here. Overlapping species with several other locations.

Cedar Key – Levy – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L253368

Excellent shorebird activity and has potential for Whimbrel here. Local colony of Purple Martins. Other typical shorebird and coastal species. Overlapping species with Fort De Soto

Circle B Bar Reserve – Polk – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1106225

Excellent marsh/wetland species similar to Ocala Wetlands Recharge Park, Lake Apopka North Shore, and Orlando Wetlands Park. Another location for Fulvous Whistling-Ducks, though not as reliable as Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive.

Fred Howard County Park – Pinellas – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L127316

Great April warbler activity. Typical shorebird presence, but a good location to see the Reddish Egret’s white morph. Overlapping species with Fort De Soto.

Jetty Park – Brevard – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L283140

Occasional visits from rare Bahama Mockingbird, but good for other shorebird species (Black Tern, American Oystercatcher, Bonaparte’s Gull, etc.). Overlapping species with Merritt Island and Fort De Soto.

Lake Okahumpka Park – Sumter – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L291064

Good mixed environment for marsh, grass, oak hammock, and open water. Potential for various wintering sparrows and wrens, and spring warblers. Overlapping species with many other freshwater areas previously mentioned.

Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge – Volusia – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L199461

Another great freshwater marsh area for several wintering species. Overlapping species with Orlando Wetlands, Lake Apopka, and others.

Lighthouse Point Park & Jetty – Volusia – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L127376

Frequently visited by rare Purple Sandpipers. Another location for odd wintering sea ducks, though not reliable. Great for viewing Reddish Egrets and other coastal species. Overlapping species with Fort De Soto.

Marjorie A. Hoy Memorial Park – Marion – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L21459581

Incredible potential for rarities for Marion County, and likely will enter my Top 10 at some point. One of the best locations in Central Florida for migratory warblers.

Mead Botanical Gardens – Orange – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L127353

Fantastic location just outside of Orlando for dozens of spring migrants. Great area to view Swallow-tailed Kites and nesting Barred Owls. Fall migration often brings odd visitors (Wood Thrush, Blue-winged Warbler, Canada Warbler).

Ocklawaha Prairie Restoration Area – Marion – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L573374

Excellent mix of habitats allows a wide assortment of species. Great for Northern Harrier and waterfowl in the fall and winter. Spring brings several nesting songbirds (Great Crested Flycatcher, Blue Grosbeak, Mississippi Kite). Good potential for odd flycatchers and tanagers during migration.

P.E.A.R. Park – Lake – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L371829

Great grassland environment for several species that exchange ownership during the different seasons. In spring, Great Crested Flycatchers and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are excellent to view here. In the fall, White-crowned Sparrows and Ash-throated Flycatchers are somewhat typical for this location. Resident Grasshopper Sparrows and Brown Thrashers are always a great sight.

Pine Meadows Conservation Area – Lake – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1900441

Great freshwater ecosystem for several species. One of the few locations in Lake County for numerous wintering sparrows (Field, Henslow’s, Savannah, Swamp, Chipping, etc.). Overlapping species with Emeralda and Lake Apopka.

Playalinda Beach – Brevard – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L127382

Good potential for viewing pelagic species and sea ducks from shore. Another location to view Florida Scrub-Jays. Overlapping species with Merritt Island and Fort De Soto.

Sabal Bluff Preserve – Lake – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1010760

Similar species and location to Carney Island. Good for incoming migratory species and has potential for pelagic species after intense storms. I’ve seen Bridled, Royal, Caspian, and Forster’s Terns here after Hurricane Ian in 2022.

Sand Key Park – Pinellas – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L458906

Another good location for migratory species on the west coast. Several odd visitors to this location (Connecticut Warbler, Western Flycatcher, Groove-billed Ani), but there doesn’t seem to be any set pattern. Overlapping species with Fort De Soto.

Sebastian Inlet State Park – Brevard – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L3200013

Typical coastal species with occasional rarities seen here (Purple Sandpiper, Brown Noddy, Townsend’s Warbler). Overlapping species with Merritt Island and Fort De Soto.

Sharon Rose Wiechens Preserve – Lake – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L4319522

Excellent wetland/marsh habitat for Purple Gallinule, Limpkin, and Sora. Occasional rare visitors (Pacific Golden-Plover, Whooping Crane, White-faced Ibis). Overlapping species with Orlando Wetlands, Ocala Wetlands, Lake Apopka, and Emeralda.

Sunnyhill Restoration Area – Marion – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L607885

Great mix of hardwood forest and marsh environments. Excellent location for wintering rails (King and Virginia) at the watch tower. Overlapping species with Emeralda and Lake Apopka.

Sweetwater Wetlands Park – Alachua – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L2620730

Very similar to the Orlando Wetlands but over two hours northwest, so it is fantastic for North-Central Florida. Nesting Sandhill Cranes, great potential for Purple Gallinules and Sora, and nesting wading birds are all wonderful for this location.

Tom Renick Park – Volusia – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L4385011

Another great location for wintering sea ducks and viewing pelagics from shore. Typical coastal species are good at this location, too. Overlapping species with Merritt Island.

Weekiwachee Preserve – Hernando – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L499776

Good pine savannah and grassland environment with typical species for this habitat. Promising potential during migration for some odd species (Hooded Oriole, Gull-billed Tern, Golden-winged Warbler). Overlapping species with Ocala National Forest, Emeralda, Lake Apopka, and Merritt Island.

Wekiwa Springs State Park – Orange – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1459994

Excellent location for Red-headed Woodpeckers and Great Horned Owls. Other typical pine forest birds (Brown-headed Nuthatch, Bachman’s Sparrow, Eastern Towhee). Overlapping species with the Ocala National Forest.

World Equestrian Center – Marion – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L12989307

For whatever reason, this is a fantastic location for rare oddities (Red-necked Phalarope, Baird’s Sandpiper, Neotropic Cormorant). Wintering waterfowl and other typical resident and migratory birds are good at this location. WEC is a place you want on your radar if you’re doing a big year for Florida or Marion County.

Now You Know My Top 10 eBird Hotspots for Central Florida!

With the final two for Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Fort De Soto Park, this completes my Top 10 list for Birding Central Florida! You now also have a list of 25 honorable mentions you should check out if you haven’t already.

Make sure you check out Parts 1 and 2, where I show the rest of my top ten eBird hotspots for Central Florida and several honorable mentions!

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. If you have ideas or suggestions for topics you would like me to write about in the future, feel free to leave a comment below or email me!

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Get Outside & Happy Birding

Max