Birds

• Red Tailed Hawk
• Osprey
• Bald Eagle
• Brown Pelican
• Turkey Buzzard
• Owls
• Snowy Egrets

Red Tailed  Hawk

These efficient hunters found throughout North Florida mainly eat rodents. They are often the vicitm of plagerism, as their screech call is commonly dubbed over the Bald Eagle's call in movies portraying American Patriotism. These magificant birds often mate for life and nest high above the ground in order to best protect their nursing young. 

Osprey

Ospreys are expert hunters. They can literally pluck fish from the waters off of our Gulf Coasts. They are large predatory birds which nest high in our tree tops in north Florida. Like the red tailed hawk they will often mate for life and even re-use the same nests. To learn more about these expert fishers, read our article "The Osprey: Apex Predator and Master Angler."

Bald Eagle

The Bald Eagle, the symbol of America, is a raptor bird of prey which love to perch high in the tree tops around the Florida Panhandle. You might see one perched high near a body of water in our area, as they have the largest nest of all North American birds and mainly dine on fish. To read more about Bald Eagles in our area, visit our article, "Bald Eagles In Coastal Areas Live Mainly On Fish."

Brown Pelican

The Brown Pelican is a common sight around our area. It's long bill which contains a pouch makes it a perfect basket to hold captured fish plucked from the coastal waters. This pouch may also hold up to 3 gallons of captured water. All together, a healthy adult pelican requires up to 4 pounds of daily fish. To learn more about these native fishers, visit our article, "Brown Pelicans Are a Common Sight."

Turkey Buzzard

Combined with their keen sense of smell and excellent eyesight, our local Turkey Buzzards make an excellent cleanup crew. They won't ever win a bird beauty contest but they are crucially important in helping our enviroment and keep rotting carcasses of dead animals away. This is important in helping prevent potential disease outbreak. To learn more about the role of vultures in our eco-system, visit our article "Turkey Buzzards Serve a Real Purpose In Spite of Their Reputation."

Owls

Various kinds of owls live in are area. Photographed here are two examples. The left is a mature Barred Owl which are also referred to as "Hoot Owls." Barred Owls are excellent hunters and can often be heard as night falls. To learn more about Barred Owls visit our article "Wakulla's Owls Are Boisterous After Sundown."

Meanwhile, the owl photographed on the right is a rescued owl by one of our staffers a few years ago. This little owl eventually grew up to be an adult version of an Eastern Screech Owl. Eastern Screech Owls can come in two color variations. Gray or red. As you can tell, this is of the red variaent. Although their names might indicate they perform a "screeching" sound, they make more of a "trill" kind of sound. 

Snowy Egret

These effective hunters can often be seen wading through shallow Florida waters, searching for meals found hidden in the mud or sand. Their long legs create a stable balance in order to pluck unsuspecting fish, frogs, and crustacean. To learn more about these elegant foragers, visit our article, "Snow Egrets Hunt In the Sand and Mud."