MARCO ISLAND · TEN THOUSAND ISLANDS 239-348-5551
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Coastal paddling habitat around Marco Island
A FIELD GUIDE FOR CURIOUS EXPLORERS

Birds of Southwest Florida

Look along the mangrove edges, open bays and island beaches. Get to know some of the birds that make our coast so memorable.

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK

Small details. Wonderful discoveries.

Use shape, bill, legs, behavior and habitat together when identifying a bird. Plumage changes with age and season, and no species is guaranteed on a tour.

Reference photographs show the species and were not necessarily taken on Marco Island or on our tours. Click a photo to view its original and full credit.

Anhinga — species reference photograph
Daniel Schwen · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized and converted to WebP; no crop.
01

Anhinga

Anhinga anhinga

A long, slender neck and pointed bill. Look for an outstretched-wing drying pose near the water.

Bonaparte’s Gull — species reference photograph
Don Green / Channel City Camera Club · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · Resized and converted to WebP; no crop.
02

Bonaparte’s Gull

Chroicocephalus philadelphia

A small, delicate gull with graceful flight; breeding adults develop a dark hood.

Brown Pelican — species reference photograph
USFWS/Southeast · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · Resized and converted to WebP; no crop.
03

Brown Pelican

Pelecanus occidentalis

A large coastal bird with a long bill and pouch. Watch for a plunge into the water.

Cattle Egret — species reference photograph
Cburnett · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized and converted to WebP; no crop.
04

Cattle Egret

Bubulcus ibis

A compact white egret often seen in grassy areas; breeding birds develop warm-toned plumes.

Double-crested Cormorant — species reference photograph
Tim Weissman / USFWS · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · Resized and converted to WebP; no crop.
05

Double-crested Cormorant

Nannopterum auritum

A dark swimming bird with a long neck. Compare its hooked bill with the anhinga’s pointed bill.

Forster’s Tern — species reference photograph
Kevin Cole · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · Resized and converted to WebP; no crop.
06

Forster’s Tern

Sterna forsteri

A slender coastal tern with buoyant flight and a dark cap in breeding plumage.

Great Egret — species reference photograph
Moha-Photographer · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized and converted to WebP; no crop.
07

Great Egret

Ardea alba

A tall, all-white wader with a long neck and yellow bill.

Great Blue Heron — species reference photograph
Judy Gallagher · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · Resized and converted to WebP; no crop.
08

Great Blue Heron

Ardea herodias

A large blue-gray heron with long legs and a substantial pointed bill.

Laughing Gull — species reference photograph
USFWS Headquarters · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · Resized and converted to WebP; no crop.
09

Laughing Gull

Leucophaeus atricilla

Listen for the laughing call. Breeding adults have a dark head.

Little Blue Heron — species reference photograph
Dori · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized and converted to WebP; no crop.
10

Little Blue Heron

Egretta caerulea

Adults are blue-gray; juveniles are white, making this a rewarding identification challenge.

Osprey — species reference photograph
“Mike” Michael L. Baird · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · Resized and converted to WebP; no crop.
11

Osprey

Pandion haliaetus

A fish-hunting raptor with a dark eye stripe and pale underparts.

Reddish Egret — species reference photograph
Andy Morffew · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · Resized and converted to WebP; no crop.
12

Reddish Egret

Egretta rufescens

Watch its active feeding movements in shallow water. Dark birds have a reddish head and neck.

Ring-billed Gull — species reference photograph
Geoff Gallice · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · Resized and converted to WebP; no crop.
13

Ring-billed Gull

Larus delawarensis

Look for the dark ring near the tip of the bill on adults.

Roseate Spoonbill — species reference photograph
Judy Gallagher · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · Resized and converted to WebP; no crop.
14

Roseate Spoonbill

Platalea ajaja

Pink plumage and a broad, spoon-shaped bill distinguish this shallow-water feeder.

Royal Tern — species reference photograph
dfaulder · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · Resized and converted to WebP; no crop.
15

Royal Tern

Thalasseus maximus

A large tern with an orange bill, often resting with other birds along the coast.

Snowy Egret — species reference photograph
USFWS Pacific Southwest Region · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · Resized and converted to WebP; no crop.
16

Snowy Egret

Egretta thula

A smaller white egret with a dark bill, black legs and bright yellow feet.

Swallow-tailed Kite — species reference photograph
Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · Resized and converted to WebP; no crop.
17

Swallow-tailed Kite

Elanoides forficatus

An elegant black-and-white raptor with a long, deeply forked tail.

Tricolored Heron — species reference photograph
Ltshears · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized and converted to WebP; no crop.
18

Tricolored Heron

Egretta tricolor

A slender heron with blue-gray upperparts and a contrasting white belly.

SHARE THE SHORE

Give wildlife room to be wild.

Bring binoculars if you have them. Stay back from resting and nesting birds, keep to your guide’s route, and avoid flushing birds from beaches or feeding areas.

A guided kayak or boat tour offers time to observe the coast and ask questions. Explore the options below to find your pace.

EXPLORE KAYAK TOURS ↗EXPLORE ECO BOAT TOURS ↗
A PRIVATE BOAT. A CLOSER LOOK AT THE COAST.

Let’s plan your next birding adventure.

Bring your binoculars, your camera and your curiosity. Tell our team about your group, preferred dates and birding interests, and ask about a private boat tour through the waterways around Marco Island and the Ten Thousand Islands.

ASK ABOUT A PRIVATE BIRDING TOUR CALL 239-348-5551

Private outings are subject to availability, weather and water conditions. Wildlife sightings vary naturally. Find more Mangroves of the Ten Thousand Islands.