Last updated on May 13th, 2023 at 11:29 pm
Florida has the second longest coastline in the US, whether you use the data of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association or Congressional Research Service. Naturally, the state is a haven for several types of wading birds, but how many are found in Florida?
Dozens of wading bird species are found in Florida, including many natives like bitterns, curlews, cranes, egrets, flamingos, herons, ibises, limpkins, spoonbills, and storks. Also, Florida is a year-round or wintering home to many non-native or migratory wading birds.
1. Avocets
The American avocet (Recurvirostra Americana) is a winter resident of Florida.
This long-legged wading bird with a thin upturned beak is mostly found throughout coastal Florida, as well as inland, usually along alkaline or salty lakes.
The American avocet’s favorite habitat in the state includes the following:
- Beaches
- Mudflats
- Prairie ponds
- Shallow wetlands
2. Bitterns
The American bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) is a Florida native.
This solitary wading bird isn’t easy to spot because it almost conceals its presence among reeds or wetland grass plants.
You need an exceptional pair of binoculars or a spotting scope to scan and track American bitterns.
A spotting scope is better if you need higher magnification and more clarity that most binoculars don’t have.
Also, you need a larger objective lens than the typical 42 to 50 millimeters. You may consider this Gosky 20-60×80 Spotting Scope (available on Amazon.com).
The BAK4 HD waterproof spotter with an 80 millimeters lens and 20x to 60x magnification has an eye relief of up to 17.9 millimeters.
So it is also suitable for birders wearing eyeglasses. The field of view is up to 83 feet at 1,000 yards, which is sufficient for most wading birds.
You can use such scopes for American bitterns and the many smaller species wading too fast.
The least bittern is also a perennial resident of Florida, but it isn’t a wading bird.
3. Coots
The American coot (Fulica americana) is a perennial resident of Florida, and while it may look and swim like a duck, it’s a closer relative of the sandhill crane.
Although the American coot isn’t technically a wading bird species, they are commonly found walking along the shores of:
- Coastal bays and salt marshes
- Freshwater lakes and ponds
- Shallow wetlands and vegetation
4. Cranes
The following subspecies of cranes are common birds in Florida:
- Lesser sandhill crane (native)
- Greater sandhill crane (wintering)
- Whooping crane (native)
Lesser and greater sandhill cranes have a widespread presence throughout the state, but you may not find many whooping cranes beyond its limited range in central Florida.
5. Curlews
Florida’s native Eskimo curlew (Numenius borealis) is almost extinct, so you are unlikely to find the endangered species.
Its closest relative, the little curlew, isn’t found in Florida, but you might get to see the long-billed curlew wading along coastal Florida in the winter.
The long-billed curlew’s favorite wading spots are:
- Beaches
- Flooded fields
- Mudflats
- Salt marshes
- Tidal estuaries
- Wetlands
6. Egrets
You will find 4 types of egrets in Florida:
- Cattle egret (non-native)
- Great egret (non-native)
- Reddish egret (native)
- Snowy egret (native)
All 4 egrets are wading bird species that are perennially found in Florida.
However, the reddish egret is a state-designated threatened species with a limited range and presence.
7. Flamingos
The American flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) is now classified as a Florida native, but it’s still confused with the roseate spoonbill by some.
Flamingos are considerably larger with longer necks but smaller bills than roseate spoonbills.
You’ll find American flamingos wading in the following regions in Florida:
- Biscayne Bay
- Everglades
- Florida Keys
Learn more about flamingos that are found in Florida.
8. Gallinules
Unlike the coastal wading bird species in Florida, gallinules inhabit fresh wetlands with floating vegetation, including:
- Marshes
- Ponds
- Swamps
Florida is home to common and purple gallinules, and both are year-long residents in the state.
They are often spotted walking atop floating vegetation and swimming in freshwater. The common gallinule is often found alongside coots in Florida.
9. Godwits
The most common godwits found in Florida are the marbled species (Limosa fedoa) and are found wading along the coasts only in winter.
The bar-tailed and Hudsonian godwits don’t migrate to Florida.
Black-tailed godwits are rarely seen in the state, but they don’t often go to the same place every time.
10. Herons
Herons are among the most abundant wading bird species in Florida. The following species or subspecies reside permanently in the state:
- Black-crowned night heron
- Great blue heron
- Green heron
- Little blue heron (native)
- Tricolored heron (native)
- Yellow-crowned night heron
11. Ibises
Ibises are among the large wading birds found in the Sunshine State. The White Ibis is a native species, while the Sacred Ibis is considered invasive to Florida.
The state is home to the following:
- Glossy ibis
- Sacred ibis
- White-faced ibis
- Limpkins
Limpkins (Aramus guarauna) are mid-sized wading birds native to Florida. The tropical species is found wading in and around:
- Freshwater marshes
- Lakes and ponds
- Rivers and springs
- Wooded swamps
This wading bird species’ range in the US is confined to Florida, except for isolated sightings in southern Georgia.
12. Oystercatchers
Florida’s native American oystercatcher isn’t a wading bird species in the stringent scope of the classification.
But these oystercatchers walk in shallow water as they forage using their sight.
Their bright red bill, black head & throat, and yellow eyes should be unmistakable to birders.
13. Rails
Rails are among the most difficult to spot wading bird species found in Florida, primarily due to their sizes and foraging characteristics.
The following types of rails are year-round or wintering residents of the state:
- Black rail
- Clapper rail
- King rail
- Virginia rail
- Yellow rail
Ridgeway’s rail isn’t found in Florida.
15. Sandpipers
Sandpipers are migratory wading bird species found in Florida, but most aren’t easy to spot due to their small sizes. Some sandpipers are as tiny as sparrows.
The species and subspecies of sandpipers in Florida include the following:
- Least sandpiper
- Pectoral sandpiper
- Semipalmated Sandpiper
- Spotted sandpiper
- Upland sandpiper
- Western sandpiper
- Wilson’s snipe
- White-rumped Sandpiper
16. Spoonbills
The roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) is a native wading bird of Florida and is currently state-designated threatened, but you’ll find the species in:
- Brevard County
- Florida Bay
- Tampa Bay
17. Stilts
The black-necked stilt is among the smaller but one of the most elegant wading bird species found in Florida.
Their long pinkish legs and black bill contrast sharply with their small body. Also, the black-necked stilt breeds in Florida, and many are year-round residents.
18. Storks
The wood stork (Mycteria americana) is a native wading bird species of Florida. The species is imperiled, but you can find wood storks in various places, including:
- Cypress domes and strands
- Freshwater wetlands
- Estuarine marshes
- Mangroves and sloughs
- Mixed hardwood swamps
19. Swamphens
The gray-headed swamphen (Porphyrio poliocephalus) is a non-native wading bird species in Florida.
The bird looks like a larger purple gallinule and is found in South Florida, including:
- Everglades
- Fort Lauderdale
- Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area
- Miami
20. Other Wading Species That Are Found In Florida
Florida is home to many other species that aren’t necessarily or definitively wading birds.
Still, their behavior and coexistence in similar habitats or ranges make them somewhat inseparable in the classification.
A few examples are:
- Anhingas
- Gulls
- Plovers
- Terns