Florida

Our Florida birding tour begins in Fort Myers. We will meet in the hotel lobby at 6:30 p.m. before heading out for a welcome dinner, where we’ll get to know one another and discuss the birding adventure ahead. Night in Fort Myers.

Our first full day of birding takes us to the world-renowned J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island. Its extensive mangroves, tidal flats and wetlands support an impressive variety of wading birds, shorebirds and waterfowl. We’ll search for southern Florida specialties such as Reddish Egret, Roseate Spoonbill and Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, along with Wood Stork, American White Pelican and other wetland birds. Short-tailed Hawk and Bald Eagle are also possible overhead.

Later, we explore additional birding sites around the Fort Myers and Cape Coral area. One of our main targets will be the diminutive Burrowing Owl, which makes its home in some of Cape Coral’s open spaces. We’ll also look for Monk Parakeet, Loggerhead Shrike and a variety of other resident birds before finishing our first bird-filled day. Night in Fort Myers.

We begin the morning at Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area, an extensive landscape of pine flatwoods, prairie and wetlands. Our primary targets are three characteristic pinewoods birds: Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Brown-headed Nuthatch and Bachman’s Sparrow. Eastern Towhee, Brown Thrasher, Eastern Bluebird and Eastern Meadowlark are among the other possibilities.

In the afternoon, we visit nearby scrub habitat in search of Florida Scrub-Jay, Florida’s only endemic bird species. We then finish the day at a local marsh, where we’ll search for Snail Kite, Limpkin, Sandhill Crane, Mottled Duck, gallinules and other wetland birds. Night in Fort Myers.

This morning we visit Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, where a boardwalk winds through magnificent cypress forest, marsh and other subtropical habitats. Feeders near the visitor centre can attract colourful Painted and Indigo Buntings and Common Ground-Doves, while the surrounding forest supports Limpkin, Tufted Titmouse and an assortment of wintering and early migrant warblers.

In the afternoon, we begin our journey across southern Florida toward Homestead, travelling through the Big Cypress region and making birding stops along the way. We’ll watch the roadsides and wetlands for Crested Caracara, herons, egrets and raptors, with possibilities including Snail Kite and the spectacular Swallow-tailed Kite. Night in Homestead/Florida City area.

Today we explore the wetlands and tropical habitats of southern Florida, beginning around Lucky Hammock before venturing into Everglades National Park and Marjory Stoneman Douglas’s famous “River of Grass.” Our route takes us through a remarkable variety of habitats, from freshwater marshes and tropical hardwood hammocks to mangroves and the coastal wetlands around Flamingo.

The Everglades support an impressive diversity of birds, and we’ll search for Purple Gallinule, Anhinga, Mottled Duck, Wood Stork, Roseate Spoonbill, Barred Owl and Short-tailed Hawk. Swallow-tailed Kite is another exciting possibility, while less predictable species such as White-tailed Kite and Shiny Cowbird may also occur.

There is plenty of other wildlife to watch for as well, including American Alligator, American Crocodile and West Indian Manatee. An optional evening outing may provide an opportunity to search for owls and nightjars. Night in Homestead/Florida City area.

Today we make our way south through the Florida Keys, birding at a variety of sites along the way. In Key Largo, we explore tropical hardwood habitat where White-crowned Pigeon is one of our primary targets. We’ll also look for White-eyed Vireo, Painted Bunting and other resident and wintering birds, while keeping watch overhead for Short-tailed Hawk.

Continuing through the Keys, we stop on Big Pine Key to search for the diminutive Key Deer, a subspecies of White-tailed Deer found only in the Florida Keys. Coastal habitats farther south offer opportunities for shorebirds, gulls and terns, as well as the distinctive white form of Great Blue Heron, commonly known as “Great White Heron.” Night in Key West.

Today is sure to be one of the highlights of the tour as we take the ferry across the Gulf of Mexico to spectacular Dry Tortugas National Park. The isolated islands support one of North America’s great seabird colonies, and at this time of year thousands of Sooty Terns and Brown Noddies gather to breed. Magnificent Frigatebirds are another highlight, and we’ll watch for Masked Boobies nesting on nearby keys.

March also marks the beginning of northbound migration through the region, and the islands can attract migrant songbirds and occasional Caribbean rarities. There is always the possibility of a surprise — our 2026 tour was fortunate to encounter rare Black Noddies among the much more numerous Brown Noddies.

There may also be time to explore historic Fort Jefferson, or opportunities for swimming or snorkelling for those who wish. We return to Key West in the late afternoon. Night in Key West.

We spend the morning exploring some of Key West’s best birding locations, including Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park. The combination of coastal habitat and tropical vegetation can produce shorebirds, seabirds, warblers and other passerines, while the area's position at the southern tip of Florida makes it well known for attracting unusual visitors.

Depending on conditions and recent sightings, we may visit additional parks and gardens around Key West in search of migrant and resident birds. The Keys are particularly exciting because Caribbean vagrants can appear unexpectedly; past visitors to the region have included Western Spindalis, Black-faced Grassquit, Cuban Pewee and Red-legged Thrush. After our morning of birding, we begin the drive north to Miami. Night in Miami.

Our final full day introduces us to a very different side of Florida birding. Miami’s parks, wetlands and neighbourhoods support an unusual mixture of native birds and established exotic species. We’ll search for birds such as Spot-breasted Oriole, Red-whiskered Bulbul and Scaly-breasted Munia before exploring additional habitats for waterbirds and other South Florida specialties.

Other possibilities include Gray-headed Swamphen, Egyptian Goose and Indian Peafowl, while Miami’s remarkable assortment of established parrots and parakeets provides a colourful finale. We’ll keep track of recent sightings throughout the day as well, allowing us to pursue any unusual birds that may have appeared in the area. We finish with a farewell dinner and a chance to celebrate the highlights of our Florida adventure. Night in Miami.