Birding In Myakka River State Park

Myakka offers birders an exciting lineup of birding experiences. Diversity of habitat is responsible for the variety of birds that can be seen in a day.

Herons and ibises feed in shallow lakes and fertile marshes; eagles nest in pine flatwoods and steal fish from successful ospreys; the calls of the meadowlark and bobwhite echo through the prairies.

Winter and spring bring flocks of ducks, warblers, wading birds and hawks. It is a time when the waters of the Myakka River and Upper and Lower Myakka Lakes are at their lowest. The shallow waters entice flocks of wading birds into a feeding frenzy.

You will find our volunteer bird guides at the birdwalk from 9 until 1 every day from November through mid-April. Stop by to get a close-up view of the birds through a birding scope and talk to an expert birder to learn tips for identifying all of Myakka's feathered creatures.

The Birdwalk on Upper Myakka Lake

You can get more information about Florida’s diverse natural areas that occur in the watersheds that drain into Charlotte Harbor at http://www.chnep.org. You can also subscribe to Harbor Happenings, a free, interesting and enlightening newsletter about these natural areas.

Download a copy of the Park Birdlist and see how many you can find.  Also, the Christmas Bird Count lists abundance and incidence of bird species.