Dry Tortugas National Park
Florida · Southeast
Challenging
April-May
$15 per person (ferry ticket separate)
Daylight hours; accessible by ferry or seaplane only
About This Location
Dry Tortugas is a remote island park 70 miles west of Key West, famous for spectacular spring fallouts of Neotropical migrants. Fort Jefferson on Garden Key serves as a migrant trap, and the Sooty Tern colony on Bush Key is the only one in the continental US.
Location
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Notable Species
Live Bird Data
Powered by eBird / Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Notable Sightings
Rare or unusual species spotted nearby in the last 14 days
Bridled Tern
Onychoprion anaethetus
Black-and-white Warbler
Mniotilta varia
Bahama Mockingbird
Mimus gundlachii
Yellow-throated Warbler
Setophaga dominica
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Coccyzus americanus
Purple Martin
Progne subis
American Kestrel (Northern)
Falco sparverius
Northern Parula
Setophaga americana
Louisiana Waterthrush
Parkesia motacilla
Osprey (Caribbean)
Pandion haliaetus
Recent Observations
Species reported at this location in the last 14 days
Rock Pigeon
Ruddy Turnstone
Laughing Gull
Brown Noddy
Sooty Tern
Magnificent Frigatebird
Western Cattle-Egret
Osprey
Barn Swallow
Bridled Tern
Royal Tern
Brown Booby
Great Egret
Great Blue Heron
Brown Pelican
Masked Booby
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Bahama Mockingbird
Black-and-white Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Birding Tips
- 1
Book the ferry or seaplane well in advance
- 2
April fallouts after cold fronts produce incredible warbler variety
- 3
Visit during spring migration (April-May) for the greatest species diversity
- 4
Arrive at dawn for peak bird activity, especially during migration seasons
- 5
Check the tide schedule — shorebirds are most active during falling and low tides
Amenities
Nearby Attractions
- Fort Jefferson
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Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
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Florida Birding Guide
Complete guide to birding in Florida →