Fort De Soto Park
Florida · Southeast
Easy
October-April
$5 parking fee
Open daily, dawn to dusk
About This Location
Fort De Soto Park is a productive birding destination in Florida, with 354 species recorded on eBird. This urban park habitat attracts Common Ground Dove, Mourning Dove, and Laughing Gull among many others. Mild winters attract waterfowl and sparrows, while spring and fall migration bring neotropical songbirds.
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
Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon nilotica
Great-tailed Grackle
Quiscalus mexicanus
Black-legged Kittiwake
Rissa tridactyla
Mottled Duck
Anas fulvigula
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Calidris pusilla
White-rumped Sandpiper
Calidris fuscicollis
Dunlin
Calidris alpina
Osprey (Caribbean)
Pandion haliaetus
Carolina Chickadee
Poecile carolinensis
Mangrove Cuckoo
Coccyzus minor
Recent Observations
Species reported at this location in the last 14 days
Osprey
Common Ground Dove
Mourning Dove
Laughing Gull
Magnificent Frigatebird
White Ibis
Brown Pelican
Fish Crow
Common Grackle
Northern Cardinal
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Wilson's Plover
Snowy Plover
Willet
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Least Tern
Sandwich Tern
Royal Tern
Birding Tips
- 1
Visit at dawn for peak songbird activity before crowds arrive.
- 2
Check flowering trees and berry-producing shrubs for seasonal migrants.
- 3
Check for wintering sparrows in brushy edges from November through February.
- 4
Check eBird hotspot data before visiting to see recent sightings and what species are being reported.
- 5
Bring quality optics — a good pair of binoculars (8x42 or 10x42) makes all the difference in species identification.
Amenities
Nearby Attractions
- Shell Key Preserve
- Egmont Key State Park
- Boyd Hill Nature Preserve
More in Florida
Everglades National Park
Vast subtropical wilderness with incredible wading bird concentrations and tropical species.
Dry Tortugas National Park
Remote island migrant trap with the only continental US Sooty Tern colony.
J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
Sanibel Island mangrove refuge with spectacular wading bird viewing from Wildlife Drive.
Florida Birding Guide
Complete guide to birding in Florida →