Bird watching varies with the season and weather conditions as many species, like people, escape the snowy north for our Key West tropical winter. Optimal seasonal sightings of migratory birds are in the Spring (March, April and May) and in the Fall (September, October and November). A highlight of the migratory season is watching hawks, falcons and even the Northern Gannet pass through the Florida Keys. The US Fish and Wildlife Service provides a handy Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges Bird List for birders to track their numerous sightings.

Just a few of the species that can be seen in the Refuge and Sanctuary include Ospreys, Roseate Spoonbills, Magnificent Frigatebirds, Egrets, Herons, Bald Eagles, White-Crowned Pigeons, Mangrove Cuckoo, Merganser Ducks, Cormorants, Black Whiskered Vireo, Belted Kingfishers and Terns. If there is a particular bird of interest to you, let your guide know and they can watch for one on your tour.

For the truly avid birder, you can charter your own custom Key West Eco Tour to search for your bucket list bird. A number of our guides are also avid birders and if you let us know in advance, we will do our best to set you up with a fellow birder.

A great way to advance your birding knowledge is to combine one of our tours with the annual Florida Keys Birding and Wildlife Festival. This Festival is held in September to take advantage of the amazing autumn bird migration through the Florida Keys. A highlight of the festival is an excursion to the Dry Tortugas National Park where many unusual birds are sighted. On a recent excursion, George Bellenger, one of our avid birder guides, took his son along to the Dry Tortugas. As luck would have it, his son spotted a very unusual bird - the Townsend Warbler!