Three Native Florida Birds: Roseate Spoonbill, Bald Eagle & Florida Scrub-Jay

Florida's 500+ bird species include three icons that scream "Sunshine State":

1. Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)

• Look: Flamingo-pink plumage, spatulate bill, bald greenish head.
• Habitat: Coastal lagoons, mangroves, Everglades — sweeps bill side-to-side for crustaceans.
• Status: Threatened (FL); recovering from plume-hunting era.
• Where: J.N. "Ding" Darling (Sanibel), Merritt Island, Florida Bay.

2. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

• Look: White head/tail (adult), 7-ft wingspan, yellow beak/feet.
• Habitat: Near water — lakes, rivers, coasts. Nests huge (up to 2 tons), reused yearly.
• Status: Delisted (2007); FL has ~1,500 nesting pairs (most lower 48).
• Where: Lake Okeechobee, St. Johns River, Gulf Islands.

3. Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens)

• Look: Blue head/wings/tail, gray back/belly, no crest. Bold, curious.
• Habitat: Endemic to FL scrub — sandy ridges, oak scrub, fire-maintained.
• Status: Threatened (FL & Fed); habitat loss = 90% decline.
• Where: Ocala NF, Merritt Island, Lyonia Preserve, Archbold Station.

Conservation Note

Scrub-jay needs fire; development suppresses fire. Land acquisition + prescribed burns = only hope. Spoonbills need clean water; Everglades restoration helps. Eagles need tall pines; protect nest buffers.

See them, love them, vote for their habitat.