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Complete with pictures, descriptions and potential spotting areas for many of Tallahassees native birds, this guide is a must for birders of all levels.

Birding

The Tallahassee area is a birder’s paradise for casual birders and those wanting to add to their life list! Of the 497 verified species of birds that reside in or visit Florida, 372 species can be seen here. Located along two major fly-ways, all it takes is a pair of binoculars and a field guide to appreciate the tremendous variety of feathered friends in the area. Don’t forget sunscreen, water and bug spray and be sure to check the seasonality of the site to be sure you are visiting at the right time of year.

Check out some of our most popular birding sites below!

Great Florida Birding Trail

Check out the Great Florida Birding Trail at www.FloridaBirdingTrail.com with more than 30 sites in the Tallahassee area, this 489-site trail throughout Florida highlights some of the best birding sites in the Sunshine State. Or visit the Apalachee Audubon Society at www.apalachee.org for Tallahassee area birding information.

Annual Birding Events

Wakulla Wildlife Festival (March)
(850) 926-4293
Two-day festival at Wakulla Springs State Park includes birding events such as an evening “Owl Prowl” and a songbird tour.

Monarch Butterfly Festival (October)
(850) 925-6121
Exhibits, demonstrations and tours celebrating butterflies, native plants, and the migrating monarch butterfly.

Wildlife Heritage Outdoor Festival (February)
(850) 925-6121
Tours, demonstrations and exhibits covering bird watching, local history and learn about the Whooping Cranes.

Featured Birding Sites

Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park

550 Wakulla Park Dr
Crawfordville, FL 32327

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Wakulla Springs State Park includes floodplain forest and a first magnitude spring that entice a large number of bird species to winter within its bounds. The park’s river cruises provide entertaining and informative guides to get you close to birds on the Wakulla River.

Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park at Lake Jackson

4000 N. Meridian Road
Tallahassee, FL 32312

Phone: (850) 891-3866
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A beautiful 670 acre tract of land on the eastern shore of Lake Jackson, Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park, offers a bluebird trail with a series of 30 bluebird boxes. Follow the trail and see how many of these beautiful birds you can spot.

J.R. Alford Greenway

2500 South Pedrick Rd
Tallahassee, FL 32311

Phone: (850) 606-1470
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J.R. Alford Greenway, a collection of more than 800 acres of old pastures, is another site on the Great Florida Birding Trail. Here you may see red-tailed hawks, wintering palm warblers, white-throated and grasshopper sparrows, and eastern meadowlarks, among a wide variety of bird species.

Maclay Gardens State Park

3540 Thomasville Rd.
Tallahassee, FL 32308

Phone: (850) 487-4556
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The 1,184 acres of Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park includes ornamental gardens, hammocks, ravines, pine woods, mixed pine and hardwood forest. Wintering orange-crowned warblers and blue-headed vireos are seen next to Lake Hall with many additional bird species being seen along the Lake Overstreet trails.

St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge

1255 Lighthouse Road
St. Marks, FL 32355

Phone: (850) 925-6121
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Serving as the gateway to the Panhandle Section of the Great Florida Birding Trail, the St. Marks NWR offers brochures for all sections of the Trail and loaner binoculars to visitors. All four seasons bring different species and numbers of birdlife. Waterfowl are most easily seen on the refuge from mid-November through late December. Shore birds are most common during late spring and early fall. Songbirds arrive from their wintering areas in early spring (April) and brighten the refuge with their varied colors and song.

Tallahassee Helicopters

3240 Capital Circle SW Tallahassee
Tallahassee, FL 32310

Phone: (850) 841-1111
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Come experience the thrill of helicopter flight at Tallahassee Helicopters. We offer 10 different tours around the beautiful Tallahassee area, or you can customize your own tour. In addition, we are a full service pilot academy. Our tours start at $29 per person