Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Florida Matters: Birding In Tampa Bay

The Tampa Bay Area is a mecca for bird-watchers year round. But spring is particularly special, when Florida’s native species are joined by large numbers of other birds migrating north.

Click here to listen to the program.

This week on Florida Matters we’ll learn about our region’s bird population and hear the stories of people who make observing these winged animals their life passion.

Our panel includes:

Ann Paul: Tampa Bay Area Regional Coordinator for Audubon’s Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries. She is an expert in water bird populations and management of coastal habitats for wildlife. She is also on the board of the Tampa Bay Conservancy.

Mary Keith: President of the Tampa Audubon Society

Dave Goodwin: Former president of the Florida Ornithological Society and of St. Petersburg Audubon. He has been birding in Florida for over 50 years and currently has the third-highest list total in the state, at 471 species.

Do you have a favorite birding experience? Share your comments on our Facebook page, tweet @FloridaMatters or by email FloridaMatters@wusf.org.

Interested in going on a local bird walk? There are a number of field trips planned in Tampaand St. Petersburg this year.

Learn more about the Florida Birding and Nature Festival coming up this October in Tampa.

All bird sounds featured on the program came courtesy of the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

A Limpkin, whose call some have compared to the sound of "somebody getting strangled."
Mary Keith / Tampa Audubon Society
/
Tampa Audubon Society
A Limpkin, whose call some have compared to the sound of "somebody getting strangled."
The Prothonotary Warbler, a beautiful but elusive bird some panelists on our show said converted ordinary onlookers into "birders."
Doug DeNeve / Tampa Audubon Society
/
Tampa Audubon Society
The Prothonotary Warbler, a beautiful but elusive bird some panelists on our show said converted ordinary onlookers into "birders."
The Reddish Egret often nests in colonies with other egrets on coastal islands.
Tom Bell / Audubon Florida
/
Audubon Florida
The Reddish Egret often nests in colonies with other egrets on coastal islands.
Roseate Spoonbill
Mary Keith / Tampa Audubon Society
/
Tampa Audubon Society
Roseate Spoonbill
Little Blue Heron
/ Audubon Florida
/
Audubon Florida
Little Blue Heron
Cardinal
Tom Bell / Audubon Florida
/
Audubon Florida
Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Tom Bell / Audubon Florida
/
Audubon Florida
Indigo Bunting

Copyright 2018 WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7

Stephanie Colombini joined WUSF Public Media in December 2016 as Producer of Florida Matters, WUSF’s public affairs show. She’s also a reporter for WUSF’s Health News Florida project.
Robin is Senior Editor at WUSF, spearheading the station's podcasting initiatives and helping to guide the vision for special reporting projects and creative storytelling. She hosts the weekly current affairs program, Florida Matters, on WUSF and also created The Zest, the station's podcast that's all about food, which she continues to host and serve as senior producer.