Bird nerd. Avian enthusiast. Twitcher. If you are a lover of all feathered things, you are in for a treat when you come to Melbourne, FL and its surrounding areas. This area has some epic birdwatching opportunities, so gear up with your binoculars and head outdoors to see which fine flying friends are out and about in the neighborhood.
Garden Communities Melbourne, Florida
Getting outside and connecting with nature is so important to our well-being. And our Garden Communities property in Melbourne, FL offers plenty of opportunities to do just that, especially when it comes to wildlife viewing. And birdwatching tops that list. Coastal waterways and rivers, inland lakes, beachfront dunes, and massive conservation lands surround our community, meaning you can access prime and pristine birding right outside your front door!
Birding Hot Spots
Two great things about birding in Florida are the local weather and general location. Good weather year-round means plenty of birds and plenty of days to get outside to seek them out. Florida is also a prime destination for migratory birds, which means you’ll see plenty of locals as well as those passing through on their way north or south. It’s simply a birder’s paradise.
AllTrails provides an excellent list of nearby walking and hiking spots perfect for spotting local wildlife. This site is particularly handy because each trail is ranked according to its level of exercise difficulty. The Great Florida Wildlife and Birding Trail, created by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, provides a vast network of premier wildlife viewing sites, including 38 in Brevard County alone.
The Audubon Society is another excellent resource, offering a checklist of best-known birding sites along the Space Coast, including:
- Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
- Canaveral National Seashore
- Hatbill Park
- Jetty Park
- Lori Wilson Park
- River Lakes Conservation Area
- Rotary Park Merritt Island
- Sebastian Inlet State Park
- Turtle Creek Sanctuary
- St. Sebastian River Buffer Preserve
- TM Goodwin Marsh
- Viera Wetlands
Audubon also has a calendar of events, field trips, and presentations, providing ample opportunities to connect with other birders in the area and learn how you can get involved in local conservation work.
Types of Birds You Can Expect to See
Apps like Cornell University’s Merlin Bird ID help you to identify and learn about birds without the need to carry around a bunch of heavy bird books. This particular app is free and includes helpful features such as maps, photos, and sound recordings of bird call, plus you can create your own bird list to keep track of which birds you’ve seen.
In addition, if you input your location, the app can pinpoint which birds you are likely to see in your area at that specific time of year. If you want to take it one step further, you can use the partner app, ebird, and become a citizen scientist. By reporting your observations in ebird, you contribute important data that play a vital role in numerous conservation decisions, peer-reviewed papers, and thousands of student projects. Furthermore, your contribution also assists in shaping global bird research.
Looking for a bird list? Ebird offers a very handy checklist of birds of Brevard County, complete with calls, images, and timetables of when you’re likely to see each species.
Websites like Birdadvisor, Florida Hikes, and Space Coast Birding are also useful resources for identifying what birds are in the area.
Bring the Birds to You
If getting out and about isn’t an easy option for you, you can always bring the birds to you. Birdfeeders are an excellent way to see plenty of birds without having to trek around town.
Here are some tips on setting up your own bird feeder and some important notes on what you shouldn’t do.
Now that you know where to go and what to see, go get your bird on!