10 COOLEST BIRDS TO SEE IN DRY TORTUGAS

LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 70 MILES OFF THE COAST OF KEY WEST IS DRY TORTUGAS AND THE DRY TORTUGAS NATIONAL PARK. INSIDE OF DRY TORTUGAS YOU CAN FIND OVER 299 SPECIES OF BIRDS.

DEPENDING ON THE TIME OF YEAR YOU MAY ONLY FIND 40 SPECIES THAT ARE LONG-TERM RESIDENTS AND STAY FOR A SEASON. THERE ARE HOWEVER 7 SPECIES OF BIRDS THAT RESIDE AND LIVE FULL TIME AT DRY TORTUGAS. TODAY WERE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THEM AND A FEW OTHER SPECIES THAT ARE SUPER INTERESTING! BUT FIRST: LET ME SHARE A FEW FACTS ABOUT THE AREA

THE AREA WAS OWNED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE IN 1908, BUT TO PROTECT THE NATURAL AND HISTORIC RESOURCES, NESTING COLONIES, AND MARINE LIFE: THE FORT JEFFERSON NATIONAL MONUMENT WAS CREATED. IT HAS SINCED BEEN MODIFIED TO BECOME WHAT IT IS TODAY: THE DRY TORTUGAS NATIONAL PARK

EVER SINCE SPANISH EXPLORER PONCE DE LEON CAME ACROSS THIS AMAZING PLACE AND CAUGHT SIGHT OF THE LUSCIOUS LIFE BOOMING HERE IT HAS BECOME A VERY DESIRED PLACE FOR BIRD WATCHERS, SAILORS, AND TOURISTS.

JUMPING RIGHT IN AT NUMBER 10 ARE THE BOOBIES. WHILE THERE ARE 3 TYPES OF BOOBIES THAT VISIT DRY TORTUGAS, THE MASKED BOOBY IS THE LARGEST OF THE BOOBY FAMILY AND IS ONE OF 7 BIRD SPECIES THAT RESIDE AT DRTO (DRY TORTUGAS) FULL TIME.

10. MASKED & BROWN BOOBY

MASKED BOOBY

THE BROWN BOOBY IS SIMILAR TO THE MASKED BOOBY IN MANY WAYS. HOWEVER, THE BROWN BOOBY IS ONLY ONE OF A FEW SEA BIRDS TO LAY 2 EGGS PER BREADING SEASON AND IS THE ONLY GROUND NESTING BOOBY THAT BUILDS A NEST AND USES IT AS A CRUCIAL COURTSHIP TOOL.

BROWN BOOBY

9. SOOTY & ROSEATE TERN

SOOTY TERN

THE SOOTY TERN IS ONE OF 7 SPECIES OF BIRDS THAT YOU CAN FIND YEAR ROUND AT DRY TORTUGAS! THEY BREED IN LARGE NOISY COLONIES, SPEND MOST OF THEIR LIFE OUT AT SEA, AND ARE KNOWN TO TAKE 1-2 SECOND NAPS WHILE FLYING. AFTER A 2023 TROPICAL STORM DESTROYED THEIR HABITAT SOOTY TERNS WERE OBSERVED LAYING NESTS DIRECTLY ON THE GROUND.

ROSEATE TERN

A ROSEATE TERN IS USUALLY AROUND 14-17 INCHES LONG AND CAN HAVE A WING SPAN OF ABOUT 30 INCHES. THEIR LIFESPAN IS AROUND 8 YEARS HOWEVER, THE OLDEST RECORDED ROSEATE TERN LIVED 25.8 YEARS! THE ROSEATE TERN IS ONE OF 7 SPECIES OF BIRDS THAT RESIDE FULL TIME AT DRY TORTUGAS.

8.GREAT BLUE HERON (& WHITE PHASE)

GREAT BLUE HERON

GREAT BLUE HERONS STAND AT ABOUT 4 FT TALL AND CAN HAVE A MASIVE 6 FT WINGSPAN! PARENTS TAKE TURNS INTUBATING THE EGGS FOR 4 WEEKS AND THEIR YOUNG CAN TAKE THEIR FIRST FLIGHT AT JUST 60 DAYS OLD.

GREAT BLUE HERON WHITE PHASE

THIS WHITE BIRD IS A MORPH OF THE GREAT BLUE HERON. THEY ARE THE SAME IN SIZE AND SHAPE. SMALL NUMBERS ARE SEEN IN FLORIDA AND DRY TORTUGAS, HOWEVER THEY FREQUENT CUBA AND OTHER CARIBBEAN ISLAND MUCH MORE.

7. BROWN & AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN

BROWN PELICAN

BROWN PELICANS IN BOTH ADULT AND JUVENILE FORMS ARE A COMMON SIGHT IN DRY TORTUGAS. THEY ARE ONE OF 7 SPECIES YOU CAN FIND AT DRTO YEAR ROUND. THERE ARE MULTIPLE SUBSPECIES OF BROWN PELICANS AND THEY CAN FLY UP TO 100 FT HIGH BEFORE BOMBING DOWN INTO THE WATER TO SCOOP OUT A YUMMY SNACK.

AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN

AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS ARE ONE OF THE BIGGEST SPECIES OF BIRDS IN NORTH AMERICA. UNLIKE BROWN PELICANS, THE WHITE AMERICAN PELICAN DOES NOT DIVE INTO THE WATER. INSTEAD THEY HUNT THEIR FOOD FROM THE WATERS SURFACE.

6. OSPREY

ALSO KNOWN AS THE “SEA HAWK” THE OSPREY HAVE BARBED PADS ON THE SOLES OF THEIR FEET THAT ALLOW THEM TO GRIP SLIPPERY FISH AND ARE UNUSUAL IN THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE A REVERSIBLE OUTER TOE THAT ALLOWS THEM TO GRIP WITH 2 TOES IN THE FRONT AND 2 IN THE BACK.

“OSPREY” COMES FROM THE OLD FRENCH WORD “OSPREIT” WHICH DERIVES FROM THE LATIN “AVIS PRAEDAE” MEANING “BIRD OF PREY”. OSPREY CAN DIVE HEAD TO TALON INTO WATER, GET COMPLETELY SOAKED AND STILL FLY AWAY WITH A FULL MEAL IN THEIR GRIPS.

5. TURKEY VULTURE

TURKEY VULTURES ARE NOT INCREDIBLY COMMON IN DRY TORTUGAS BUT THEY HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO VISIT FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME. TURKEY VULTURES ARE THE ONLY TYPE OF VULTURE WITH A GOOD SENSE OF SMELL AND OTHER VULTURES ARE KNOWN TO FOLLOW THEM IN SEARCH FOR FOOD.

SINCE THE TURKEY VUTURE HAS EXTREMELY ACIDIC STOMACH ACID THEY ARE ABLE TO DIGEST ALMOST ANYTHING INCLUDING CARCASES TAINTED WITH ANTHRAX, RABIES, AND TUBERCULOSIS WITHOUT GETTING SICK. THEY LIVE ABOUT 16 YEARS IN THE WILD AND ABOUT 30 YEARS IN CAPTIVITY AND WHEN ITS HOT OUTSIDE TURKEY VULTURES HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO DEFECATE ON THEIR FEET TO COOL OFF.

4. PEREGRINE FALCON

THE PEREGRINE FALCON CAN BE FOUND ON EVERY CONTINENT EXCEPT ANTARCTICA, AND THEY ARE KNOWN TO VISIT MANY OCEANIC ISLANDS JUST LIKE DRY TORTUGAS! THESE FALCONS CAN SEE UP TO ONE MILE AND ARE CAPABLE OF TRACKING 3 MOVING OBJECTS AT ONCE.

WHEN PEREGRINE FALCONS ENTER A HUNTING DIVE CALLED A “STOOP” THEY CAN REACH SPEEDS UP TO 240 MILES PER HOUR! THIS MAKES THEM ONE OF THE FASTEST ANIMALS ON THE PLANET, AND THEY NEED IT SINCE THEIR SPECIES TRAVEL VERY FAR.

3. BROWN/ BLACK NODDY

BLACK NODDYS ARE ABOUT A FOOT IN LENGTH AND HAVE ABOUT A 2 FT WINGSPAN. THEY LIVE ABOUT 27 YEARS IN THE WILD AND ARE VERY COMMON IN DRY TORTUGAS.

BLACK NODDY

THE BROWN NODDY CAN SOMETIMES BE SEEN ONTOP OF PELICANS HEAD IN ATTEMPT TO SCOOP UP SOME LEFTOVER FISH. THE NODDING MOVEMENT THEY MAKE DURING COURTSHIP RITUALS ARE WHAT GIVE THEM THEIR NAME.

BROWN NODDY

2. MOURNING DOVE

MOURNING DOVES ARE ONE OF 7 BIRD SPECIES THAT LIVE FULL TIME AT DRY TORTUGAS. THEY HAVE A VERY CALMING COOING SOUND AND UNLIKE MANY BIRDS, WHEN MOURNING DOVES SLEEP THEY DO NOT TUCK THEIR HEAD INTO THEIR FEATHERS.

1. MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRD

ALSO KNOWN AS THE “MAN-O-WAR” BIRD OR “PIRATE BIRD” BECAUSE THEY HARASS OTHER BIRDS FOR THEIR FOOD. THE MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRD IS ONE OF 7 BIRD SPECIES THAT LIVE AT DRTO FULL TIME!

YOUNG FRIGATEBIRDS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO HOLD STICKS IN THEIR MOUTH AND CHASE EACH OTHER. AND UNLIKE MANY OTHER SEABIRDS, THE FRIGATEBIRDS FEATHERS ARE NOT WATERPROOF.