Pack your binoculars and get ready to see rare birds and native Florida wildlife! Florida’s Adventure Coast is home to two habitat clusters of the Great Florida Birding Trail. View our listings of parks and preserves for fantastic sites to see birds and wildlife.
DISCOVER EIGHT SITES ALONG THE GREAT FLORIDA BIRDING & WILDLIFE TRAIL
Having an abundance of natural spaces and undeveloped coastline, Florida’s Adventure Coast, Brooksville-Weeki Wachee is brimming with opportunities for wildlife viewing. Many native species thrive here in Nature’s Place to Play, including many endangered or threatened species such as gopher tortoises, bald eagles, red-headed woodpeckers, Florida scrub jays, green sea turtles, southern fox squirrels and the beloved West Indian manatee.
Florida’s Adventure Coast is home to eight locations on the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, with hotspots including the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area, Chinsegut Wildlife and Environmental Area (Chinsegut WEA), the Withlacoochee State Forest and McKethan Lake Park, and well as coastal areas such as Linda Pedersen Park, the Weekiwachee Preserve, Pine Island Beach Park, and Bayport Park.
Brooksville is also home to one of Florida’s strongest populations of Red-headed Woodpeckers. According to Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count data, this area hosts the second highest number of these striking birds in the state. With their fully crimson heads, glossy black backs, and bold white wing patches, Red-headed Woodpeckers are often described as “flying checkerboards.”
Though their numbers are declining in Florida, you can still spot them in open forests, pine plantations, and mature savannas, where they forage for insects and seeds and sometimes snatch prey right out of the air.
If you’re hoping to see a Red-headed Woodpecker on Florida’s Adventure Coast, the Chinsegut Conservation Center—just 7 miles north of Brooksville—is one of the best places to start your search. Here visitors can enjoy educational programs and guided hikes offered throughout the year, as well as seasonal outdoor skills programs for all ages. Learn all about Florida’s environments and wildlife, or simply enjoy a hike on over five miles of trails accessible from the center.
Chinsegut is also home to bat houses, hosting a 2000-member colony of native Brazilian free-tailed bats that emerge just after sunset. You can witness this amazing ritual nearly any evening or attend special events hosted by the center for bat watching and night hikes.
Here on Florida’s Adventure Coast, the Hernando Audubon Society offers great tips, meetings and field trips for birding. Plan your next adventure with their calendar of events, attend a beginner’s birdwatching class at Chinsegut Conservation Center, or download the Birding Sites and Checklist.
MANATEE VIEWING
You may have the opportunity to spot manatees in our coastal areas. As temperatures dip in the Winter, these gentle marine mammals seek warm, shallow waters commonly found in our rivers and springs; Linda Pederson Park is a popular viewing spot.
Because human interaction can potentially alter the behavior of wild manatees and put the creatures at risk, it’s important to give the creatures plenty of space, and remember that it is illegal to harass manatees in any way.
PLAY YOUR ROLE IN PRESERVATION
On Florida’s Adventure Coast, Brooksville – Weeki Wachee, everyone plays a role in protection of abundant wildlife found nowhere else. From boaters who spot sea turtles, manatees, dolphins or other marine life in distress, to hikers and homeowners, the first line of defense is the public.
An immediate report to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission hotline by phone at 888-404-FWCC (3922) starts the response chain. Another way to help is to contact the nearest licensed wildlife rehabilitator from those listed on MyFWC.com.
Most importantly, visit responsibly; avoid disturbing the wildlife, carry out your trash and leave no trace.
WIDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY WITH SONNY VERGARA
WILDLIFE & BIRDWATCHING
where to go see wildlife
Wildlife Adventures
Discover native wildlife on Florida’s Adventure Coast
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Get Up and Go Kayaking on Florida’s Adventure Coast, Brooksville-Weeki Wachee
Take in these amazing views in a 100% clear kayak with one of their three unique ecotour experiences! Their guided eco tours give you up-close-and-personal access to the beautiful wildlife and plant life! Come experience all Florida’s Adventure Coast, Brooksville-Weeki
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Marching Molars and More About Manatees
Manatees are more than seagrass munching marine mammals; they are iconic, beloved symbols of natural Florida. View them in Florida’s Adventure Coast waterways, particularly during cooler times of the year.
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Airboat Adventures on Florida’s Adventure Coast
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Learn Something New on Vacation on Florida’s Adventure Coast
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Discover Summer’s Last Hurrah on Florida’s Adventure Coast
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