Great Florida Birding Trail

The 2000 mile (3200 km)long Great Florida Birding Trail (GFBT) is a collection of more than 400 locations in the U.S. state of Florida. The sites were chosen to conserve and enhance the state's bird habitats through promotion of birdwatching, environmental education and ecotourism.

The trail is divided into four sections, each containing at least two 'gateway' sites:

• Panhandle - 78 sites in 16 counties
  • Big Lagoon State Park - Escambia County
  • St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge - Lighthouse Unit - Wakulla County
• West - 117 sites in 21 counties
  • Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park - Alachua County
  • Fort De Soto Park - Pinellas County
• Eastern - 135 sites in 18 counties
  • Fort Clinch State Park - Nassau County
  • Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge - Brevard County
  • Tenoroc Fish Management Area - Polk County
• South - 116 sites in 12 counties List of Sites South Section Great Florida Birding Trail
  • Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary - Collier County
  • Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge - Palm Beach County

Within each section, the sites are grouped into clusters. Usually the sites in a cluster are within an hour's drive of each other.

Many of the state's 480 species can be found along the Trail, including the Roseate Spoonbill, Limpkin, Swallow-tailed Kite, Red-cockaded Woodpecker and the endangered Florida Scrub-Jay. Free Trail guides are available from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and on the GFBT website.

External links

• Official site for the Great Florida Birding Trail
• Audubon Guide to the Great Florida Birding Trail at National Audubon Society
• Article about the Trail's completion at Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
• Q&A With: Julie Brashears, Great Florida Birding Trail Coordinator at EcoFlorida