Birding at the Dry Tortugas
The weather at Dry Tortugas National Park may have been somewhat cloudy this past week, but that did not stop bird watchers from coming to the park in hopes of seeing a wide variety of birds. Many types of birds call the Dry Tortguas home, and many more types enjoy visiting the park almost as much as their human counterparts. Our bird sighting of the week, the Magnolia Warbler, traditionally lives in the dense coniferous forests of northern North America, but apparently chose to sample some Southern hospitality this past week.
While Magnolia Warblers spend much of their time in northern North America in British Columbia, Canada, and the Northeastern United States, they got their name from ornithologist Andrew Wilson, who named the warbler after the tree in which he discovered it in Mississippi. Their English name is “Black and yellow warbler”; Wilson used “magnolia” as part of the Latin name, which then became the standard name over time.
Spotting a Magnolia Warbler involves looking for stripes; Magnolia Warblers have a yellow chest, throat, and rump, and their sides are marked with black, vertical stripes. These birds often forage close to the ground, so their black neck bands, white wing bars and white tail patches are all easily visible to bird enthusiasts. Female Magnolia Warblers tend to have duller coloring than males, but the basic features are, essentially, the same.
One main difference between male and female Magnolia Warblers is that males have a distinctive mating song. They typically use this mating song during spring migration season and mating season, so visitors to the Dry Tortugas should keep their ears open for the three short phrases followed by an accented ending that signifies the mating call of the male Magnolia Warbler.
Bird watchers can see way more than Magnolia Warblers at Dry Tortugas National Park. Snorkeling is king out here at Dry Tortugas, but springtime and summertime are prime bird watching time in the Keys. Over 300 different species of birds have been seen at Dry Tortugas over the years, and bird watching guests sometimes see as many as 70 different avian species in one trip. Anyone interested in bird watching at Dry Tortugas National Park and Fort Jefferson should book a ferry or seaplane tour around the park for the best possible vacation experience.
Guests do not have to stop at bird watching; they can also tour Fort Jefferson and can, of course, go snorkeling. Dry Tortugas is just a few feet from the coral reefs, so bird watchers can cool off by taking a trip under the sea. For more information about the opportunities at Dry Tortugas National Park, visit the website or call us at (877) 243-2378.