By Paige Carbon
Wings Over Florida is an annual program that awards participants certificates for keeping track of their bird and butterfly observations in Florida from January 1 to December 31 each year. It’s a free program for all ages and there are multiple certificates for several milestones, including Big Year certificates, which highlight the number of bird and butterfly species observed in a single calendar year. The best part is that you don’t need much to get started, and birds and butterflies can be found almost anywhere.
The program is managed by the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, supported in part by the Florida Department of Transportation and the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida. At its inception, the focus was on tracking birds; later, butterfly counts were added to the program. There are some rules to follow, however. Non-native birds are not eligible to be counted. You don’t need to be a Florida resident to apply, but the birds and butterflies you observe must be seen in Florida.
Here in Hillsborough County, there are roughly 21 Great Florida Birding Trails to choose from. Close to home are Balm-Boyette Scrub Nature Preserve, Cockroach Bay Nature Preserve and Little Manatee River State Park, to name a few. But you don’t have to go far; backyard birding observations are a great way to start. For new birders, my advice is to visit a nearby park, go with a friend or join a guided walk in your area. The Tampa Audubon Society hosts guided events for most months and often loans binoculars for those still starting out. Hillsborough County Parks and Preserves lists some of the best birdwatching spots and the annual Hillsborough Hiking Spree kickoffs with guided walks at many of these sites.
By participating, you are inadvertently being a citizen scientist helping the state gather information about trends in birding and butterfly populations. In return, you get a beautiful commemorative and personalized certificate, and each year the featured bird and butterfly changes. There are up to six certificates for different bird and butterfly milestones, starting at just 25 for bird counts and 10 for butterfly counts, plus an additional Big Year certificate. Last year was my best bird Big Year ever recorded with 95 birds. My goal for this year is to reach 100 species.
For more information on the program, visit https://floridabirdingtrail.com/wings-over-florida/.
You must be logged in to post a comment.