“I felt for a moment as if the birds would raise me from the ground, so thick were they all round, and so quick the motion of their wings. Their cries were indeed deafening…” - John James Audubon, 1832

“Wherever we went there was a fresh eruption of black and white birds, billowing skyward and sweeping down upon us like a tornado. I believe the sooty tern colony of Bush Key to be the number one ornithological spectacle of the continent.” - Roger Tory Peterson, 1948

From their discovery in 1513 by Ponce de Leon, through the visit of naturalist John James Audubon in 1832, to the present, the Dry Tortugas have been known for their amazing richness in migrating land birds and vast seabird colonies. Imagine, 100,000 Sooty Terns all in one place, all at one time. That’s what you can see if you’re near Bush Key in the Dry Tortugas National Park during the nesting season each year from March through September. Though Bush Key is closed during nesting, the rookery may be observed with binoculars from Fort Jefferson on nearby Garden Key. Also seen nesting in the rookery are some 4,500 Brown Noddy Terns and occasionally Black Noddies are seen among them.

Brown Noddy

The seven tiny islands of Dry Tortugas are a vital layover for migrating birds traveling between South America and the United States making a staple in the Great Florida Birding Trail. Here you may find a ruby–throated hummingbird, peregrine falcon, yellow billed cuckoo and white-eyed vireo all in one day! Nearly 300 species of birds have been spotted here. Spring is the optimal time to view birds, but any season offers the chance to see something unique at this exquisite Florida Keys Birding spot. Even the untrained eye is easily impressed by the seven–foot wingspan of the magnificent frigate bird, often seen soaring above above the fort’s harbor light. Visitors between the months of February and September will also have the opportunity to watch in awe as thousands of sooty terns soar above Bush Key. Their raucous calls warn outsiders to stay clear of guarded chicks*. Here you may find a ruby throated hummingbird, peregrine falcon and yellow billed cuckoo. Nearly 300 species have been spotted in the Tortugas and it is not uncommon to see 70 or more species in the spring in a single day.

Sooties Soaring

Some of the common and rare species you will encounter along the Florida Birding Trail at the Dry Tortugas National Park include: Roseate and Bridled Terns, Masked and Brown Boobies, Red-Necked Phalarope, Red-Footed Boobie, Double-Crested Cormorants, Brown Pelicans, Frigate Birds, the Caribbean Short-Eared Owl, White-Tailed Tropicbird, Shiny Cowbird and the Golden Warbler. Come and enjoy the magnificent creatures that call the Dry Tortugas home. Roseate and bridled terns feed on fish and squid in open ocean waters surrounding the park. Often seen near Ft. Jefferson are masked and brown boobies, double crested cormorants, brown pelicans and magnificent frigate birds. During spring and fall migrations, Caribbean short eared owls, shiny cow birds, warblers, and thrushes grosbeaks cuckoos are seen on Garden Key where the fort was constructed. Summertime, look for white tailed tropic birds. Fall brings many acceptors. All year round there are always special birds to be seen at the Dry Tortugas.

Click here to download a Dry Tortugas National Park Florida Birding Checklist