Bird-watching at Price's Scrub

This park is ideal for the visitor craving a secluded hike in a natural setting. Not likely to bump into another person, you'll have a better chance to catch a glimpse of many uncommon bird species that avoid anthropogenic noise pollution.

One remarkable species you might encounter, an Eastern towhee, is a strikingly marked sparrow that rummages in the scrub undergrowth and is more often identified by its "chewink" call rather than by sight.   

You're even more likely to witness the elegant soaring of imperiled swallow-tailed kites. This graceful black-and-white raptor with a forked tail forages over the pine flatwoods; maybe you'll see it eating a dragonfly while still in flight. 

At the borrow pit in the park's southeastern corner, you might come across another imperiled species, the little blue heron. This heron, easily overlooked at first glance, is small and dark, arrayed in moody blues and purples, and an inconspicuous resident of Florida marshes and estuaries. The warblers here provide an exceptional opportunity to hone your bird ID skills.

Species to look and listen for include pine, palm, black-and-white and yellow-rumped warblers. The ever-popular bald eagle is often spotted at Water Lily Pond, a sinkhole lake, along with kingfishers and an array of various wading birds.

You're likely to see many birds active along the tree line, particularly around snags or dead trees. Woodpeckers use snags for nesting and roosting, and the cavities created by woodpeckers provide homes for other birds such as the Southeastern kestrel, Eastern bluebird and screech owl.

Whether you're an experienced birder or a novice, explore the nearly 1,000 acres that comprise Price's Scrub State Park for a memorable birding experience.