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Fakahatchee ferns

Identifying Florida Species

Basic information and photos to help you identify specific plants, wildflowers, trees, birds, and wildlife in Florida.

Great egret

great egret

Bird Identification      ( Florida Species )      

The largest of the white-colored wading birds in Florida, the great egret is frequently seen in wetlands areas and along waterways.

Green heron

Green heron

Bird Identification      ( Florida Species )      

Green herons look very much like the American Bittern from a distance. But the way they hold their neck and the iridescent green of the feathers on their backs help make them easy to identify.

Green-fly Orchid

Greenfly orchid

December 9, 2011    Sandra Friend

Epidendrum conopseum

Gulf Coast Lupine

Gulf Coast lupine

April 11, 2013    Sandra Friend

Gulf Coast lupine (Lupinus westianus) is a threatened species found in sandhill/clayhill habitats in the far western corner of Florida.

Limpkin

Limpkin in flight

Bird Identification      ( Florida Species )      

Chestnut-brown with white spots, the limpkin has a curved beak much like an ibis. It is one of Florida’s more rare birds, and has been listed on the protected species list. Its diet consists mostly of the apple snail.

Little blue heron

Little blue heron

Bird Identification      ( Florida Species )      

Few wading birds sound genuinely upset when you walk past them, but the little blue heron sure kicks up a fuss – and usually moves away quickly, no matter how softly you walk.

Longleaf Pine

longleaf pine

December 9, 2011    Sandra Friend

The tallest of Florida’s pines, longleaf pine also has the longest needles, more than a foot long. Favored for lumber, most of the longleaf pine forests of the Southeast have been logged, but you can still immerse in impressive longleaf pine stands on Florida’s trails.

Louisiana (tricolored) heron

Tricolored heron (Louisiana heron)

Bird Identification      ( Florida Species )      

A distinctive white-bellied blue heron, the Louisiana heron is also known as the tricolored heron.

Moonflower

Moonflower

December 9, 2011    Sandra Friend

A night bloomer that begins to close as daylight arrives, moonflower (Ipomoea alba) is commonly seen around Lake Okeechobee and throughout the Big Cypress as a draping vine cascading over trees and shrubs.

Moorhen

common gallinule with chick

Bird Identification      ( Florida Species )      

One of the noisiest residents of the marsh, the moorhen – also known as the common gallinule or marsh hen – has a distinctive red beak compared to their cousins the coots.

Mottled duck

mottled ducks

Bird Identification      ( Florida Species )      

A dabbling duck, the mottled duck floats along the surface of the water and daintily dabs its bill into the water to feed, or tips over to reach vegetation at the bottom.

Osprey

Osprey hovering

Bird Identification      ( Florida Species )      

The osprey is a large black and white raptor, up to two feet tall and with a six-foot wingspan. It dives for fish and is found near freshwater and saltwater habitats.

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