Davie
Sunny Lake Bird Sanctuary
Sunny Lake is the home of South Florida Audubon Society and a growing base for bird walks, environmental education, community science, native habitat projects, and volunteer stewardship.
Birding in Broward
A local guide to birding sites, habitats, access, seasonal highlights, and responsible birding across Broward County.
Broward County offers an unusually diverse mix of mangroves, hardwood hammocks, cypress wetlands, pine flatwoods, coastal habitats, urban green spaces, and Everglades-edge landscapes. This guide is designed to help residents and visitors choose a birding destination and know what to expect before they arrive.
Planning note: Hours, fees, trail conditions, construction, and access can change. Check the official park page before traveling. Bird sightings are never guaranteed; seasonal highlights below describe birds or bird groups that may be more likely at different times of year.
Choose a Birding Experience
Migration BirdingHardwood hammocks and wooded parks can be especially productive during spring and fall migration.
Wetland BirdsBoardwalks, lakes, mangroves, and marshes can offer wading birds, rails, herons, and waterfowl.
Accessible BirdingSeveral Broward locations include paved paths, boardwalks, accessible parking, restrooms, or other accessible amenities.
Beginner FriendlyNature centers and short trails make it easier to combine birding with maps, exhibits, restrooms, and interpretive information.
Featured Broward Birding Sites
Coconut Creek
Fern Forest Nature Center
Freshwater swamp, prairie, and hardwood hammock make Fern Forest one of Broward’s classic migration sites. The accessible boardwalk is a good introduction, while additional trails provide a more immersive natural-area experience.
Coral Springs
Tall Cypress Natural Area
A short boardwalk passes through cypress basin swamp, wetland depressions, and pine flatwoods. This is a compact site that works well for a focused morning bird walk without a long hike.
Fort Lauderdale
Hugh Taylor Birch State Park
This barrier-island park combines tropical hardwood hammock, mangrove edge, freshwater coastal dune lakes, and easy access near the Atlantic. It is well known among local birders as a migration stop and for occasional unusual Caribbean visitors.
Hollywood
West Lake Park & Anne Kolb Nature Center
Mangrove boardwalks, Intracoastal viewpoints, trails, an observation tower, and paddling opportunities make this one of Broward’s best places for combining birding with a broader nature-center visit.
Davie
Tree Tops Park & Pine Island Ridge
Tree Tops combines mature oaks, hammock, wetlands, and developed park amenities. An adjoining route leads into Pine Island Ridge for birders who want a longer and more natural trail experience.
Davie
Long Key Natural Area & Nature Center
Long Key protects one of Broward County’s oldest and largest intact hardwood hammocks. Paved, primitive, and multiuse trails provide access to a site known for diverse birds, butterflies, moths, and other wildlife.
Birding by Season
Winter
Look for wintering songbirds, waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors, and species that spend the cooler months in South Florida.
Spring Migration
Hardwood hammocks and wooded parks can produce warblers, vireos, thrushes, tanagers, flycatchers, and other northbound migrants.
Summer
Focus on resident birds, wading birds, nesting activity, fledglings, coastal species, and early-morning birding before the heat builds.
Fall Migration
Southbound migrants can make coastal parks, hammocks, and wooded natural areas especially productive after favorable weather.
Accessibility & Trip Planning
Accessibility varies from site to site and even between trails at the same park. Some locations offer paved trails or boardwalks, accessible parking and restrooms, while others include primitive, sandy, uneven, or potentially wet surfaces.
- Check the official park page before visiting for closures, construction, trail conditions, fees, and current hours.
- For wheelchair or mobility access, confirm the specific trail you plan to use rather than relying only on the site’s overall accessibility designation.
- Bring water, sun protection, and insect protection. South Florida conditions can change quickly.
- Early mornings are usually more comfortable and often better for bird activity.
Bird Responsibly
- Keep a respectful distance from birds, nests, roosts, and feeding areas.
- Stay on designated trails and respect closures, fencing, and protected habitat.
- Avoid excessive playback, particularly around nesting or stressed birds.
- Do not approach birds for photographs or block their path to food, water, nests, or young.
- Keep pets under control and follow each site’s pet rules; some natural areas do not allow pets.
- Be thoughtful about sharing sensitive nest or rare-bird locations when additional attention could create disturbance.
- Report observations through eBird or appropriate community-science programs when possible.
Explore More
Great Florida Birding & Wildlife Trail
Explore additional Broward and South Florida birding locations.
Browse Broward sites →Bird Resources
Find bird-identification tools, community science, checklists, apps, and birding guidance.
Explore Bird Resources →Bird Stewardship
Turn birding into conservation through monitoring, stewardship, and community science.
Explore Bird Stewardship →Explore Broward With SFAS
Use this guide to plan your next birding outing, then check the SFAS calendar for walks, programs, and opportunities to bird with the community.