Matt and Toby made this a wonderful holiday, not just by ensuring that we saw a wide range of birds but also in the attention to the detail of the logistics. We saw everything we hoped for and much more besides. This has been one of our best holidays. I will certainly be recommending this holiday to friends.
RM, Surrey, Feb 24
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Florida
Tour Code: USA02Swap the British winter for some Florida sunshine and experience the wide variety of birdlife that inhabits its woodlands, wetlands and sawgrass prairies.
£3,495 (Inc flights)
£2,995
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
Florida is one of the best birdwatching locations in North America: the perfect place for an introduction to American birds, as well as for a temporary escape from the British winter! This 10-day ‘Bargain Birdwatching tour’ begins in Orlando and concludes in Miami. It visits many of Florida’s outstanding wetland and coastal habitats as well as areas of woodland and open prairie. The famed Everglades Swamps ensure that the bird tally includes impressive concentrations of herons and waterbirds, but we should also see many species of wader and raptor as well as local specialities such as Roseate Spoonbill, Snail Kite, Sandhill Crane and Red-cockaded Woodpecker.
- Fantastic introduction to birding in the new world
- Explore the world-famous Everglades
- Enjoy warm winter sunshine
- Snail Kite, Limpkin, Florida Scrub Jay
- Masses of herons, egrets and wintering wildfowl and shorebirds
- Guided by an expert Naturetrek ornithologist
Grading
A standard bird watching tour with no prolonged treksFlorida, in the south-east corner of the USA, provides a great introduction to birding in North America with the added bonus of a sub-tropical climate. As well as a great selection of east coast birds there are a good number of specialities to be searched for such as the endangered Snail (Everglade) Kite, the unique Limpkin, the bizarre Smooth-billed Ani, Caribbean species such as Short-tailed Hawk, Shiny Cowbird and White-crowned Pigeon. The southern latitude also encourages a number of other species to over-winter rather than migrate to Central and South America; these include a number of American warblers and possibilities of Scissor-tailed Flycatcher and always a chance of a Caribbean vagrant. Add to this the wealth of wintering wildfowl and shorebirds plus the array of resident species and introduced exotics (68 species of parrot have been recorded in Florida!), there are the makings of a mouth-watering trip. In February the weather is normally settled with temperatures at Miami averaging 24°C with a humidity of 54% and precipitation of 47mm. Given a normal year, conditions should be perfect for pleasant birdwatching. The trip will have few long drives (more than two hours) without regular stops at some of the plethora of State Parks, Wildlife Refuges and National Preserves. We will visit Merritt Island (Cape Canaveral) but not for the Space Centre but for one of Florida’s richest Wildlife Refuges, protected by its proximity to NASA HQ! The prairies and swamplands around Kissimmee and Lake Okeechobee will also focus our attention as will the complex of Refuges on the Gulf Coast around Sanibel Island and the primeval Corkscrew Swamp. Finally we will drive across the northern edge of the Everglades National Park, explore the park as far as Flamingo and bird around the Homestead/South Miami region for a strange mix of exotics! Birds in Florida are often ridiculously tame, especially some of the herons and egrets, offering great photo opportunities to both beginner and experienced photographers. The relatively relaxed pace of the trip will accommodate such needs. It is unlikely that this will be your first and last trip to North America!
Outline Itinerary
What's Included?
- Flights
- Accommodation: Accommodation will be in standard motels with private facilities on the basis of sharing a twin-bedded room.
- Food:
No meals are included in the tour cost (although we expect some of the hotels will include a free breakfast). Please allow about £25-40 per day.
Reviews
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I am immensely satisfied to have been to Florida with Matt and Toby. The accommodation was great, the day trips into the field were a pleasure, the list of birds was incredible and there were many jaw dropping moments to be forever remembered thanks to these two guys.
AS, Merseyside, Feb 24 -
Had a superb holiday with lovely like minded people. The birds were amazing - so plentiful and so accessible. The two tour leaders were both excellent birders and planned our itinerary so we saw a very wide range of species. The hotels were first class and the food top notch. I have travelled with Naturetrek on several occasions and found them to be really good. Hence the reason I go back.
L.E. Greater Manchester, Feb 24 -
Fabulous! We were really impressed with the exceptional variety of birds and other wildlife Matthew always managed to find for us everyday. The itinerary was very comprehensive enabling us to get the most out of this trip and we enjoyed every bit of the tour from bird watching in the rain at dawn (our only rain!) to the daily trips to a range of different bird sites. The opportunities for bird spotting and photography were second to none at all locations and we couldn't believe the vast number of different species of birds and other wildlife Matthew had found for us by the end of the trip. This was our first experience of a Naturetrek holiday so unlike the other participants we had nothing to base our experience on. With this in mind we were extremely impressed with the organisation of the tour and can honestly say it gave us an experience that exceeded all expectations. Matthew was brilliant, very knowledgeable and informative as our trip leader. He also arranged a good variety of restaurants for our evening meal venues. We also liked the fact we were able to add extensions to the dates enabling us to spend extra days before and after the scheduled tour in Florida with Naturetrek taking care of the flight arrangements and joining instructions to meet the tour leader at Orlando Airport. The holiday was definitely good value for money. Due to Covid this was our first holiday in two years which made it even more enjoyable. Thank you all at Naturetrek!
A.W. Norfolk, Feb 22 -
The trip was an excellent introduction to birding in Florida with many opportunities to get close to wildlife in a variety of habitats. We have used Naturetrek for many years and were yet again impressed with their helpfulness and efficiency. Their selection of destinations and attention to detail make them our first choice for this kind of trip.
D.A. West Yorkshire, Feb 22 -
The variety of wildlife, in addition to the different habitats we experienced, made the tour one of the most memorable and wonderful nature holidays to date. The itinerary was extremely well planned to give us an excellent insight into the birdlife and other wildlife of Florida. Matthew and Toby were exceptional leaders and worked extremely well together.
HM & JM, Somerset, Feb 20 -
This was one of the best holidays I've had. This was down to the brilliant leaders Matt and Toby, and the wonderful wildlife to be found and experienced in Florida. Amazing! There was an all round interest in all wildlife - insects, birds, mammals, reptiles - which was excellent.
DC, Suffolk, Feb 20 -
The whole trip was really good. Each day produced excellent sightings of wildlife - just could not believe that every day was equal to or better than the day before! Florida just kept on giving! Both myself and my partner will have many happy memories of this trip as there were so many great wildlife encounters. Both Matthew and Toby were great leaders - very friendly, helpful and fun to be with, probably some of the best leaders we have had.
NS, Suffolk, Feb 20 -
This was a great trip; lots of variety, lovely scenery and well researched birding spots with the birds we were hoping to see. I was pleasantly surprised at the attractiveness of the rural landscape, as well as the better known areas like Sanibel Island and the Everglades. The manatees, dolphins and raccoons were a bonus too! Our tour guide Matthew's sense of humour and enthusiasm brought the group together, and made for a thoroughly enjoyable trip.
MJ, USA, Feb 19 -
The holiday was a wonderful experience. The itinerary was very varied and well balanced and the management and birding skills of the leader, Will Wagstaff, exceptional. He was ably assisted by Rob Mileto who helped to ensure that the whole trip more than lived up to my expectations.
T.M. Suffolk
Dates & Prices
2025
2026
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Our bargain birdwatching tours suit keen birders who want an active, fast-paced birding holiday with a dedicated focus on searching for birds rather than on looking at the area’s other wildlife or cultural highlights.
We offer a wide selection of long-haul holidays to many destinations in South America, Africa, Asia, Australia and elsewhere.
What can I expect?
- An expert English-speaking local ornithologist leader
- Outstanding value for money
- Dawn-to-dusk birding with limited time for rest, relaxation and outside interests
- Enviable bird lists
- Focused searches for endemics and regional specialities
Who are these tours best suited to?
- Keen & active birders – whether expert or making their first visit to a country or continent
- People looking for an action-packed bird-focused tour
Where can I go?
Naturetrek's selection of birdwatching holidays includes many South and Central American countries including Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela and Panama.
In Africa our selection includes Malawi, Ethiopia and South Africa, while in India and Nepal we offer a choice of 17 bargain birdwatching tours! Here are a few more choices:
- Endemics of Western Australia
- Argentina's Mar Chiquita
- Birds of Brazils Atlantic rainforest
- Colombia – home to the world’s richest avifauna
- Sri Lanka’s endemic birds
Our specialist recommends...
Paul Stanbury - Operations Manager
All Bargain birdwatching Tours
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The majority of our wildlife tours focus primarily on birds, allowing us to offer a huge choice of bird holidays. On most of our birdwatching tours we aim to see a wide variety of species, while taking time to enjoy other wildlife as well as cultural highlights and architecture.
Naturetrek Birdwatching Tours
We have one of the largest selections of professionally organised, small group birdwatching holidays around the world and all of our birdwatching tours are accompanied by at least one professional ornithologist leader with detailed knowledge of the area.
The majority of our bird tours have a relaxed, flexible approach which allows more time for photography, detailed wildlife exploration, leisure time and the region’s people, culture, history and architecture, while allowing the group to see a wide range of bird species.
Here is a small selection of our many bird holidays:
- Southern Morocco – an exploration of the birdlife in Morocco’s southern deserts, oases and mountains
- The Camargue in Spring – a short break to enjoy the spring birds of the Rhône Delta and Camargue wetland
- Wallcreepers & Cranes in Northern Spain – a 2-centre holiday focusing on Lammergeier, Wallcreepers, raptors, Cranes, bustards, sandgrouse and more!
- Madeira & Desertas Islands – A Seabird Extravaganza! – a short break focusing on special breeding seabirds, including a night on the remote Destertas Islands
- Peru – Macaws & Machu Picchu – searches for boobies, macaws and Inca Terns
- Spain & Morocco: Birding on Two Continents! – watch the spectacular spring bird migration from both sides of the Straits of Gibraltar
Our Bargain Birdwatching Selection
Our Bargain Bird Tours are intensive birdwatching holidays suitable for the serious birder. They are led by expert English-speaking local guides (and not accompanied from the UK by a tour leader). You can expect a higher-paced tour and to spend long hours in the field.
Our specialist recommends...
Byron Palacios - Tour Leader
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Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?
For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.
EnquireWhy Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!
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