Birding in Central Florida is Incredible

Thank You for 12 Awesome Years!

We couldn't have asked for a better group of people to share our rivers with!

Choose Your Birding Tour Here! Bird watching in Central Florida is great any time of year...

Central Florida’s subtropical climate is great for bird watching and through our guided bird watching tours you’ll experience the rare birds Orlando has to offer. We’ll show you those special places where you’ll see such favorites as Purple Gallinules, White Ibis, Limpkins and many more. Our area is the gateway to the Ocala National Forest and we offer guided bird watching tours near Orlando, Daytona Beach, The Villages and Mt Dora, FL.

Central Florida Nature Adventures, llc offers guided tours for bird watchers, wildlife enthusiasts, nature lovers, photographers and everyone in between. The corridor between Tampa, Orlando and Daytona Beach is fantastic for bird watching and this is exactly where our birding tours take place! Florida is the migratory path for many birds and you will have the ability to get up close and personal with them through our guided bird watching tours. It's like going on a Christmas Bird Count but we get to do it all year long. Bring your binoculars, it's a beautiful sight!

When it comes to bird watching tours near Orlando our lead guide Kenny is an authority on Central Florida's rare and tropical birds. He is an enthusiastic birder with an exceptional eye for finding them. Whether you are a beginner or experienced bird watcher we offer both traditional bird watching tours on land and birding by kayak tours. Our kayaks are well suited for the aquatic preserves we travel and these extremely stable vessels are the perfect platform for a relaxing guided bird watching tour. Come; discover Florida's Birdlife and take home memories that last a lifetime!

The Boardwalk-Temporarily Unavailable

This is a traditional land based bird watching tour that is 1.5 hours long and wheelchair accessible. Spend your morning exploring a wetland area to view some of Florida's rare and tropical birds. Visit with the Purple Gallinules, Limpkins, Anhingas and others that thrive in these freshwater marshes.

Level of Difficulty: No Experience Necessary $32.00

Temporarily Unavailable

The Uplands
This bird watching tour offers the best of both worlds uplands and wetlands. It is a 2-3 hour walk which starts on a high ridge. Here you can experience woodland birds such as Pileated Woodpeckers, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and Cardinals. Then we'll meander down to a protected preserve where the indigenous and tropical Limpkins and Anhingas thrive. Being close to Orlando makes this tour a Birder's favorite.
Level of Difficulty: No Experience Necessary $64.00
Temporarily Unavailable

St. Johns River I or II

This river is a great place to go bird watching by kayak. A wildlife paradise it was once the byway for commerce in Central Florida. Goods and services were brought to the area via the St Johns by Paddle Wheel boats. Several springs and tributaries join in to create habitats for birds of all kinds. The Swallow-tailed Kites, Bald Eagles, Osprey, Great Blue Herons, Wood Storks, Limpkins, Anhingas, Egrets, Cormorants and many other bird species nest here and call this place home. This is a relaxing 2-3 or 4-5 hour tour!

Level of Difficulty: No Experience Necessary $64.00 or $94.00
Book Your 2-3 hour St Johns River Bird Watching Tour

Book the 4-5 hour St Johns Birding Tour

Wekiva River I or II

This wildlife filled river was at one time home of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker and it's a great birding spot. As we kayak this pristine waterway we'll have the chance to see Great Egrets, American Bitterns, Pileated Woodpeckers, Swallow-tailed Kites, Little Blue, Tri-colored & Green Herons as well as many of the other waterfowl that flourish on this wild and scenic river. We are able to do a 2-3 hour or 4-5 hour tour here.

Level of Difficulty: No Experience Necessary $64.00 or $94.00

Book Your 2-3 hour Wekiva River Bird Watching Tour

Book the 4-5 hour Wekiva Birding Tour

Silver River I

Exceptionally scenic! Silver Springs, the headwaters of the Silver River is the second largest spring in Florida and it's loaded with Mother Nature's treasures! Fantastic for birders you’ll have a chance to see many of Florida's wading birds as well as Red-shouldered Hawks, Barred Owls, Yellow-crowned and Black-crowned Night Herons, Anhingas, Cormorants and much more. Home of the world famous Rhesus Macaque Monkeys you'll have a chance to see them too! This is a beautiful 4-5 hour bird watching tour!

Level of Difficulty: Previous Kayaking Experience Recommended $94.00
Book Your Silver River Bird Watching Tour

Winter Manatee Tour I or II

Winter in Florida is a magical time. The Manatee comes inland to bask in the 72 degree waters of Florida's beautiful springs. This is a great doubleheader! During this exceptional tour you'll explore the back bays of the St Johns River for Birding and have the opportunity to meet the Manatees as well. If you have never experienced this gentle creature, now is the time! This is a great 2-3 or 4-5 hour tour.

Level of Difficulty: No Experience Necessary $64.00 or $94.00
Book your combo Manatee and Birding Tours

We have packages for ages 5 years and older & all of our birding tours are booked by reservation.

3 Easy ways to Book

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The illusive American Bittern #BirdingWithKenny

An awesome day of Birding near Orlando

There are several places to go birding near the Orlando area but the Lower Wekiva River rocks it! Justine and Kenny put the kayaks in at Katie’s Landing and headed off for what would be a banner day. Birding by kayak is an exceptional way to get up close to Mother Nature without disturbing her in action. The White Ibis and Wood Storks were out in droves. They spotted Great Blue, Tri-colored and Little Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Osprey, Limpkins and more. It’s always a good day when you get to visit with a family of Sandhill Cranes and find a juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron. With the weather turning cooler the migration has begun and this makes the Lower Wekiva River a fantastic birding spot. Several turtles and an Alligator came out to greet them as well. So if you find yourself near Orlando looking to do some birding check out the Lower Wekiva River or give us a shout we’ll hook you up on a tour #BirdingWithKenny.

Jenny Boyd
Copyright © 2018

Simple Checklist for Beginner Birders

Most people see birds as those cool things that fly around. The curiosity hasn’t set in beyond that yet.

Beginner Birders are great people who are embarking on an amazing journey!

You know you are a Beginner Birder if… When you see one you say to yourself “What kind of bird is that?” Then you call someone who might know.

As Birders we all share this kid-like excitement that comes from being curious enough to want to learn more. So we put together a simple checklist for Beginner Birders.

1) Good Binoculars are a must. A crappy pair of binoculars is just frustrating!
Nikon Monarch 8 x 42 is what we at Central Florida Nature Adventures use and they are fantastically rugged.

2) Birder Field Guides
David Allen Sibley is one of the leaders in Birding and his books are fantastic for Beginner Birders because they are easy to read with exceptionally detailed drawings. He does them himself!

3) Birding Apps
Audubon has an excellent app with awesome photos, sounds and maps.
Merlin by Cornell Lab is also a good birding app. We use both.

That’s it! The checklist for beginner birders is complete. So for less than $350.00 you have a new hobby.

We recommend to beginner birders that they start small and grow from there. In your local area or even your backyard is a great place. Purchase the books and download the apps that cover your location. Once you can identify the locals it makes it much easier to identify others as you expand.

We hope this checklist is helpful and if you ever have any questions about the birds you see or would like to join us on a Birding Tour give us a shout!

Jenny Boyd
Copyright © 2018

The difference between the Great Blue Heron and Little Blue Heron

Many people on our bird watching tours ask: What is the difference between the Great Blue Heron and the Little Blue Heron? While some think the Little Blue Heron is the juvenile to the Great Blue that is not the case, they are actually two completely different species.

The most noticeable difference between them is their size.

The Little Blue Heron (left) is only 24 inches (61 cm) in length where the Great Blue Heron (right) is 46 inches (117 cm) in length.

The Little Blue Heron starts life as a completely white bird. Within its first year it starts to molt and become grayish

Then it becomes a unique calico color

If it's having a bad hair day it might look like this!

After its first full year it becomes this amazing, beautiful blue

And then the Little Blue Heron sets off to find a mate

The Great Blue Heron starts life as shades of gray

Eventually his dark gray becomes darker and his colors become more pronounced

His next thing in life is to build a grand nest that a female will gladly accept as hers too and raise a few more Great Blue Herons.

We hope this information helps confirm the difference between the Great Blue Heron and Little Blue Heron!

Central Florida Nature Adventures, llc #BirdingWithKenny

Jenny Boyd

DIY Hummingbird Feeder Ant Mote

We've had a record number of Hummers this year but were having trouble keeping the Ants out of our Hummingbird feeder. We needed an Ant Mote!! After much research, trial and error I made a DIY Hummingbird feeder Ant Mote. I was amazed to see that it actually worked!! No harm to the Ants, Hummers are happy and all is well in the Hummingbird Feeder Ant Mote World.

We hope this helps you too.

Bird Watching near The Villages is Awesome!

If you are interested in doing some bird watching near The Villages, Central Florida Nature Adventures, llc has got a treat for you! As avid birders it’s our absolute pleasure to introduce you to the rare and tropical birds that live near The Villages. Their antics are fun to watch and it’s always a grand morning when you can spend part of it with Mother Nature. Sjoerd and Christine can attest to that. Visiting The Villages, they choose the St Johns River Birding II Tour to do a little #BirdingWithKenny and struck gold. Purple Gallinules lead the way, young Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets and the male Anhinga with his brilliant green eye were among the sights. It's always good to see the indigenous Limpkins thriving and on this particular tour we were graced with Manatees too!

This bird watching tour is via kayak and we meet in Orange City near Blue Spring State Park but there are tours offered that are via foot and some that are accessible by wheelchair. These bird watching tours are great for all ages and no experience is necessary. When you are ready to do some birding near The Villages look us up, we'd love to have you join us on a tour!

Photos compliments of Sjoerd Mullender and Christine Scheel
June 26, 2018 Jenny Boyd
Copyright © 2018

Some of the Best Birding Tours near Disney World are via a Kayak

Susan and Kenny set out on a birding and wildlife expedition on the Wekiva River for Birders I Tour and hit the jackpot! Launching their kayaks from Katie's Landing State Park which is part of the Lower Wekiva River Preserve near Sanford, FL they paddled up stream for a bit then headed to the wilder side. Juvenile Little Green Herons are now being taught how to fish, Mottled Duck and Whistling Duck babies are perusing the river. Ospreys are teaching their young to forage for themselves and the River Turtles were out sunning. There were a few Alligators napping in the sunshine too. The Limpkins chicks have grown into adults but the Wild Turkey chicks are still bumping around on the ground. Watching the Tri-colored Heron dance for the fish was a "let's just stop here for a moment" moment! Once around the corner of the old River Haven Fish Camp the Wekiva becomes truly wild. Bastard Indigo is now in bloom, Apple Snails Eggs are being laid and the Red-Shouldered Hawk came out to say hello. Some of the best bird watching tours near Disney World are truly via a kayak #BirdingWithKenny!

Photos compliments of Susan Roach
June 7, 2018 Jenny Boyd
Copyright © 2018

Birders and Nature Lovers alike will find this interesting!

Living in Central Florida you have to be creative in the Summer time to avoid the heat so we planted trees! Because we are nature freaks we started a blog years ago called Trees are Good. We log the difference in temperature between our yard (the Tunnel of Trees pic on the top) and our pasture (Not a Tunnel of Trees pic on the bottom :-). Today’s findings...

Trees Are Good!!!