We love Orange Bird and the other Disney birds—Donald and Daisy, Zazu, Kevin, Heihei, Iago, Scuttle, Diablo. But we also love to spend a quiet Disney afternoon appreciating some of the most stunning wild birds you can see anywhere. Best of all, this something you can do at Disney World that is absolutely free, does not require any special equipment or Lightning Lanes, and is always new and exciting!
Walt Disney World is a great place for birding! Florida is home to more than 500 species of birds and habitats ranging from coastal marshes and wetlands to pine forest. The lakes, ponds, canals, forests, fields, and wetlands that make up Disney World’s almost 43 square miles are a home to a diverse array of birds that are easily visible to anyone visiting the Most Magical Place on Earth. While wild birds can be spotted anywhere at Disney World, a few places stand out as the best locations to see multiple wild bird species.
Large water birds are very common and easy to spot. These include Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbills, Little Blue Herons, Cormorants, Sea Gulls, and Anhingas. In fact, a boat ride from one of the resorts on the Seven Seas Lagoon or Bay Lake to the Magic Kingdom can lead to sightings of all these birds in one trip and many of these birds can be seen from the walkway between the Grand Floridian Resort and the Magic Kingdom. While not as common, Wood Storks, Ospreys, and Bald Eagles also frequent the same area. Of course, all the resorts around Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon, including Fort Wilderness Campground, are fantastic places to spend an afternoon birding.
The Disney parks themselves are also a great place to see birds. Birds native to Florida freely mingle with the animals in the enclosures at Animal Kingdom, while near Test Track in EPCOT are several Purple Martin boxes that are home to these beautiful migratory birds from January through August. Disney World’s resident birds also frequent the lakes, ponds, and waterways in the theme parks and unfortunately the outdoor dining establishments as many birds have become used to people and are eager to steal your lunch. Please be respectful of the birds you see in the parks, admire them from a distance, and do not share your French Fries with them.
The resorts of Saratoga Springs and Old Key West and the pathway connecting them along the Sassagoula River provide numerous opportunities for birding. This is particularly the case with Saratoga Springs due to the resort’s location along the Sassagoula River and its many small ponds. Saratoga Springs is also home to its own collection of Purple Martin boxes and do not be surprised if you see Wild Turkeys in the parking lot.
If you want to venture off property, Florida also has 30 National Wildlife Refuges (FL) including America’s first National Wildlife Refuge, Pelican Island established in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt. All of these special refuges are great locations to view Florida’s birds.
To sum it up, while a trip to Disney World will be expensive to say the least, taking time to enjoy the multitude of feathered species that make Disney World their home costs nothing and is relaxing and enjoyable way to spend an afternoon once the parks get too crowded!
We love birding, so watch for future posts on each of the specific bird species we have seen at Walt Disney World and the other Disney properties!