Protected Birds of Citrus County

Some fly in for the winter. Others roost here year round. But one thing that Citrus County’s large and varied protected bird population has in common is that they have found a safe home in The Water Lover’s Florida—a place where residents and vacationers can treasure their beauty and fragility.

The county’s protected birds, like all protected wildlife, fall into three basic categories under Florida law:

Endangered species, which are in danger of extinction because of changes to habit, over-utilization, predation or other factors;
Threatened species, which do not face the same degree of jeopardy as endangered species, but may become so if conditions do not improve; and
Species of special concern, which do not fit into the endangered or threatened categories but are considered vulnerable.

Species in each category are protected against hunting, possession and harassment. Most have similar designations and protections at the federal level, although categories may very based on population levels or other differences between the nation as a whole and Florida in particular.

Birds are barometers compasses by which we can measure the complexities of any ecological terrain and discover the direction its future might take. And Citrus County’s protected birds in particular offer an important window in the biological diversity of this still environmentally rich slice of the Sunshine State. Their continued success points to a bright future for the area’s carefully managed natural resources.

Featured Species: The Red-Cockaded Woodpecker

One species sought after by birders, and a marvelous example of Citrus County’s protected avian life, is the red-cockaded woodpecker. This bird has the scientific name Picoides borealis, and like other woodpeckers, red-cockadeds are part of the family Picidae. The federal government lists the species as endangered, and it is classified as a species of special concern on the federal level and as species of special concern by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Over the last century, the population of red-cockaded woodpeckers has dwindled to about one percent of its former total. The species has died in Virginia, Missouri and New Jersey, but continues to live in several Southeastern states. Florida boasts about 25 percent of the total population, with the birds clustered into areas of higher concentration, including portions of Citrus County.

While the name may conjure images of the crimson crania of other Picidae species—such as the familiar red-headed (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) and red-bellied (Melanerpes carolinus) woodpeckers—red feathers are not a commonly seen characteristic of the red-cockaded woodpecker. Rather, the name comes from the small and rarely visible red streaks on male’s heads. With enough imagination, these red patches resemble “cockades,” rosettes or knots of ribbon used as hat ornaments.

The fully grown bird is about 7 1/4 inches long with a 14-inch wingspan. This species is black and white, displaying black wings with white spots, a black back with white bars, a black crown with white cheeks and a mostly white underside.

Red-cockaded woodpeckers do not migrate. Instead, they stay in mature pinewoods year round, hollowing out cavities for nesting in the trunks of older pine trees Typically, the birds’ tree of choice is a longleaf pine infected with the red heart fungus. The fungus softens the interior wood of the tree, making it easier for the birds to peck their way into a new home. Given the necessity of older wood, the species struggles in areas where newly planted pines have replaced long-established forests.

This is the only bird species in the Southeast that carve cavities in living pines. As such, the red-cockaded woodpeckers add a unique dynamic to the ecosystem. A wide variety of small animals—from other birds, to squirrels, mice and even wasps—will move into an abandoned red-cockaded woodpecker hideaway.

Once the cavity has been created, these woodpeckers are cooperative breeders. They work in groups to incubate the two to five eggs laid in the spring, then care for the hatchlings. Often, the groups consist of a breeding pair assisted by breeding pair are juvenile males born the previous year. Young female birds usually leave the group to start a new woodpecker family of their own.

Ants, spiders, wood-boring insects and other arthropods form the bulk of the red-cockaded woodpecker’s diet, although they can sometimes be seen eating fruit and seeds.

One of the best places to spot red-cockaded woodpeckers in Citrus County is the Citrus Tract of the Withlacoochee State Forest, found between State Road 44 to the north and County Road 480 to the south.

Other Species

A wide variety of other protected bird species are also part of Citrus County’s ecology. Species found here that listed by the state as endangered include the wood stork (Mycteria americana) and peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus). FWC-classified threatened species include the least tern (Sterna antillarum), the Florida sandhill crane (Grus candensis pratensis), the Southeastern American kestrel (Falco spaverius paulus), the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and the Florida scrub jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens). Other “species of special concern” in the area include four Egretta (egret and heron) species, the brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), the white ibis (Eudocimus albus), the burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) and more.

One of the most unusual avian stories to land in the county each year is that of the whooping crane (Grus Americana). Every year, an ultralight aircraft from the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership leads a group of juvenile whooping cranes over 1,000 miles from Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Central Wisconsin to the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife refuge in Citrus County as part of an innovative reintroduction effort. Visitors to Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park can also see a pair of endangered whooping cranes year round. The park is found at 4150 South Suncoast Boulevard in Homosassa. This species is listed as endangered at the federal level and a species of special concern by the state.

All in all, more than a dozen protected species can be seen in Citrus County. The best way for visitors to check new species off their lists is by visiting all the sites in Citrus County’s portion of the Great Florida Birding Trail, a collection of locations noted for exceptional bird watching opportunities. And as each pair of guests’ binoculars zooms in on a new and exciting species, the fruit of preservation efforts in Citrus County will come clearly into focus.

Useful Links

Birding Information

Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Information