Nine birders joined TAS President Joe Barros and TAS Field Trip Coordinator Brian Rapoza on Saturday, 12/11/21 for our annual Miami Exotics tour. This whirlwind tour of Miami-area birding hotspots produced sightings of 17 non-native species, as well as 38 native species. Stops included:
· University of Miami, Biltmore Hotel and Golf Course, Gables Estates and Matheson Hammocks Park in Coral Gables
· Miller Parrot Roost, All-American Park and surrounding neighborhoods in South Miami
· Pine Woods Park, Shorty’s BBQ (for lunch), King’s Creek and the Baptist Hospital area in Kendall
· Lake Louise and the West Kendall Baptist Hospital area in West Kendall
· Dolphin Mall in Sweetwater
· Virginia Gardens, Miami Springs Golf Course and surrounding neighborhoods
· Pelican Harbor on the John F. Kennedy Causeway
These are the 17 exotics seen during the tour and the locations where they were seen:
· Egyptian Goose (at Lake Louise and elsewhere)
· Muscovy Duck (multiple locations)
· Indian Peafowl (South Miami)
· Gray-headed Swamphen (Dolphin Mall)
· Rock Pigeon (multiple locations)
· Eurasian Collared-Dove (multiple locations)
· Monk Parakeet (Pelican Harbor)
· Mitred Parakeet (Baptist Hospital)
· Red-masked Parakeet (South Miami and Biltmore Hotel and Golf Course)
· Chestnut-fronted Macaw (private feeder in South Miami. Thanks for the invitation to view them!)
· Blue-and-Yellow Macaw (at the home of Daria Feinstein in Gables Estates. Thanks as always to Daria for her generous hospitality and her passion for the wild parrots of south Florida)
· White-winged Parakeet (Biltmore Hotel and Golf Course, photographed by Joe Barros and sharp-eyed participant Kathleen Coates)
· Yellow-chevroned Parakeet (Biltmore Hotel and Golf Course)
· European Starling (multiple locations)
· Common Myna (West Kendall Baptist Hospital Area)
· House Sparrow (Shorty’s BBQ)
· Scaly-breasted Munia (Pine Woods Park)
In addition, two exotics were heard only: Orange-winged Parrot (South Miami) and Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pine Woods Park).
An eBird trip report, including checklists for all stops made is here. Photo of the Chestnut-fronted Macaws in South Miami, courtesy of Lorena Siqueira.