Birds and Wildlife

Sanibel has an astonishing array of wildlife. The animals seem to know that they're protected by law; they go about their daily lives, little bothered by human presence, providing unique photo-ops for delighted shutterbugs.

Sanibel maintains low speed-limits for vehicles, and prohibits driving on the shoulder of the road, all to protect wandering wildlife.

Please treat our wildlife with respect. And please, do not feed them! They do fine on their own. And they may come to associate humans with food, and become aggressive.

Birds

Sanibel is one of the world's best birding destinations. Its geography makes it an ideal stopover for birds migrating across the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf itself is a veritable "fish-and-seafood market" for seabirds. Sanibel's shallow ponds and marshes provide great wading-bird habitat; its trees and manmade platforms are home to a great many raptors. The abundant vegetation and minimal development provides food and shelter for doves, warblers, woodpeckers and more.

Wading Birds, Pelicans, Osprey and More

	Female Anhinga, or "snake-bird" (named for its ling, snakelike neck). Diving birds, they lack feather-oil, and often perch with wings outstretched, drying. Males are all black. Often confused with Cormorants; Anhingas have longer, pointed bill for spearing prey.
	Double-Crested Cormorant swimming near our beach. Diving birds, often confused with Anhingas. Note the curved bill-tip; they seize, not spear, prey. Like Anhingas, they lack feather-oil , and often perch with wings outstretched, drying.
	Great Egret stalking prey in "Ding" Darling NWR. Great Egrets are white with yellow bills and black legs.
	"Ernie", our resident Snowy Egret, fishing in the Gulf. Snowy egrets are white with black bills and legs, and "golden slippers" (yellow feet).
	Ernie "shaking his booty." Note his "golden slippers."
	Cattle Egrets crossing the road (Why? Same as chickens...) Comical, non-native birds from Africa, well-settled here.
	Cattle Egret enjoying the view from atop a car's passenger side mirror.
	There must be something about Cattle Egrets and cars. This one is perched on a car in the Bailey Tract. We were hoping to see the expression on the owner's face when he saw his new passenger.
	Reddish Egret, creating a shady patch to lure prey. Large egret, bluish-gray with shaggy red head and neck, pink and black bill; rare elsewhere, common in "Ding" Darling NWR. Unusual humting behavior: staggers about drunkenly and "umbrellas," in order to confuse its prey.
	Wood Stork in the mangroves, "Ding" Darling NWR. Also known as "Old Flint-Head" due to the bony plates covering its head.
	Roseate Spoonbill wading in "Ding" Darling NWR. Remarkable-looking wood stork relative in a lovely "pink party dress." Swings its beak from side to side in the water to catch crustaceans, etc.
	Flock of Roseate Spoonbills foraging for food in "Ding" Darling NWR
	Great Blue Heron wearing some breeding plumage in front, stalking prey in "Ding" Darling NWR. Largest of the herons, aptly named for its size and bluish-gray color.
	Little Blue Heron. Smaller than the Great Blue Heron, same size as Tri-Colored (with whom it's often confused). Solid-color slate-blue body, bluish-purple head, greenish-yellow legs.
	Tri-Colored Heron (also known as Louisiana heron). Often confused with Little Blue, the tri-colored has a distinctive white stripe down its front.
	Yellow-Crowned Night Heron. This one is in breeding plumage -- note the yellow "topknot" on its head. Often seen in "Ding" Darling's mangrove forests, by the water.
	Brown Pelican. These often visit our beach, flying overhead and diving for fish or floating on the water. Their bills have gular pouches, which "net" the fish; the bird then drains off the water and... gulp!
	White Pelican aloft. The largest birds, winter visitors to Sanibel, staying mainly on the sandbars in "Ding" Darling NWR. Unlike Brown Pelicans, they catch fish cooperatively by herding them into a small circle and eating them.
	Flock of White Pelicans on a sandbar in "Ding" Darling NWR.
	White Ibis, adult and juvenile, foraging on our beach. Usually seen in flocks, foraging in drainage ditches or by ponds or at the beach. Adults are white, but juveniles are dark-gray or black, and are often confused with Glossy Ibis.
	White Ibis -- a closer look.
	The first time we came upon the White Ibis "Coffee Klatsch," instead of hiding, they scolded us noisily for invading their privacy. Here they are, lounging on a branch.
	A flock of Glossy Ibis, foraging for food. The rainbow-refraction in their feathers helps to distinguish them from juvenile White Ibis (also black).
	Sleepy peeps in "Ding" Darling NWR. Migration is an exhausting business.
	Common Moorhen (also known as "Swamp Chicken"). These birds actually cluck like chickens. They (and their close relatives, the American Coot) can be seen foraging in ponds in the Baily Tract and in golf water-hazards.
	These little diving waterfowl are common in ponds island-wide. Their "laugh" can be startling.
	A pair of Osprey (also known as "Fish Eagles" or "Fish Hawks) nesting on a manmade platform (which gives them habitat and keeps them from using powerline towers). Like eagles, osprey catch fish with their talons and carry them, torpedo-like, head-first. Note the distinctive, dark eye-band.
	Bald Eagle (one of a pair). America's national bird can be found nesting above the local Dairy Queen (!!!), as well as in and around "Ding" Darling NWR.
	Broad-Winged Hawk. Florida has its own variety, the "Light-Morph." Frequently seen in "Ding" Darling NWR and the Baily Tract, and perched in trees around the island.
	Royal Terns in breeding plumage (bushy black hairdos). Large flocks of Royal and Sandwich Terns gather on the beach with their young; they fly back-and-forth to "the fish market" for small silver herring, which the youngsters clamor for. Off-season, their "hairline" recedes.
	Baby Royal Tern (left) begging for food from its parent (in non-breeding plumage).
	Adult Sandwich Terns (non-breeding plumage) with juvenile begging for food on the beach. Named for the "dot of yellow mustard" on the tip of the bill.
	Sandwich Tern (left) and Royal Tern on the beach, both in non-breeding plumage.
	"Willie" the Willet can always be found prancing around our beach. His movements remind me of a frisky pony. Larger than the plovers, with even-colored, grayish plumage and long legs and bill.
	Yikes! "Willie the Willet," caught by an incoming wave, showing his distinctive wing-markings (very noticeable in flight).
	We call this our "Willie Impostor." Pretty sure it's a Black-Bellied Plover in non-breeding plumage -- here, strolling along our beach.
	Ruddy Turnstone tasting a sea urchin on our beach. Aptly named for the reddish color of its breeding plumage, and for its habit of flipping over pebbles and shells in search of a tasty morsel.
	Ring-Billed Gull -- easy to see how it got its name!
	Northern Mockingbird. Florida's state bird, abundant on Sanibel. Mockers develop an astounding repertoire of calls, most of them spot-on imitations of other birds.
	Red-Bellied Woodpecker -- whose name doesn't seem to make sense. But it really does have a wash of reddish color on its belly.
	Pileated Woodpecker, drilling on a dead tree. This large bird was the inspiration for cartoon character Woody Woodpecker. It has a bizarre "laugh."
	Burrowing Owls are found mostly on the mainland, especially Cape Coral, but these little cuties are well worth mentioning here; also worth an off-island visit. Made famous in the book and movie "Hoot," they actually live in ground-burrows; unlike most owls, they are diurnal.. The Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife watch over them and protect their nests.

Reptiles and Amphibians

Sanibel is also home to alligators and crocodiles -- rather, crocodile: a single female American Crocodile, one of the northernmost of her kind on the continent. Some people may find it a bit scary to be sharing the island with these apex predators. But it is a unique and exciting experience; just use common sense and take simple precautions:

Do not swim or wade in ponds, canals or the Sanibel River;
Do not walk near bodies of water after sunset or before sunrise;
Do not retrieve golf balls from water hazards or overgrown areas;
Maintain a respectful distance;
Most importantly -- DO NOT FEED THE GATORS! Feeding teaches gators to associate humans with food, and may make them aggresive -- "nuisance gators" who are taken away and killed.

Alligators and (One) Crocodile

This magnificent American Alligator (8-10 ft. long) was sunning itself on the banks of the Sanibel River. Alligators have a broader snout than crocodiles, and their lower teeth do not protrude.

"Wilma II", a female American Crocodile. The first Wilma lived alone on Sanibel for 30 years; twice taken to the Everglades (to be with others of her kind), she always came home. When she died, islanders were heartbroken. "Wilma II" was brought here from Grove City, FL in May, 2010. She left the Refuge for the Beachview Country Club golf course, where she's now the star attraction. (Photo courtesy of Breeze Newspapers)

Turtles and Tortoises

	These cute little guys are sunning themselves in the Bailey Tract.
	Seaturtle nest on our beach, marked and monitored by caring volunteers. On spring and summer nights, huge seaturtles (mostly Loggerhead) return to Sanibel to lay their eggs. Hatchlings emerge with the full moon and scuttle madly for the water. Obstructions (beach furniture) and distractions (porch lights) can be fatal; they must be removed/turned off during nesting season.
	Gopher tortoises are land-dwellers who live in burrows dug with their powerful feet. Abandoned burrows are home to burrowing owls and other animals. Sadly, they are often struck by cars. With luck, they're brought to CROW. (These 2 are bandaged.)

Lizards

	Anole lizards like this one zip around everywhere -- on walkways, plants, signposts... and we're lucky to have them. They're shy and harmless to humans, and they eat a multitude of insect-pests.
	This little guy is in a romantic mood: note the red pouch.

Sea Life

Sea Urchins and Starfish

	Sea urchin, washed up on our beach. Urchins are undersea predators, cousins of starfish. Often found in shallow Gulf warer, they are covered with sharp spines, which can cause a nasty wound when stepped on. Birds love to eat them.
	Starfish on our beach. Starfish are cousins of sea urchins, and are undersea predators that eat mollusks.

Clams and Mollusks

	This Fighting Conch is the largest (unoccupied) shell we've ever found (about 12 inches long), tho they are fairly common on Sanibel. It is illegal to keep "live" (still occupied) shells" -- also, cruel -- and both illegal and immoral to evict an animal for its shell. This conch, luckily, was unoccupied.
	A random scattering of shells on the beach -- mostly little conchs. Shades of brown are predominant here, whereas calico scallops, also very common, come in brilliant pink and white.
	A typical shell-laden section of our beach -- thousands of tiny treasures in here! Reef shoes are helpful for walking in shelly areas.

Mammals

A wide variety of mammals can be found in and around Sanibel: raccoons, opossums, rabbits, bobcats, dolphins, manatees and more. We encountered a bobcat on Tarpon Bay Road, across from the Bailey Tract, but I was too surprised to get its picture. Dolphins are plentiful, but difficult to photograph clearly. Photos still to come . . .

Raccoons

Raccoons ordinarily are nocturnal; but those on Sanibel (like this one in "Ding" Darling NWR) have adapted to the abundance of fish by becoming active during the day. Raccoons are amusing and clever little thieves with a penchant for trash bins.

Rabbits

With street names like "Rabbit Road" and "Bunny Lane," Sanibel is obviously well-endowed with rabbits. At left is an ordinary bunny. Sanibel also has Marsh Hares (longer limbs and ears) that cavort in early morning on Rabbit Road.