Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is the Place to Be for Fall Migration

Get your binoculars and field guide ready! Fall migration is underway. For some birds, this annual odyssey starts as early as July. At Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, volunteers and visitors reported spotting migratory birds early in August, including Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Ovenbird, and Louisiana Waterthrush.

What is migration, anyway?

In the Northern Hemisphere, migratory birds fly north in the spring in search of food and nesting habitat. In the fall, they fly south, retreating from the cold temperatures and food shortages that winter brings.

More than 450 North American bird species migrate from summer breeding areas — which may be as far away as the Arctic Circle — to overwinter in South Florida or the tropics. Some fly thousands of miles every year, instinctively retracing their ancestral routes.

“Fall migration is much longer than spring, as birds don’t move as quickly,” says Sanctuary Director (and avid birder) Keith Laakkonen. “In the spring, birds are driven to time their arrival with the food resources they need to raise their families, but in the fall, weather patterns have more influence on their movements,” he added.

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is a bird’s and birder’s paradise

The Sanctuary, which has welcomed over a million visitors since its establishment in 1954, remains a destination for birders from near and far. It offers fantastic opportunities to see a wide variety of birds along the 2.25-mile boardwalk, which traverses four different habitats.

According to eBird.com, a global online database where birders can share bird observations, the Sanctuary is ranked 17th in the nation for the number of checklists submitted and third in Florida. Roughly 6,800 birders have submitted more than 25,000 checklists from the Sanctuary, comprising 264 species since the platform debuted in 2002.

From birding to volunteering

Robbie Wooster is a retired registered nurse who was a casual birdwatcher back before the days of the internet.

“Watching an American Dipper forage along the Rogue River in Oregon was fascinating,” says Wooster, who was eager to learn more about this small bird’s unique behavior of swimming in rapids for its food. She saved her babysitting money to buy her first two field guides: The Golden Guide to Birds and a Peterson’s Field Guide.

Later, after becoming a traveling nurse, she timed her 12-week to 6-month assignments to coincide with migration routes and the wintering and breeding grounds of birds. “I quickly learned that the best way to experience an area was to attend National Audubon Society field trips and similar meetings,” adding that the friendships she formed on the trails continue to this day.

In 1989, Wooster settled in Naples, got involved in the local Audubon chapter, and visited Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary for the first time. Shortly thereafter, she started volunteering weekly on the boardwalk, keeping field notebooks, and eventually recording her sightings on eBird. She says that getting to know the quality and cadence of bird songs, calls, and chip notes is imperative for anyone wishing to differentiate residents from migrant species.

Volunteering

“Being a volunteer at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is an enriching experience,” says Wooster. “The quality and knowledge base of the staff, fellow volunteers, and visitors over the years is impressive. Everyone is willing to share their expertise and knowledge, making it a priceless learning experience,” she concluded.

Volunteers play a vital role in Audubon’s mission to preserve Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and support the conservation and restoration of natural ecosystems throughout the Western Everglades. Volunteers donated 7,500 hours in 2024-25, aiding staff across various programs. Learn more about our volunteer program.

Do your part to protect migrating birds

During migration, in addition to navigating through and around storms, birds face disorienting city lights, feral cats, habitat destruction, and more. By applying decals, netting, or decor on your windows to prevent bird collisions, reducing bright lights at night to avoid confusing birds, keeping cats indoors, and gardening with native plants to create appealing bird stopovers, you give birds better odds of surviving their perilous journeys.

Visiting Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary as a birdwatcher, birder, or nature enthusiast offers many mutual benefits, including a memorable experience that is good for the soul. Plus, admission fees, memberships, and donations support the full operation of the Sanctuary, including staff, land stewardship of 13,000 acres, the Western Everglades Research Center, and educational programming for nearly 80,000 annual visitors and learners of all ages.