The Binocular Site
J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida
The J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge is a 5200 acre site located on Sanibel Island on the southwest coast of Florida.
The refuge was founded in 1976 and is named in honor of Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling; a famous political cartoonist and important figure in the conservation movement. Darling was the founder of the National Wildlife Federation in 1936 and also came up with the idea of the federal duck stamp, which is used to provide money to buy and preserve wetlands.
The J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge features the largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystem in the United States and is known for its large populations of migratory birds. This refuge is one of the best places to see many large birds such as Yellow-crowned Night Herons, Snowy Egrets, and Wood Storks.
There are around 250 species of birds reported her,e and the refuge has many hiking hiking trails, and two canoe trails, as well as a drive around the refuge. It has been reported that almost one third of the United States population of colorful Roseate Spoonbills use this habitat.
The state bird of Florida is the Northern Mockingbird and you can find a birding checklist for Florida here.
Photo credit to seantyler, used with permission under the creative commons license. You can learn more about the habitat of the J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge and view online brochures of the refuge here.
If you've visited the J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, please take the time to share your experience and any tips or insight you might have about this Florida birding location below.
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