2024 is the Year of the Bird here at Wilcox. We have been focusing our plant selection, events, and educational outreach on landscaping for birds. For our theme design, we chose 5 birds that you are likely to see in your own landscape perched on a slash pine. The design was created by Florida artist Kate Dolamore.

Featured Birds:

Red-shouldered Hawk. These birds of prey are very common in suburban environments because they have a generalist diet. They eat mice, rats, squirrels, snakes, lizards, and sometimes other birds. Being less picky eaters means they can find food just about anywhere in Florida.

Eastern Screech Owl. These tiny owls can frequently be heard trilling in the evening. They tend to mate for life and take very well to nest boxes. Screech owls eat mammals, birds, insects, frogs, and lizards.

Blue Jay. Our sometimes noisy neighbors live in family groups. They are in the crow family and are excellent at mimicking the sounds of hawks. Blue Jays will readily use bird baths. Our local populations are most likely to be year-round residents.

Northern Cardinal. Our crimson feathered friends eat mostly seeds and fruit, with the exception of feeding mainly insects to nestlings. Dense shrubs make an attractive nesting site for them.

Northern Mockingbird. The state bird of Florida is ubiquitous in urban and suburban Tampa Bay. They can be seen eating insects, fruit, and seeds. Mockingbirds can be seen in the nursery fighting over beautyberry, Simpson's stopper, and yaupon holly.