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| Northern Section | Southern Section |
Travel along with us toward Flamingo, located at the park’s southern end. Stops along the southern section of the main park road will include Mrazek Pond, Coot Bay Pond, Eco Pond, and Flamingo. If you'd like, you can also hop on a plane and visit some of the Bays along the Park's southeast mainland border.
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| Map showing locations of stops along the southern section of the main park road in Everglades National Park. The colors show the various ecosystems within the Everglades. |
About 2 1/2 miles north of the Flamingo Visitor Center, Mrazek Pond is located along the main park road. At the right time of year, when winter water levels in the pond are low, large numbers of wading birds visit the pond.
| Mangroves along the main park road |
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Just north of Mrazek Pond, facing northward, mangroves frame the west and east sides of the main park road.
The 38-mile paved main park road begins at the Ernest P. Coe Visitor Center, located at the Park Headquarters entrance, and ends at the park’s southern end, Flamingo.
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| Vultures |
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A black vulture and a turkey vulture walk in the grassy area in front of Mrazek Pond. Can you guess which is the turkey vulture?
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| Vultures are scavengers that mainly feed on carrion - the flesh of dead animals. Carrion can make for messy meals, therefore, a vulture's bald head is suitable for keeping them from getting too messy when they stick their heads into their food. |
| Morning Glory |
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A morning glory vine flowering at the edge of Mrazek Pond. The leaves of the morning glory vine may be entire (no lobes or divisions) or three-lobed. This vine, which blooms year round, has trumpet-shaped flowers that may be white to pink in color and may be solitary or two to three in a cluster. |
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About 2 miles north of the Flamingo Visitor Center, Coot Bay Pond is located along the main park road.
| Alligator |
An alligator sunning itself by the informational kiosk at Coot Bay Pond.
Alligators should be treated with respect and viewed from a safe distance, which is why we snapped this large alligator's photo from inside our vehicle.
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| Red-shouldered Hawk |
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Just south of Coot Bay Pond, along the main park road, a red-shouldered hawk roosts in the lush greenery. Red-shouldered hawks are referred to as birds of prey, or as raptors. They are commonly found in wet areas near streams and swamps and mostly feed on smaller prey such as lizards, frogs, toads, snakes and small birds. |
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At Flamingo, just beyond the park visitor center and before the camping grounds, a 1/2-mile loop trail surrounds Eco Pond. An elevated observation platform allows a view of the freshwater pond and the small island at its center.
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(Left) Looking across the waters of Eco Pond with cattails in the foreground and a tree island to the right. Eco Pond was mostly deserted on our late evening visit. During the early morning hours and before sunset, numerous birds can usually be seen foraging and roosting here.
(Right) A late evening view of cattails in the shallow waters of Eco Pond.
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At day's end, a flock of ibises and egrets roost in the trees at the center of Eco Pond.
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| Coastal Salt Marsh |
Looking northward (from the trail surrounding Eco Pond) at a coastal salt marsh crossed with drainage creeks. Coastal salt marshes exist where land and marine waters meet. These areas are at least occasionally inundated with salt water and contain salt-tolerant plants.
Most animals of coastal marshes can tolerate varying levels of waters and salinity in waters. Animals that may be found in these areas include small mammals, fish, juvenile fish, shellfish, and birds.
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| Wading Birds |
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(Left) White ibises, a young moorhen and a tricolored heron forage at Eco Pond in the early morning hours. |
| (Right) Three "not so camera shy" ibises flew over to be included in this photo with the cattle egret. Look closely for the black wingtips seen on the ibises. These distinguishing markings can be seen clearly when the ibis is in flight. |
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| Ibises |
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(Left) The rising sun illuminates the bill of this white ibis foraging in Eco Pond. During breeding season, the ibis' distinguishing downward curving bill turns a bright red.
(Right) An immature white ibis poses on the rail as moorhens swim in the background waters of Eco Pond. Immature ibises are brown above and lighter below. During the winter, they become mottled with brown heads and white bodies.
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| Ibises probe for food on the water bottoms using their curved beaks. The bird throws back its head and quickly swallows food it finds. Most ibises like to eat crustaceans, fish and insects. |
| Little Blue Heron |
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(Left and Right) A little blue heron foraging in the waters of Eco Pond.
Adult little blue herons are dark blue and have a bluish beak with a black tip, while immature little blue herons are completely white.
Little blue herons primarily feed in shallow fresh waters. Foods they may eat include small fishes, crayfishes, frogs, and aquatic insects.
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| Cattle Egret |
| A cattle egret with fluffy head feathers poses on the rail surrounding Eco Pond. Cattle egrets have migrated from Africa to throughout the world. They are smaller in size than other egrets and have a short, thick bill. During the breeding season, the cattle egret acquires brown, buff plumes on the head, back and chest.
Cattle egrets wade in the water like other egrets, but are most often seen in pastures around cattle. The movement of the cattle stirs up insects that are eaten by the cattle egrets. Other foods this egret might eat include earthworms and frogs.
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| Red-shouldered Hawk |
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A red-shouldered hawk observes the early morning bird action at Eco Pond. This raptor (bird of prey) is commonly found in wet areas near streams and swamps. It mostly feeds on smaller prey such as lizards, frogs, toads, snakes and small birds. |
From Flamingo’s campground, the sunrise and sunset over Florida Bay is a fantastic sight.
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Sunrise over Florida Bay, as seen through the trees near Flamingo Lodge. |
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(Above) The sky filled with a profusion of colors as the sun slowly set behind this mangrove island in Florida Bay.
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| Standing on grounds lightly littered with coconuts and watching the coconut palm tree silhouettes slowly become darker made for a peaceful day-ending experience. |
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Sunset through the silhouetted trees of Flamingo campground.
Year-round camping is available in parts of Everglades National Park. Chekika campground is no longer open for camping. Please visit the Everglades National Park website for updated information on camping.
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| Time for bed - Flamingo Campground |
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Flamingo campsite setup along Florida Bay. |
| Alligator Bay |
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Aerial shot of the Buttonwood embankment looking south over Alligator Bay.
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Aerial shot of the Buttonwood embankment over Alligator Bay. |
Aerial shot of the Buttonwood embankment. This a shot from the south of the embankment, over Alligator Bay. |
| Little Madeira Bay |
| Aerial shot of the Buttonwood embankment, the mangrove fringe between Florida Bay and Taylor Slough, on Little Madeira Bay. |
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Related SOFIA Information
Below we have listed science projects and publications for studies that are being conducted, or have been conducted, in the area of Everglades National Park. Follow these links to read about each project and to see project-related publications and data.
Science Projects:
Related Publications:
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