South Miami’s Matheson Hammock Park is a small piece of tropical nature that has tropical birds to match.
East of Old Cutler Rd., the street that cuts through the park, lie dense mangroves and a manicured beach. The western section of the park has more to offer birders, including relict stands of native hardwood hammock habitat (where you should keep an eye out for beautiful Liguus tree snails) and woodlands with a mix of native and non-native vegetation.
The park hosts migrant warblers, vireos, and Swallow-tailed Kite in spring. White-crowned Pigeon, a South Florida specialty, is conspicuous in summer, when it feeds on the ripe berries of poisonwood trees.
The park’s most unique attraction is its diverse assemblage of exotic bird species from all over the world. Red-masked Parakeets raise their young in old woodpecker nest cavities, Common Hill Mynas fill the air with their melodious calls, and Indian Peafowl strut through the understory. It’s as close as you can get to a tropical birding experience without leaving the continental U.S. — Neil Losin
Neil Losin wrote about Burrowing Owls in our February 2011 issue. He also wrote about Malibu Lagoon State Beach, Malibu, California, Hotspots Near You No. 64, and Franklin Canyon Park, Beverly Hills, California, No. 90. He is pursuing a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology at UCLA.
Directions
Matheson Hammock Park is the home of a popular marina, woods, and beaches on the coast of Biscayne Bay. From north- or southbound Hwy. 1, turn east on N. Kendall Dr. (SW 88th St.). Drive 2.4 miles, turn right on Old Cutler Rd., and go 0.6 miles. Continue past the park entrance and park in a small gravel parking lot on the west side of the road.
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At a Glance
Click on the coordinates below to view location:
25°40’52.40″N 80°16’22.72″W
Habitat
Mangrove, hardwood hammocks, landscaped fields, and woodlands.
Terrain
Flat. Some trails wheelchair-accessible.
Birds
Natives: Brown Pelican, Little Blue and Tricolored Herons, Swallow-tailed Kite, Osprey, Red-shouldered and Short-tailed Hawks, Merlin, Great Horned Owl, Spotted Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Royal Tern, White-crowned Pigeon, Chuck-will’s-widow, Belted Kingfisher, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, White-eyed and Blue-headed Vireos, Ovenbird, Worm-eating, Cape May, Black-throated Blue, and other warblers, and Indigo and Painted Buntings. Exotics: Chestnut-fronted and Blue-and-yellow Macaws, Orange-winged Amazon, Red-masked, White-winged, Mitred, and Yellow-chevroned Parakeets, Common Hill Myna, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Nutmeg Mannikin, Indian Peafowl.
When to go
Fall through spring. Most rewarding in March and April, when migrant songbirds pass through and resident birds are breeding.
Amenities
Several well-maintained trails lead through hardwood hammocks, mangroves, and woodlands. No facilities west of Old Cutler Rd. Park’s eastern section has a full-service marina, snack bar, restaurant, and picnic facilities.
Access
County park. Open year-round, sunrise to sunset. Office hours 8-5. No entrance or parking fees in park’s western section. Parking near the beach is $5 on weekdays, $6 on weekends.
Tips
Bring bug repellant in summer, especially in the densely wooded hardwood hammocks.
For more info
Matheson Hammock Park, (305) 665-5475.
Tropical Audubon Society, (305) 667-7337.
Florida Ornithological Society
Sites nearby
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Hotspot Near You No. 4. Located at the southern tip of Key Biscayne. Nightjars, flycatchers, vireos, warblers, and other migrants in spring and fall.
More exotic hotspots
Read about more places to find peacocks, parrots, mynas, and other out-of-place birds in the article Exotic Miami by Mark Hedden.