Bird watching is a fast-growing outdoor leisure activity in the United States, and Florida, home to almost 500 species, is one of the states best suited to it. There are various hotspots throughout the state, all offering chance to spot distinct species.

Northwest Florida: Many of the more packed species are found all

over Florida, such as the great blue heron, but there are birds single to particular regions. In the northwest, known as the Panhandle, there are main wetland bird habitat at the Naval Air Stations at Pensacola and Whiting Field, where numerous herons and sandpipers can be observed all year round, as well as raptors, woodpeckers and smaller birds.

Northeast Florida: On the far-eastern extreme of the Panhandle lies St.

Marks National Wildlife Refuge, a more-than-adequate setting to see red-shouldered hawks, brown pelicans and enormous numbers of shorebirds.

On the shores of the Apalachee Bay, the refuge includes 68,000 acres of marsh, swamp and woodland.

Central Florida: Central Florida includes Disney World, where you can

often get surprisingly close to birdlife, such as black vultures and great egrets, in the quieter, more open and relaxed resorts.

More clear hotspots include the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which shares a border with the Kennedy Space Center.

Southern Florida: It is part of a large, undeveloped mangrove ecosystem and

is famous for its migratory bird populations. Here can be spotted spoonbills, ibis, swallow-tailed kites and numerous members of the warbler and flycatcher families.

The other big haven for birdwatchers is the Everglades National Park, which even after decades of development still accommodates all types of birds, even the flamingo.

Identification Clues: The way that some birds skulk about, you'd think that they

were frightened of showing off their pretty colors and didn't want anyone to identify them. And this is the case, no doubt, as they must someway evade predators from both above and below.

Often, their quick movements allow us only a glimpse. Still, you will be able to recognize even the most mysterious bird using the key clues to identification described here.

There are five basic clues to listen for that will allow you to solve the bird identification puzzle:

1) The bird's silhouette, 2) Its plumage and coloration, 3) Its behavior, 4) Its habitat preferences, and 5) Its voice. This may seem like an alarming amount of

information to gather, but in truth you often need only one or two of these clues to identify a bird. Sometimes, the key to recognition simply knows which clue to look for first when you see a new bird. As your birding abilities increase, you will be able to pinpoint the essential clues with greater ease and certainty.

After you do all this, and then notice the main colors of the bird. This sounds crazy, but it works. If you do not believe it, turn to the Roadside silhouettes inside the front cover of your Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Birds or Peterson Field Guide to Western Birds. With practice, you will be able to recognize all these birds just by their silhouette.

The colors of a bird can play tricks on you. A bird's colors look different when the bird is at the top of a tree at sunset than it does at noon. Check the color of each major body part. Sometimes just the color of a bird's legs can help you tell one type from another.

Also check to see if the bird has wing bars or an eye-ring or a patch of color on its rump. Many birds found near water have characteristic markings on their wings or tail.

Other Identification techniques are Identify birds by COLOR Identify birds by HABITAT Identify birds by SIZE Identify birds by BEHAVIOR Identify birds by LOCATION