By Dr. Martin Aróstegui
Photos Pat Ford
Many years ago, millions of birds travelled to South Florida during winter and spring to take advantage of the warmer weather and large quantities of fish that made it possible for them to rear their young. We killed many thousands of them to use their feathers and almost totally depleted their numbers. At some point we realized that this was a big mistake and started protecting our visiting birds. Today most species have somewhat recovered but not to the numbers of many years ago.
Renowned nature photographer Pat Ford has captured the splendor of many of the beautiful birds that make South Florida home at this time of the year. We thank Pat Ford for his contributions to the preservation of these beautiful birds.
