Welcome to Gatorland’s Rookery Blog pages, here you’ll find updated information on the best kept secret in Central Florida… Gatorland’s Rookery! Created in 1991 as a natural habitat for Gatorland’s alligator breeding population, this 10 acre Breeding Marsh soon became home to many different species of wild Florida birds which roost and nest above the protecting alligators. Today, the Gatorland Rookery has transformed into one of the largest and most accessible wading bird rookeries in Florida with literally thousands of native Florida birds making their home in this natural habitat. Currently, a dozen different species of birds nest within Gatorland’s Rookery, and over 20 different species of birds utilize the area for roosting or feeding. Of these, 8 species are listed either as a Species of Special Concern or Endangered by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act.

We invite all of you to come and experience nature at its best during our Birding Season, which runs from January through August with the nesting birds, and year-round with the nightly fly-in of roosting birds. This year we are offering an enhanced “Dawn to Dusk” birding program that will allow entry into the Rookery at 7:30 am and the ability to stay past closing time until dusk. This new program will run Tuesday through Saturday March 11 - July 19, 2008, and will be included in the Gatorland Photo Pass for $99.99.

Single Day ticket holders will now have the option to stay until dusk for an additional $10 with no early entry.

Annual Passholders will also have the option to stay until dusk for only $5 (per visit) with no early entry.

We will also be adding a new after-hours guided Rookery Tour featuring the nightly “Fly In” of the thousands of birds that roost within our Breeding Marsh and Bird Sanctuary. This tour begins March 1, 2008 and will retail for just $15.99.

Be sure to check back often for updated information and photos on the current status of the Gatorland Rookery… 2008 promises to be an exciting Birding Season at Gatorland!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 26th, 2008 at 9:11 pm and is filed under The Birds, Rookery Updates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.