Joe Budd has a variety of wildlife indigenous to the flatwoods and sandy upland areas of panhandle Florida. Alligators, gopher tortoises, white-tailed deer and wild turkey are common. Joe Budd has excellent habitat for both the federally threatened Eastern indigo snake and the federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, although neither of these species has been documented on the area.

The combination fishing pier/wildlife observation platform at Lake Talquin, a Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail site, is an excellent spot to observe wading birds, osprey, and perhaps bald eagles. A 20-acre pond is stocked for fishing opportunities. Visitors may hear a variety of warblers, including the black-and-white warbler, prothonotary warbler, palm warbler, and Kentucky warbler, in the pine-oak forests during spring and fall migration. Birds will also see Bachman’s sparrows, swallowed-tailed kites and kestrels on the WMA.

Check out other species recorded from Joe Budd WMA, or add observations of your own, by visiting the Joe Budd WMA Nature Trackers project.

Add your bird observations to the Joe Budd WMA eBird Hotspot.