Florida has a tremendous variety of bird species. Only two other states in the United States, Texas and California, can boast bird populations as heterogeneous as Florida's. Variety of habitats, from coastal marshes and beaches to dense pine and hardwood forests, combines with the state's location along primary bird migration routes to produce this exceptionally rich variety of avifauna. Over 425 specie--approximately half of all bird species in the United States--may be observed in Florida if migratory species that pass through the state to and from wintering grounds are counted. New species such as the cattle egret, first sighted near Lake Okeechobee in 1952, occasionally become established by natural means. In addition, Florida's climate is conducive to the survival of nonnative species that escape or are released from captivity. The official state bird, the mockingbird, is abundant and widely distributed throughout the United States, with the exception of the Pacific Northwest.
