The Everglades occupies a shallow limestone-floored basin that slopes imperceptibly southward at about 2.4 inches .... bird wade

Slight changes in the elevation of the land and the water's salt content create different habitats. Mangroves also serve as nurseries and as feeding grounds for wading birds in tidal areas where fresh and salt water combine. There are wading birds such as egrets, herons, roseate spoonbills, and ibis; shore and water birds such as terns, plovers, rails, and sandpipers; birds of prey including owls, hawks, and osprey; and a wide variety of songbirds. The population of wading birds in the Everglades has fallen drastically since the mid-20th century. bird wade