Florida wildlife statistics show a state managing a broad range of species, from more than 200 native freshwater fish and more than 500 native saltwater fish to black bears, manatees, and red-cockaded woodpeckers. The figures below come from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) pages and tables, with the relevant year, estimate period, county, or region retained.
Contents
- Florida wildlife management at a glance
- Red-cockaded woodpecker statistics
- Florida black bear estimates by region
- Bear-related calls by year
- Statewide bear mortality
- County-level manatee mortalities
Florida wildlife management at a glance
The FWC Overview reports that Florida protects and manages more than 575 species of wildlife. That total is a management figure rather than a complete count of every wild animal living in the state, so it is best read as the scope of species under the agency’s protection and management responsibilities.
The same FWC Overview identifies more than 200 native species of freshwater fish and more than 500 native species of saltwater fish. These are separate categories: freshwater and saltwater species should not be treated as interchangeable or combined into a new total here.
The agency’s listed operating footprint includes 2,112.5 full-time employees and 76 field offices and facilities, according to the FWC Overview. Those figures describe the commission’s staffing and facilities, not the number of wildlife officers, biologists, or locations assigned to any one species.
| FWC measure | Reported figure | What the figure describes |
|---|---|---|
| Wildlife species protected and managed | More than 575 | Species under FWC protection and management |
| Native freshwater fish species | More than 200 | Native freshwater fish |
| Native saltwater fish species | More than 500 | Native saltwater fish |
| Full-time employees | 2,112.5 | FWC staffing |
| Field offices and facilities | 76 | FWC facilities |
Source: FWC Overview.
Red-cockaded woodpecker statistics
Florida hosts approximately 1,100 active family groups of red-cockaded woodpeckers, according to the FWC Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Safe Harbor page. The page describes that figure as about 25% of the U.S. population. The unit is active family groups, not individual birds, so it should not be compared directly with a headcount.
Private lands account for an estimated 55 to 85 active groups in Florida, the same FWC Safe Harbor source reports. This is a range and an estimate, rather than a single measured count. It also represents a subset of the approximately 1,100 active family groups hosted statewide; the two figures answer different questions about the species’ distribution and conservation setting.
These woodpecker statistics are especially useful when reading Florida wildlife data by population unit. A family group can include multiple birds, while “private-lands population” identifies where the groups occur. Neither figure should be rewritten as the number of individual woodpeckers without an additional source.
Source: FWC Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Safe Harbor.
Florida black bear estimates by region
The FWC Bears by the Numbers page gives regional black bear estimates for 2014/2015 and reports the percentage increase from 2002 for several regions. The measurement period matters: these are not a current statewide census, and the regional values should not be presented as if they were collected in a single later year.
| Region | Estimated bears in 2014/2015 | Reported change from 2002 |
|---|---|---|
| West Panhandle | 120 | 50% increase |
| East Panhandle | 1,060 | 86% increase |
| North | 500 | 92% increase |
| South | 5,030 | 64% increase |
| South Central | 1,060 | 155% increase |
| Central | 540 | 114% increase |
| Big Bend | 120 | Not reported in the supplied figure |
The South region had the largest reported 2014/2015 estimate at 5,030 bears. The East Panhandle and South Central regions were each reported at 1,060. The North region was reported at 500, while Central was reported at 540. West Panhandle and Big Bend each had a reported estimate of 120.
Among the regions with a supplied comparison to 2002, South Central had the largest reported percentage increase, at 155%. Central followed at 114%, and North at 92%. East Panhandle was reported at 86%, South at 64%, and West Panhandle at 50%. No 2002 percentage change is supplied here for Big Bend, so no comparison is assigned to that region.
The estimate and growth percentage are different measurements. The first indicates the estimated number of bears during 2014/2015; the second describes change relative to 2002. A high percentage increase does not necessarily identify the region with the largest estimated bear population.
Source: FWC Bears by the Numbers.
Bear-related calls by year
FWC’s Bears by the Numbers page reports annual statewide bear-related calls from 2006 through 2025. These are call totals, not bear counts and not mortality totals. They indicate how many bear-related calls were recorded in each listed year, without establishing that every call represented a separate bear or a confirmed conflict.
The reported totals were 2,003 in 2006, 2,329 in 2007, 2,226 in 2008, 2,844 in 2009, and 3,227 in 2010. The sequence continued with 3,813 in 2011, 5,474 in 2012, 5,345 in 2013, 6,736 in 2014, and 6,700 in 2015.
For 2016 through 2020, the page reports 5,999 calls in 2016, 6,190 in 2017, 5,480 in 2018, 5,390 in 2019, and 5,809 in 2020. The later reported totals were 5,738 in 2021, 5,923 in 2022, 7,311 in 2023, 5,694 in 2024, and 7,724 in 2025.
The highest annual total in this supplied series was 7,724 calls in 2025. The lowest was 2,003 in 2006. The 2023 total was 7,311, followed by 5,694 in 2024 and 7,724 in 2025. These year-specific values should remain distinct from the regional 2014/2015 bear estimates and from the mortality series below.
Source: FWC Bears by the Numbers.
Statewide bear mortality
The same FWC Bears by the Numbers source reports statewide bear total mortality for 2016 through 2025. The figures are 138 in 2016, 166 in 2017, 147 in 2018, 172 in 2019, and 184 in 2020.
The reported total mortality was 225 in 2021, 184 in 2022, 167 in 2023, 188 in 2024, and 208 in 2025. The highest value in this supplied period was 225 in 2021. The lowest was 138 in 2016.
| Year | Statewide bear-related calls | Statewide bear total mortality |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 5,999 | 138 |
| 2017 | 6,190 | 166 |
| 2018 | 5,480 | 147 |
| 2019 | 5,390 | 172 |
| 2020 | 5,809 | 184 |
| 2021 | 5,738 | 225 |
| 2022 | 5,923 | 184 |
| 2023 | 7,311 | 167 |
| 2024 | 5,694 | 188 |
| 2025 | 7,724 | 208 |
The table places the two series side by side without treating them as a rate or calculating a relationship between them. Calls measure reported bear-related contacts; total mortality measures deaths recorded in the statewide mortality series. The source does not support describing one as the cause of changes in the other.
Source: FWC Bears by the Numbers.
County-level manatee mortalities
FWC’s county mortality tables provide another way to read Florida wildlife statistics: by county and year. In the 2023 final manatee mortality table, Lee County recorded 115 manatee mortalities, Brevard County recorded 58, Pinellas County recorded 47, and Volusia County recorded 35.
The 2022 final table reports 346 manatee mortalities in Brevard County and 37 in Broward County. These are county-specific totals tied to their respective annual final tables. The 2022 Brevard figure should not be combined with the 2023 Brevard figure as though they measured the same year.
| County | Year | Manatee mortalities |
|---|---|---|
| Brevard | 2023 | 58 |
| Lee | 2023 | 115 |
| Pinellas | 2023 | 47 |
| Volusia | 2023 | 35 |
| Broward | 2022 | 37 |
| Brevard | 2022 | 346 |
Within the listed 2023 county figures, Lee had the highest reported total at 115, followed by Brevard at 58, Pinellas at 47, and Volusia at 35. The listed 2022 values show 346 in Brevard and 37 in Broward. Because the table entries come from different annual reports, the year labels are essential context for every county value.
Sources: FWC 2023 Final Manatee Mortality Table by County, FWC 2022 Final Manatee Mortality Table by County.