Communicating with America’s magnificent feathered friends is a wonderful way to explore the eight different ecosystems that the United States of America has to offer. This is true regardless of whether you are new to the pleasures of birding or have been observing birds for a very long time. You may easily learn about the birds that are worth observing in each place before you get there by using websites such as ebird.org or the National Audubon Society if you do your research beforehand.
Birding, which can be thought of as a real-world counterpart of the game “Pokémon Go,” is a task that provides you with the opportunity to go outside and discover wildlife wherever you go. In addition, with the assistance of the online hivemind, it is now simpler than ever before to discover the activities that the actual birdwatchers like doing in their spare time.
Communicating with America’s magnificent feathered friends is a wonderful way to explore the eight different ecosystems that the United States of America has to offer. This is true regardless of whether you are new to the pleasures of birding or have been observing birds for a very long time. You may easily learn about the birds that are worth observing in each place before you get there by using websites such as ebird.org or the National Audubon Society if you do your research beforehand.
Birding, which can be thought of as a real-world counterpart of the game “Pokémon Go,” is a task that provides you with the opportunity to go outside and discover wildlife wherever you go. In addition, with the assistance of the online hivemind, it is now simpler than ever before to discover the activities that the actual birdwatchers like doing in their spare time.
Flamingos
Flamingo watchers will find the Everglades to be a paradise. A natural estuary and subtropical marsh area that is fifty miles wide and borders the mangrove swamps that are near to the Gulf of Mexico, Big Cypress Swamp, and Florida Bay, the Everglades are referred to as the “River of Grass” by Marjory Stoneman Douglas, a journalist and conservationist.
In this eerie and breathtakingly beautiful stretch of protected wetland, the salty of the ocean and the freshwater of the Kissimmee River come together to form a unique combination.
This area is home to around 200 different kinds of birds, including a large number of wading birds, diving birds, and ducks and other aquatic birds. Local inhabitants of the area include a variety of birds, including wood storks, egrets, herons, limpkins, cormorants, vireos, warblers, and woodpeckers, all of which are designated as endangered.
Nevertheless, the flamingo population in the Everglades is what attracts a lot of birdwatchers to the area. This is not to be confused with the roseate spoonbills, which are also pink. In addition, when you are there, there is a good possibility that you will have the opportunity to see a breathtaking and uncommon sight: the Everglades is the only area in the world where you can encounter wild alligators and crocodiles in the same location.
Because it has such a large footprint, there are a lot of great places for birdwatchers to select from, and you really can’t go wrong no matter where you begin your journey.
Reddit user u/keepp suggested beginning a birding trip at the self-guiding Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park. This recommendation was made on the r/birding subreddit. “The ecosystem shifts from being clean water to saltwater as you go southward and so the species of birds changes as you get down to Florida Bay,” according to their research. Make sure that you pack a sufficient amount of water, bug repellent, and sunscreen with you every time you travel.
Green jay
For the opportunity to see green jays, go to the Sabal Palm Sanctuary near Brownsville, Texas.
South Padre Island, which is located on the Gulf of Mexico, is often considered to be a beach vacation destination during early spring break or throughout the summer months. However, the region is alive with species due to the presence of factors such as tidal flats, coastal grassland, a hypersaline lagoon, and a complex dune system in the vicinity.
A sanctuary for birdwatchers may be found at Sabal Palm Sanctuary, which is located in Brownsville, Texas, and is just a fifty-minute drive down the road from South Padre. A nature route that is three miles long and travels through the Sabal Palm Forest all the way down to the Rio Grande River is one of the characteristics of Sabal, which is managed by the Gorgas Science Foundation. This trail is home to some of the most beautiful avifauna in the area.
The emerald-feathered green jay is a bird that is native to South Texas, Mexico, and Central America. This location is significant since it is one of the few places in the United States where birdwatchers have the opportunity to see this bird. In a post on the subreddit for birding, user u/Clarizle said, “I have seen green jays every time I’ve gone, and they have a bird cam online if you want to check it out before you head out there.”
There is a big parrot roost at Oliveira Park in Brownsville, which is located close to the sanctuary. This roost is home to the red-crowned parrot in addition to numerous alternative species.
Oregon’s Tualatin River
You may see a wide variety of birds that live on floodplains by going to the Tualatin River Wildlife Refuge in Oregon.
Because of the flooding that occurs at certain times of the year, the land that is flattened around a river may serve as a home to a diverse array of avifauna and other types of species. It is around the Tualatin River in Oregon that you will discover some of the greatest areas in the Pacific Northwest to find birds that live in floodplains.
As a watershed that runs mostly over flat ground, the Tualatin River is a sluggish, meandering waterway that is a tributary of the Willamette River, which in turn flows into the Columbia River. This watershed is responsible for generating a rich and dynamic environment for a variety of animals.
Birdwatchers have the opportunity to interact with a wide variety of birds, including, but not limited to, red-tailed hawks, bald eagles, greater white-fronted geese, lesser scaups, short-eared owls, in addition to the great blue heron. There is even a solitary black swan that has made the sanctuary its home since it was established in the year 2023.
Jillian F., a user on Tripadvisor, gushed over the abundance of birds, saying, “Tons of birds!” I started my stroll within the refuge in the early evening and completed the whole circle around it. I was able to hear birds singing and chirping all along the walk, which contributed to the tranquilizing atmosphere.
Despite the fact that some people have said that the refuge is not the most ideal place because of its closeness to the road, the majority of people have stressed that the animals makes the journey worthwhile.
A member of the Reddit community published the following message on the r/askPortland subreddit: “Tualatin River [National Wildlife Refuge] should be in the top thread (most reliable place for black-headed grosbeaks in my experience).”
Hot places on South Padre Island for migrating birds
South Padre Island, much like its neighbor Brownsville, is home to a large number of different kinds of birds. According to the birding subreddit, the island is the location of a migratory event that occurs on a regular basis and is known as “migratory fallout.” This occurrence is observed by birdwatchers. Bird fallout is a phenomenon that happens when migrating birds break their trip plan owing to adverse weather patterns that bring strong winds, rain, fog, or excessive heat or cold. This is in contrast to the normal yearly migration patterns that most birds follow, which are predictable.
Due to these circumstances, birds are compelled to descend in order to forage and rest. In spite of the fact that migratory fallouts are notoriously difficult to forecast, birdwatchers are treated to a remarkable and one-of-a-kind experience whenever they take place. During the spring migration, keep an eye out for changes in the wind and the weather in order to come across one of them.
In spite of the fact that this could seem to be an excessive amount of effort for a spur-of-the-moment birding holiday, the species that you might have the opportunity to observe are nothing short of breathtaking. “I am not talking about the hordes of black birds we see at HEB around the end of the day we are speaking about vibrant red, blue, orange, and yellow birds in large numbers not seen in recent memory,” u/cr0n1c said on the r/RioGrandeValley channel The day before yesterday, I went out there, and to say the least, it was absolutely breathtaking and breathtakingly lovely. Orioles, buntings, hummingbirds, grosbeaks, warblers, and other birds have been seen by me.
As a result of a recent fallout, birds gathered in large numbers at popular destinations such as the South Padre Island Birding Center and the protected acreage owned by the South Padre Island Valley Land Fund.
Madera Canyon
The Madera Canyon in Arizona is the perfect place to spend a week and converse with woodpeckers.
When it comes to birding in the southwest, Madera Canyon is considered to be one of the most popular destinations, at least according to Reddit content. Madera Canyon is a verdant, forested ravine that is located only a short drive away from Tucson. It is filled with wonderful pathways that are shaded and where more than 250 different kinds of birds may be seen.
It is possible to witness a large number of hummingbirds in this area, particularly during the summer months. In addition to elf owls, red-faced warblers, and exquisite trogons with their brilliant red chests, there are a few more species of birds that you could come across in Madera Canyon.
“Highlights for me included the Northern Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, yellow-eyed juncos, Mexican jays, and oh my goodness all of the wood peckers!” u/omnivoroustoad said on r/birding about his own observations of a significant number of Mexican jays in the canyon.
An another user on Reddit said, “Madera Canyon is an absolute must-see!” The optimal periods to get a glimpse of exquisite trogons are during the spring and summer months. Even as late as December, my wife and I have both saw one of them! The preserve also has a nature walk that is accessible to those with disabilities, so that bird enthusiasts who have mobility issues may participate in the pleasure.
Marine bird tours in San Diego
Simply said, pelagic birding is a fancy way of expressing birdwatching that takes place aboard a boat. It is highly recommended that you include a pelagic birding trip at the top of your list of things to do if you are a birding enthusiast who has never gone on one before. This is because there are many feathered friends that are best seen in their native habitats on the sea.
Seabird watchers flock to the San Diego area for pelagic birding tours, where they can see a plethora of species such as the south polar skua, brown booby, black-vented shearwater, ashy storm-petrel, black-footed albatross, and other uncommon boobies.
After you have finished your tour of the pelagic species, you will find that the region is also home to a large number of shorebirds, which are well worth the effort to discover. On the thread r/sandiego, user Francis_the_Goat offered the following piece of advice: “If you don’t mind shorebirds, there are plenty of great spots along the coast.
“Famous Slough and the Tijuana River Estuary/Borderfield State Park are also wonderful places to visit. If burrowing owls aren’t already on your list of things to do in life, hunt them down! Famous Slough is yet another well-known seaside viewing location for birds. The North San Diego County lagoons, Elfin Forest, and Lake Hodges are three other locations that are often visited by birdwatchers living in the San Diego region.
Colorado
Discover a diverse collection of bird species in Colorado, which is home to a broad variety of temperatures.
People who frequent the Reddit subreddit r/birding believe that Colorado is the best place to visit if you are searching for a place to observe avifauna in a variety of habitats that are within a reasonable driving distance. According to the user u/SquirrelSanctuary, “Nearly every hotspot has approximately four biomes within walking distance.”
A environment that includes prairie grasslands, semi-desert and mountainous shrublands, mountain and subalpine forests, alpine tundra, and pinyon-juniper woodland is responsible for the presence of more than 400 different species of birds in the state of Colorado.
Among the various bird species that make their home in this area are the yellow warbler, the yellow-headed blackbird, the western meadowlark, the vivid Steller’s Jay, the lovely mountain bluebird, and even the bigger prairie-chickens, which have a wild appearance.
To encourage tourism related to birdwatching, the state of Colorado even has the Colorado birdwatching Trail. The goal of this statewide program is to establish a vast network of birding and nature trails by establishing connections between public parks and open land and areas that are privately belonging to individuals.
If you are unsure of where to start, you should begin your journey at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge or Rocky Mountain National Park, which is located less than two hours away. Rocky Mountain National Park is also known as the hidden jewel national park for outdoor sports and activities. “RMNP is great for off-season or on weekdays, but otherwise there are much less crowded places with more birds available,” u/nosa290 recommended on r/birdwatching. “RMNP is great for birdwatching.”
Watching birds from a kayak or by walking the perimeter path at Dillon Reservoir is one of my favorite things to do. I highly recommend taking a drive to the reservoir. Significant numbers of ducks, bald eagles, and ospreys.”
Oklahoma’s Green Country
The region known as Green Country, which is situated in Northeast Oklahoma and borders the Ozark Mountains, is as verdant and lively as its name suggests; it is the ideal location for birdwatchers to capture a broad variety of plains species.
The birding community on Reddit claims that the area is teeming with opportunities to see the local avian life in a variety of wonderful locations. A list of birding hotspots in the Green Country was submitted by user u/tjroberts79 on the Reddit subreddit for birding. The Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge, Greenleaf State Park, and the J.T. Nickel Family Nature and Wildlife Preserve are three places that the Redditor suggested visiting if you are looking for a few nice birding areas that are situated within a comfortable driving distance.
The individual on Reddit said that they had seen a variety of birds in the region, including ducks, woodpeckers, warblers, grosbeaks, vireos, turkeys, painted buntings, and yellowthroats. They specifically mentioned Deep Fork.
In the event that you are interested in venturing a little farther to the west, around two hours away, you will learn that the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge is located. “We have seen whooping cranes and really impressive geese migrations at the Salt Plains NWR the last few Octobers,” according to user u/tjroberts79. “The early morning Sandhill flights seen from the lake’s trail viewpoint and blind during migration (mid-October to November) there is something that few individuals go to see, but maybe the most amazing nature sight in Oklahoma.”
Bar Harbor, Maine
In the town of Bar Harbor, Maine, you may spend time with ospreys and eagles. The coastal environment, glacier-formed lakes, deep deciduous and boreal forest, valleys, mudflats, marshes, and beaches of Bar Harbor, Maine, are all great places to go birding in New England. If you are interested in birding in New England, you should not miss out on this opportunity.
At least 338 different kinds of birds may be found on the gorgeous New England island of Mount Desert, which is located on the 108-square-mile Mount Desert Island (pronounced “dessert”) and surrounds Acadia National Park.
A wide variety of woodpeckers and songbirds, such as vireos, thrushes, chickadees, and warblers, call the wooded regions of the region their home. There are also a great number of shorebirds and waterfowl that can be found in this area. Some examples of these are loons, sandpipers, gulls, plovers, and waterfowl species. Bar Harbor is home to a diverse population of birds of prey, which includes vultures, osprey, falcons, eagles, hawks, and owls such as barred and snowy owls. These birds are among the most impressive visitors to the area.
In order to get the most out of what the land and the sea have to offer, spend one day hiking along the paths that are worthy of being featured on a postcard in Acadia National Park, and then spend the following day on a pelagic trip to mingle with the local puffin population.
During one of the puffin and lighthouse trips, Lisa Hagen commented on Tripadvisor, “We observed Harbor Seals, Arctic Terns, Atlantic Puffins, Razorbills, Common Murres, Grey Seals, Bald Eagles, and Wilson’s Petrels.” Hagen was describing the sightings that she saw.
Great blue heron
At the conclusion of the most recent ice age, some 20,000 years ago, a sheet of ice that was one mile thick cut out the land as it melted, resulting in the formation of the Great Lakes area, which is considered to be one of the most stunning spots to visit in North America.
As a result of the presence of a variety of habitats in the area around the lakes, including dune ecosystems, woods, and wetland ecosystems, there are several breathtaking locations to see the avifauna of the Great Lakes, especially the species that feed on fish and algae.
As a result of the fact that the United States side of the Great Lakes area encompasses the states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana, there is an abundance of potential birding destinations in this region.
The Chicago Riverwalk is home to a wide variety of birds, including rock pigeons, gulls, robins, starlings, sparrows, and even the rare peregrine falcon, indigo bunting, black-crowned night heron, and white-winged scoter.
A user on Reddit posted on the r/chicago subreddit, “The Chicago area is very diverse.” “Both due to migration paths as well as the fact that we’re pretty much smack dab in the middle of anything with access to a large body of fresh water.”
Blue herons have been seen to congregate in the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, which is another popular destination for birdwatchers in the Great Lakes area.
The steps we took to choose our birding spots
Whenever it comes to natural beauty, the United States of America is a veritable treasure trove, which means that there are a great many stunning ecosystems around the country where one may commune with nature. For the purpose of determining which of these ecosystems provide some of the greatest birdwatching opportunities in the nation, we began by consulting the r/birding and other Reddit birding forums to see which suggestions were the most popular among birdwatchers.
Following the acquisition of this information, we proceeded to search Reddit and Tripadvisor for those locations, using search phrases such as “birding” in order to get as much information as possible on each location. During the last phase of our investigation, we looked for the birds that are present in each of the locations.