10 Top Birding Destinations in the United States

There are many amazing places to spot birds across the United States, but a few stand out as particularly special. Some are known for their sheer abundance of birds while others are noted for their diversity, housing unique species that are likely once-in-a-lifetime sights for even the most experienced birders. Many locations are important stopovers for migrating birds, making them extra special during the spring and winter seasons. With 530 species, Alaska holds the title for the state with the most bird species in the United States.

Here are 10 top birding destinations in the U.S.

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Nome (Alaska)

Starting in late May, birders flock to this beautiful, remote stretch of tundra to catch sight of species in spectacular breeding plumage, from mergansers to Pacific golden plovers. Hundreds of species migrate to Nome, including bristle-thighed curlews, Arctic terns, red-necked grebes, red-necked phalaropes, and red-throated loons.

Only three roads lead out from Nome, and each offers a different viewing opportunity. Plovers are easily viewed along Nome-Teller Highway while Kougarok Road leads to a location where bluethroats may be spotted by the lucky and extra observant. Nome-Council Road leads to Safety Sound, an estuary and nesting area for Aleutian and Arctic terns.

Nome is a remote location that involves a long travel time, so plan to stay for at least four or five days to be able to take in all the sights and check off as many boxes on your species list as possible.

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Mount Desert Island (Maine)

adult common loon with black and white coloring floating on the water with a baby loon on it's back — Harry Collins / Getty Images

Part of Acadia National Park, Mount Desert Island offers a broad range of species thanks to a mix of habitats, including coastline, bog, forest, and bare mountain peaks. It is a great place to go birding any time of year, though seasonal migrations and nesting season offer extra-special opportunities.

Year-round, visitors can spot year-round residents, including bald eagles, gray jays, and black guillemots. Seasonal inhabitants include nesting Atlantic puffins, a variety of warblers, and bobolinks. The Acadia Birding Festival is held in late May and early June of each year on Mount Desert Island and is an ideal opportunity to mingle with fellow birders while exploring the area.

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Grand Isle (Louisiana)

A barrier island in Louisiana, Grand Isle honors its avian visitors each spring with the Grand Isle Migratory Bird Celebration. The annual festival brings awareness to conserving what remains of this small but important forest habitat for birds. The area is best known for warblers, but visitors can also spot around 100 different species of songbirds as well as swallow-tailed kites, terns, skimmers, pink roseate spoonbills, and more

The oak forests that remain on Grand Isle provide essential cover, food, and refuge to migrating birds.

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Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge (New Mexico)

The 57,331-acre Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is best known for its enormous congregations of migrating sandhill cranes. There is even a four-day festival in November celebrating their migration. But this beautiful species certainly isn't the only reason why birders arrive in droves to the desert oasis.

The refuge also serves as a breeding ground for 100 bird species, and the total number of species observed is over 400. Waterbirds, including ducks and geese, and terrestrial birds, including Gambel's quail, roadrunners, and pheasants, are commonly spotted. Raptors, including bald eagles, golden eagles, northern harriers, and several species of hawks and falcons, can be spied hunting for prey. Songbirds are abundant as are gulls. And, of course, the mountain scenery is second to none.

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Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (Maryland)

Though you can spot marsh birds and bald eagles year-round at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, the real spectacle is the thousands of migrating ducks and geese that stop by every spring and fall. The refuge was created as a sanctuary for migrating waterfowl, and they certainly flock to it. Forests, marshes, and shallow water provide a variety of habitats for black ducks, blue- and green-winged teal, wigeons, and pintails.

As for raptors, excluding Florida, the refuge boasts the greatest density of nesting bald eagles in the eastern United States. Ospreys are also common, as are owls, woodpeckers, and wild turkeys. Smaller species including warblers, vireos, orioles, and flycatchers can also be sighted. It is a rich habitat sure to delight the visiting birder.

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Cave Creek Canyon (Arizona)

A Blue Mexican Jay standing an a brown twig in front of green plants and mountains at Chiricahua National Monument Arizona — Federica Grassi / Getty Images

Found in the Chiricahua Mountains, Cave Creek Canyon offers incredible birding year-round. There are 375 different bird species in this location, including the Mexican jay, Gambel’s quail, cactus wren, verdin, and the curve-billed thrasher.

Raptors range from the Western screech owl to the zone-tailed hawk and the golden eagle. Among the more exotic is the elegant trogon, a treasure for any birder to see. Only around two dozen of these elusive birds are spotted in the canyon each summer. This location is also famous for hummingbirds. Nearly every hummingbird species in Arizona can be viewed in the canyon.

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Monterey Bay (California)

Known primarily for whale watching, sea otter spotting, and one of the best aquariums in the nation, Monterey Bay is also a must-visit for birders. Off the coast, one can spot black-footed albatross, tufted puffins, jaegers, shearwaters, and alcids. Closer to shore, birders can check pelicans, California condors, Townsend’s warblers, snowy plovers, and cormorants off their lists.

Wintering shorebirds are found by the thousands during migration season as well as warblers and passerines. The abundance and diversity of birds in Monterey are as rich as that of the underwater marine life for which the bay is famous. The annual Monterey Bay Birding Festival in September is a great way to participate in events with other birders while observing an abundance of unique species.

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Everglades National Park (Florida)

December to March is prime birding time in Everglades National Park. Visitors can spot as many as 360 different species of bird in this stunning and unique watery habitat. The anhinga, also known as the snake bird or water turkey, can be found here as well as the roseate spoonbill, the white ibis, the purple gallinule, several heron species, and many shorebirds. A wide variety of duck species and marsh birds also call Everglades National Park home.

The ponds are thick with a diversity of species, and birders can simply stand at the water’s edge and check species off their list. There is wildlife everywhere—remember to check the flowering shrubs for hummingbirds and the trees for warblers, woodpeckers, owls, and hawks.

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Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge (California)

fire-eyed grebe with a long, white neck floating in Tule Lake, California surrounded by seaweed — Samson1976 / Getty Images

Tule Lake is among the best areas to view the largest number of bird species in one location, primarily because it is a key stopover on the Pacific Flyway for migrating birds. Part of an area that includes four national wildlife refuges and thousands of acres of private farmlands, Tule Lake is a 39,116-acre refuge and breeding area for wild birds and animals. Pelicans, gulls, terns, and diving ducks make use of the deeper wetlands while rails, ibis, egrets, and herons benefit from the cattails in the shallows.

Smaller species include the marsh wren, yellow-headed blackbird, northern oriole, and yellow-rumped warbler. Hundreds of bald eagles can be found here in winter. To allow wildlife photographers the opportunity to get closer to species while remaining concealed, Tule Lake has photography blinds available for reservation.

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Denali National Park and Preserve (Alaska)

an orange colored Ptarmigan sitting on a pile of rocks near green plants in the Denali State Park, Alaska — Mlharing / Getty Images

Denali is a hotspot for viewing all kinds of amazing wildlife, including birds. About 160 bird species have been recorded in the park, most of them seasonal. In spring, you can witness the nesting behavior for everything from golden eagles to black-capped chickadees. The rare northern hawk owl also calls the park home. Many raptor species, including gyrfalcons, northern goshawks, merlins, and peregrine falcons, can be found here. So too can water birds in abundance, including wigeons, shovelers, scaups, long-tailed ducks, loons, mergansers, and scoters. Resident birds include the willow ptarmigan, the great-horned owl, and the downy woodpecker.

The various habitats of forests, riparian corridors, shrubland, tundra, ponds, and lakes all provide a wonderful variety of species sightings as well as breathtaking landscapes.