Top 10 national parks for birding, plus interactive species map
Birds’ spring migration and mating season comes to a close by mid-summer as warmer temperatures arrive. But national parks across the United States that protect a range of threatened species remain a great place for bird-watching.
Experts with the birding app Birda ranked the top national parks you can visit to check out the beauty of birds.
Birders tend to take it easy in the summer because most species aren’t as visible – they no longer need to elicit mating calls or defend territory and are well into raising their young, according to The Audubon Society. Exceptions include some juvenile shorebird species, which leave their Arctic breeding grounds by late June and are often seen in marshes or some fields after a heavy rain, according to Audubon.
Click around the interactive map to search a list of every bird species suited to live in Birda’s top national parks during the summer. Information was compiled from Audubon, which used National Park Service data.
Here are Birda’s top 10 national parks for birding in the U.S., along with more facts about each park.
1. Acadia National Park – Maine
- Birds of Acadia National Park: Bald eagle, Atlantic puffin, peregrine falcon, Blackburnian warbler and woodpecker.
- Number of current bird species with suitable climate in park during summer (from National Park Service Inventory & Monitoring data and eBird observation), according to Audubon: 143.
- Best Acadia birding spots, according to Birda: Jordan Pond, Precipice Trail and Cadillac Mountain.
With more than 338 bird species encountered, Acadia National Park is considered one of the premier bird-watching areas in the country, according to National Park Service, and is ranked first by Birda.
The park’s location along the eastern seaboard is a favorite breeding ground for many kinds of birds, “from owls to shorebirds and from raptors to warblers,” and provides a “wide variety of habitats,” Birda said. Many of the birds live all year in the park, according to Birda, although a recent study published in the journal Northeastern Naturalist found that winter bird populations have declined by nearly half since 1971.
Find out more about Acadia National Parkhere.
2. Everglades National Park – Florida
- Birds of Everglades National Park: Wood stork, Roseate spoonbill, White ibis, Green-backed heron, Snowy egret, Red-tailed hawks, Anhinga, Indigo bunting and Red-bellied woodpecker.
- Number of current bird species with suitable climate in park during summer, according to Audubon: 86.
- Best Everglades birding spots, according to Birda: The Homestead, Anhinga Trail, Paurotis Pond, Nine Mile Pond and Mrazek Pond.
From the earliest written accounts, Everglades National Park has been associated with birds. The region’s “life-giving” wetlands have attracted all types of birds for thousands of years, with more than 360 different species’ sightings recorded, according to NPS.
Find out more about Everglades National Parkhere.
3. Grand Canyon National Park – Arizona
- Birds of Grand Canyon National Park: Peregrine falcon, California condor, Common raven, Steller’s pinyon, Red-tailed hawk, Scrub jay and Canyon wren.
- Number of current bird species with suitable climate in park during summer, according to Audubon: 130.
Find out more about birds in Grand Canyon National Parkhere.
4. Olympic National Park – Washington
- Birds of Olympic National Park:Bald eagle, Western gull, Red-breasted sapsucker, Woodpecker, Belted kingfisher, Steller’s and Gray jay, Blue grouse, Peregrine falcon and Northern pygmy owl.
- Number of current bird species with suitable climate in park during summer, according to Audubon: 114
Find out more about birds in Olympic National Park here.
5. Haleakalā National Park – Hawaii
- Birds of Haleakalā National Park: Hawaiian short-eared owl, Nene goose, Honeycreeper, Maui petrel and Mauri Parrotbill.
- Best Haleakalā birding spots, according to Birda: The Hosmer Grove Trail, right off the campground of the same name.
- Haleakalā National Park is home to unique species found nowhere else on earth, according to NPS.
Find out more about birds in Haleakala National Park here.
6. Pinnacles National Park – California
- Birds of Pinnacles National Park: California quail, California condor, Turkey vulture, Golden eagle, Prairie falcon, Acorn woodpecker and Steller’s jay.
- Number of current bird species with suitable climate in park during summer, according to Audubon: 71
- Best Pinnacles birding spots, according to Birda and NPS: High Peaks Trail, Bear Gulch and Chalone Creek.
Find out more about Pinnacles National Parkhere.
7. Yellowstone National Park – Wyoming, Idaho, Montana
- Birds of Yellowstone National Park: Bald eagle, American white pelican, Canada geese, Common loon, Osprey, Sandhill crane, Trumpeter swan and American dipper.
- Number of current bird species with suitable climate in park during summer, according to Audubon: 136
- Best Yellowstone birding spots, according to Birda: Hayden Valley.
Find out more about Yellowstone National Parkhere.
8. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore – Indiana
With over 350 confirmed bird species recorded at the ancient sand dunes on the southern tip of Lake Michigan, Indiana is home to one of the top National Parks for birding, according to NPS. Lake Michigan’s shoreline attracts a large amount of southbound birds during the fall migration as well as wintering birds, NPS says.
- Birds of Indiana Dunes National Park: Virginia rail, Red-throated loon, Green heron, Great blue heron, Waterfowl and warblers.
- Best Indiana Dunes birding spots, according to Audubon: Cowles Bog, Paul H. Douglas Trail, Longshore Birding Platform, Great Marsh Trail.
Find out more about Indiana Dunes National Parkhere.
9. Carlsbad Caverns National Park – New Mexico
- Birds of Carlsbad Caverns National Park: Gray and Bell’s vireo, Vermillion flycatcher, Cactus wren, Ladder-backed woodpecker and varied bunting.
- Number of current bird species with suitable climate in park during summer, according to Audubon: 120.
- Best Carlsbad Caverns birding spots, according to Birda: Rattlesnake Springs.
Find out more about Carlsbad Caverns National Parkhere.
10. Big Bend National Park – Texas
In this arid desert park, the Rio Grande is a lifeline of support for birds, and 75% of all bird sightings have been near water, according to NPS.
- Birds of Big Bend National Park: Vermillion flycatcher, Colima warbler, Mexican jay, Lucifer hummingbird and Green kingfisher.
- Number of current bird species with suitable climate in park during summer, according to Audubon: 117.
- Best Big Bend birding spots, according to NPS: Rio Grande Village, Chisos Mountains, Cottonwood Campground, Dugout Wells, Sam Nail Ranch, and Blue Creek.
Find out more about Big Bend National Park here.
