Birding Bliss: America’s Top National Parks for Bird Watching
Bird watching, also known as “birding,” has soared in popularity recently. It’s a fascinating hobby that involves observing and identifying various bird species in their natural habitats.
The quest to find those perfect spots where birds congregate makes bird-watching so exciting. Whether it’s a forest, a wetland, a towering mountain range, or even a local park, birders are always looking for these havens of feathered activity. These places are gateways to extraordinary encounters, where birders can spot rare and elusive species or witness fascinating bird behaviors up close.
The team at Birda, the birding app, compiled a list of the top national parks in America for birding. The National Park Service manages an extensive network of 424 parks, each with its own unique offerings. These parks showcase remarkable natural landscapes and several cultural and historical sites.
Birding at the top national parks
According to the bird-watching app, Acadia National Park in Maine is one of the best for birding. They said that Acadia National Park has an astonishing variety of 261 bird species. The park is a sanctuary for birds of prey, seabirds, and boreal birds. Numerous avian residents call this park their year-round home, while others use it as a stopover during their seasonal migrations. The park itself is on the coast of Maine and includes beaches, lakes, cliffs, and mountains.
Additionally, securing the second spot on their top 10 list is Everglades National Park in Florida. With a population of over 300 bird species, this park serves as a sanctuary for diverse avian life. Among the notable feathered residents of Everglades National Park are the Wood Stork, Roseate Spoonbill, White Ibis, Green-backed Heron, Snowy Egret, Red-tailed Hawks, Anhinga, Indigo Bunting, and Red-bellied Woodpecker.
Other national parks making it onto the list are the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona and the Olympic National Park in Washington. See what other national parks made the top 10 best for bird watching. Find out which other national parks have made it onto this list here.