The Best Birdwatching Destinations The US Has To Offer, According To Reddit

Whether you're new to the joys of birding or you've been watching birds for ages, communing with America's fine feathery friends is a fabulous way to experience the nation's eight diverse ecosystems. Using sites like ebird.org or the National Audubon Society, you can easily learn about the birds worth watching in each destination ahead of your trip. A real-world version of "Pokémon Go," birding is a challenge that gives you a chance to get out and explore nature everywhere you go. And with the help of the internet hivemind, it's easier than ever to find out where the true birdwatchers like to spend their time.

To get the inside scoop on the best birdwatching spots in the country, from little-known national parks perfect for family vacations to some of the country's best beach destinations, we spent some time in Reddit's birding communities to discover where seasoned birdwatchers like to vacation. Grab your binoculars and get ready to take a closer look at the best birdwatching destinations the United States has to offer.

Like its neighbor Brownsville, South Padre Island hosts hundreds of bird species. According to birding Reddit, the island is home to a regular migratory event popular among birdwatchers known as "migratory fallout." Unlike most birds' predictable annual migration patterns, bird fallout occurs when migratory birds disrupt their travel itinerary due to inclement weather patterns that bring high winds, rain, fog, or extreme heat or cold. These conditions force birds to descend for rest and food. Although a migration fallout can be difficult to predict, birders witness an outstanding, one-of-a-kind experience when they occur. To encounter one of these, watch for wind and weather changes during spring migration.

While that might seem like an awfully lot of work for a spur-of-the-moment birding vacation, the species you could potentially view are nothing short of awe-inspiring. "I am not talking about the hordes of black birds we see at HEB around sunset, we are talking about colorful red, blue, orange, and yellow birds in large numbers not seen in recent memory," u/cr0n1c reported on r/RioGrandeValley. "I went out there yesterday and it was pretty overwhelming and beautiful to say the least. I saw orioles, buntings, hummingbirds, grosbeaks, warblers, etc." One recent fallout saw birds flocking around hot spots like the South Padre Island Birding Center and the South Padre Island Valley Land Fund's protected acreage.

Located in Northeast Oklahoma, the area known as Green Country bordering on the Ozark Mountains is as lush and vibrant as the name sounds — it's the perfect place for birders to catch a wide variety of plains birds. According to Reddit's birding community, the region is full of great spots to check out the local avian population. Writing on r/birding, u/tjroberts79 shared a list of Green Country birding destinations. For a few good birding spots located within reasonable driving distance, the Redditor recommended checking out the Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge, Greenleaf State Park, and the J.T. Nickel Family Nature and Wildlife Preserve. Specifically referencing Deep Fork, the Redditor reported seeing ducks, woodpeckers, warblers, grosbeaks, vireos, turkeys, painted buntings, and yellowthroats in the area.

If you feel like heading a little further west, about two hours away, you can find the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge. "We have seen whooping cranes and really impressive geese migrations at the Salt Plains NWR the last few Octobers," u/tjroberts79 wrote. "The morning Sandhill flights seen from the lake trail overlook and blind during migration (mid-October to November) there is something few people go to see, but maybe the most amazing nature sight in Oklahoma."

One of the most raved-about birding spots in the southwest, at least according to Reddit, is Madera Canyon. Just a short drive from Tucson, Madera Canyon is a lush, wooded ravine full of excellent shady trails where more than 250 species of birds can be spotted. Loads of hummingbirds can be seen here, especially during the summer months. Other birds you could potentially bump into in Madera Canyon include elf owls, red-faced warblers, and elegant trogons with their vibrant red chests.

Writing on r/birding, u/omnivoroustoad reported spying a fair number of Mexican jays in the canyon: "Highlights for me were the Northern Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, yellow eyed juncos, Mexican jays, and oh gosh all of the wood peckers!" Another Redditor replied, "Madera Canyon is a must-visit! Spring and summer are best times to catch a glimpse of elegant trogons. My wife and I have even seen one as late as December!" The preserve even has an ADA-accessible nature trail so that bird lovers with mobility needs can get in on the fun.

If you're in the market for birding in New England, head to Maine's Bar Harbor with its coastal habitat, glacier-formed lakes, deep deciduous and boreal forest, valleys, mudflats, wetlands, and beaches. Located on the 108-square mile Mount Desert Island (pronounced "dessert"), the picturesque New England island encompasses Acadia National Park and is host to at least 338 species of birds. The region's forested lands are home to a range of woodpeckers and songbirds, including vireos, thrushes, chickadees, and warblers. Plenty of shorebirds and waterfowl can also be found here — think loons, sandpipers, gulls, plovers, and freshwater duck species. Perhaps most spectacular are the members of Bar Harbor's bird-of-prey population, including vultures, osprey, falcons, eagles, hawks, and owls like barred and snowy owls.

To get the best of what land and sea have to offer, head down the trails through postcard-worthy Acadia National Park one day and spend the next on a pelagic tour to commune with the local puffin population. Reporting on one of the puffin and lighthouse tours, Lisa Hagen wrote on Tripadvisor, "We saw Harbor Seals, Arctic Terns, Atlantic Puffins, Razorbills, Common Murres, Grey Seals, Bald Eagles, [and] Wilson's Petrels."

Formed around 20,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age when a mile-thick sheet of ice carved out the earth as it melted, the Great Lakes region is one of North America's most magnificent sights to behold. Surrounding the lakes are a number of habitats, from dune ecosystems to forests and wetlands — which means many spectacular spots to check out the Great Lakes' avifauna, particularly the ones that live on fish and algae.

With a U.S. side that stretches through Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana, there is no shortage of birding hotspots in the Great Lakes region. Stop by the Chicago Riverwalk, and you'll find rock pigeons, gulls, robins, starlings, sparrows, and even the occasional peregrine falcon, indigo bunting, black-crowned night heron, and white-winged scoter. "Chicago area is very diverse," A Redditor wrote on r/chicago. "Both due to migratory routes as well as the fact that we're pretty much smack dab in the middle of everything with access to a huge body of fresh water." Another favorite birding hot spot in the Great Lakes region is the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, where blue herons have been known to hang out.

Part of the 95-mile-long Atlantic coast lagoon system, the Cape May Peninsula area of New Jersey includes shallow protected bays, salt marsh islands, inlets, marshes, back-barrier lagoons, forests, and hardwood swamps. At least 151 avian species make their residence here thanks to the area's extensive natural resources, which provide many welcoming natural habitats for waterfowl, raptors, songbirds, and shorebirds. The area is also an important stopping point for many land bird species' annual spring and fall migrations.

For warblers, a Redditor suggests on r/birding a visit to Higbee Beach, adding that the South Cape May Meadows and Rea Farm area are good spots for clapper rails and red knots. Adding to the initial recommendation, u/melanerpes wrote, "Higbee Beach for songbirds, and go early in the morning. The Meadows is a good place as well, for rail, least tern, and piping plover." They went on to add that a pelagic tour in the area yielded a fair number of oystercatchers, purple sandpipers, and night heron sightings. And if you're not having any luck in Cape May, unlikely as that may be, a one-hour drive to Brigantine should bring you plenty of shorebird sightings. As one Redditor reported, "You're going to see some great shorebirds there, skimmers, soras, dunlins, willets, and maybe even a blue grosbeak."