Best USA National Parks for Bird Watching

Every year, tens of millions of people visit America’s national parks. The reasons for their visiting are wide-ranging, from the pursuit of adventure to scenic drives, wildflowers and waterfalls. One of the main reasons for visiting, however, is the chance to see wildlife.

While most visitors focus on the big and iconic animals, such as black bears, elk, moose, mountain goats, bison and grizzly bears, it’s the smaller species that fly under the radar—pun definitely intended. And that’s birds.

These underrated animals are actually the most abundant and noticeable of all vertebrate animal groups. From gardens and urban parks to the wildest and most remote wildernesses, there are always birds around.

Common raven in Channel Islands National Park, California - Bird Watching in National Parks

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In national parks, too, birds are the very animals that are easiest to spot. Bird watching in national parks is, therefore, a highly recommended activity. It is, after all, the songs and frantic activities of birds that liven up a landscape.

Even if you’re so used to birds that you don’t notice them anymore, you will actually notice it if there aren’t any around.

Even now, as you’re reading this, chances are high you can actually hear a bird singing. Take a second to listen. They’re much more common than you might realize.

Contents

Best National Parks for Bird Watching in the U.S.
Other National Park Activities

Best National Parks for Bird Watching in the U.S.

In this post, I’ll focus on the best national parks for birding. I’ll limit it to the actual “national parks” and won’t include other National Park Service sites, some of which are definitely also superb for birding.

I’m sure several of the bird watching national parks below will surprise you. It’s often not the largest or most naturally diverse landscape that have the biggest variety of bird species.

Sometimes, a simple desert oasis is a bird watching hotspot, while other American national parks may be great for birding because they’re home to one or more unique species.

Whatever the reason, if you enjoy watching birds fly about, splash in ponds, hunt for food, soar high in the sky,… you’ll certainly want to visit these best national parks for bird watching. I’ve also highlighted a few birds that are especially characteristic for each park.

Acadia National Park, Maine

Watch for: peregrine falcons, bald eagles, Atlantic puffins, woodpeckers, and various warblers

Located on Mount Desert Island on the rugged coast of Maine, Acadia National Park encompasses both deciduous and boreal forests. It’s home to pristine lakes and wind-swept beaches, barren mountain peaks and sheer cliffs.

Numerous birds live in this park year-round, while many others stop here on their north- or southbound migration. The variety of birds in Acadia National ranges from seabirds to boreal birds and birds of prey.

The best places to see them are the Precipice Trail and Cadillac Mountain, Jordan Pond and all along the coast.

Tip: the Acadia Birding Festival takes place each year in late-spring.

More information about bird watching in Acadia National Park

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Big Bend National Park, Texas

Watch for: Lucifer hummingbirds, Mexican jays, green kingfishers, vermilion flycatchers, and Colima warblers

One of the least visited national parks in America, Texas’ Big Bend National Park might be a desert park, but it’s also a bird watching paradise.

In fact, no other national park has more bird species than Big Bend. More than 450 different species can be seen here, which is more than in most states! Many of those birds are migratory, passing through the park seasonally.

The park’s location in southern Texas and the presence of Rio Grande make it a meeting point of typical birds from the East and the West, and the North and South. It’s a diversity of bird life unlike anywhere else in North America.

More information about the birds of Big Bend National Park

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Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Watch for: ladder-backed woodpeckers, Bell’s and gray vireos, varied bunting, and cactus wrens

So far, the total count of observed bird species at Carlsbad Caverns National Park stands at 357. This huge number include all kinds of birds, from seasonal migrants to winter and year-round residents.

While this park is most famous for what lies underground, its desert scenery does offer a home to numerous animals.

Year-round resident birds include some very interesting species. Birders visiting Carlsbad Caverns will certain want to check the ladder-backed woodpecker and Bell’s vireo off their list.

The best place for bird watching in Carlsbad Caverns National Park is Rattlesnake Springs, where, according to Audubon, all 300+ species of birds in the park have been spotted.

More information about birds in Carlsbad Caverns National Park

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Death Valley National Park, California

Watch for: greater roadrunners, turkey vultures, American kestrels, loggerhead shrikes, and Canada geese

Yes, even a park with one of the most foreboding names can harbor a wealth of wildlife. After all, it’s not because humans find this exceptionally dry and hot desert environment uncomfortable that animals and plants do, too.

That’s not to say that there’s a huge number year-round resident birds in Death Valley, though. Most of the observed birds here are migratory species, traveling through the area for a few weeks each spring and fall. Those times are truly epic for bird watching.

The spring migration typically happens between mid-March and early-April, while the fall migration occurs in September. Winter is the least favorable season for birding in Death Valley. I recommend visiting this park on a spring road trip to California’s desert parks.

Not surprisingly, the bird watching hotspots in Death Valley National Park are the desert oases, such as Saratoga Spring, Furnace Creek Ranch, and Wildrose.

More information about birding in Death Valley National Park

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Everglades National Park, Florida

Watch for: white ibises, wood storks, green-backed herons, roseate spoonbills, anhinga, red-bellied woodpeckers, red-shouldered hawks, and indigo buntings

Snowy egret, tricolored heron and little blue heron at Flamingo Marina, Everglades National Park, Floirda

One of the absolute top national parks for bird watching is Everglades National Park near Miami, Florida.

Besides alligators, birds are usually what come to mind when thinking about wildlife in the Everglades. Sometimes nicknamed the “River of Grass”, this vast wetland was set aside for protection because of the huge number of birds that live there.

As early as the 1800s, John James Audubon, one of America’s most well-known naturalists, said the following about his visit to southern Florida:

“We observed great flocks of wading birds flying overhead toward their evening roosts … They appeared in such numbers to actually block out the light from the sun for some time.”

More than 360 different species of birds live in the Everglades. They’re usually divided into three large categories—land birds, wading birds, and birds of prey. It’s the very diversity of birds found here that makes Everglades National Park a dream destination for bird watchers in America.

The Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, which is the start of the scenic Everglades Main Park Road, is only about an hour from downtown Miami.

More information about Everglades National Park bird watching

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Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Watch for: California condors, red-tailed hawks, peregrine falcons, common ravens, canyon wrens, and jays

It may be world-famous for its magnificent landscape, a mandatory stop on any Arizona national parks road trip, the Grand Canyon also harbors literally hundreds of bird species.

More than 370 species call Grand Canyon National Park home, finding refuge in its lush river oases, desert plateaus, and pine forests. In 2014, the park was designated a Globally Important Bird Area.

Birds living in the Grand Canyon include abundant species, but also some of the rarest birds in the world.

The most famous example of the latter is the California condor, the largest bird in North America. Other rare birds are Mexican spotted owls and Yuma clapper rails.

The most visible of all Grand Canyon birds is the common raven. You’ll see these intelligent animals soaring across the sky, in campgrounds, at parking areas and near buildings. Other often-spotted birds include canyon wrens and Steller’s, pinyon and scrub jays.

More information about Grand Canyon National Park birds

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Olympic National Park, Washington

Watch for: bald eagles, woodpeckers, Steller’s and gray jays, northern pygmy owls, red-breasted sapsuckers, and belted kingfishers

One of the most geographically diverse national parks in America, Washington’s Olympic National Park has it all.

Just a couple of hours east of Seattle, there are the towering ranges of the Olympic Mountains, wind-swept sea stack-lined beaches, and dead-silent rain forests filled with ferns, mosses and waterfalls. This park is often said to be “three parks in one” for a reason.

This immense variety in landscapes is reflected in the equally as diverse range of bird species in Olympic National Park. Depending on where you go, you can spot everything from western gulls and bald eagles to northern pygmy owls, peregrine falcons, blue grouse and red-breasted sapsuckers.

More information about bird watching in Olympic National Park

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Haleakala National Park, Hawaii

Watch for: Maui petrels, Hawaiian short-eared owls, Hawaiian geese, and several different species of honeycreepers

Nene geese at Hosmer Grove Campground, Haleakala National Park, Maui

One of the remotest archipelagos on Earth, the Hawaiian Islands are home to many endemic bird species, the ancestors of birds who arrived on the islands millions of years ago and evolved into new species. Haleakala National Park on Maui is a prime example of that.

This varied national park encompasses barren volcanic craters as well as lush rain forests, providing a habitat for many unique birds. These environments are extremely vulnerable, however, both to climate change and to threats from invasive, non-native species like cats, rats, dogs and pigs.

All in all, Haleakala National Park is exceptional simply because of its birdlife that’s found nowhere else in the world, from various honeycreepers to Hawaiian geese.

The best place for bird viewing in Haleakala National Park is the easy Hosmer Grove Trail, which starts at the Hosmer Grove Campground.

More information about the birds of Haleakala National Park

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Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana

Watch for: green and great blue herons, Virginia rails, several different warblers, red-throated loons, and countless other waterfowl

Situated at the southern tip of Lake Michigan and only an hour’s drive from downtown Chicago, Indiana Dunes National Park is one of the best national parks to see birds. This is yet another important area for migrating as well as wintering birds.

The park’s many miles of shoreline, sand beaches and dunes offer fantastic vantage points for spotting various bird species. You can see wetland birds at the Great Marsh, waterfowl from the shore, and look up for a chance to see hawks from atop a dune.

The best times for bird viewing in the Indiana Dunes are the spring and fall migrations, during which many thousands of birds take a break along the shores of Lake Michigan.

Tip: the Indiana Dunes Birding Festival takes place in May every year.

More information about bird watching in Indiana Dunes National Park

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Pinnacles National Park, California

Watch for: California condors, prairie falcons, golden eagles, turkey vultures, California quails, acorn woodpeckers, and Steller’s jays

One of the smallest and least visited national parks, California’s Pinnacles National Park is a superb destination for birds of prey and woodland birds.

Located a few hours southeast of San Francisco, this beautiful little park is home to a displaced volcanic formation and offers great camping and hiking.

It made this list of best national parks for bird watching because of its population of California condors, one of only a few national parks where you can see those majestic birds.

In fact, Pinnacles is the only national park that manages a release site for California condors bred in captivity. Your best chances of spotting one (or more) is on the High Peaks Trail.

Other birds in Pinnacles National Park you might see include California quails, turkey vultures, acorn woodpeckers, golden eagles, and prairie falcons.

More information about the birds of Pinnacles National Park

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Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana

Watch for: bald eagles, ospreys, American white pelicans, sandhill cranes, common loons, American dippers, Canada geese, and trumpeter swans

Osprey nest near Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park

One of America’s best national parks for wildlife watching in general, Yellowstone National Park is also particularly great for birding specifically.

Almost 300 species of birds have been observed in Yellowstone National Park since the park’s foundation in 1872. About 150 of those nest within the park’s boundaries.

With its diversity in habitats, from hot springs and rivers to wide valleys and pristine forests, Yellowstone offers a refuge a wide range of birds.

Iconic and noteworthy species include sandhill cranes, bald eagles, American dippers, pelicans, trumpeter swans, and common loons.

One of the best places for bird watching in Yellowstone is Hayden Valley, home to countless birds of prey and water birds.

(Note that Hayden Valley also has a healthy grizzly bear population. So, make sure you know what to do when encountering a grizzly bear! Bison are common visitors to this area, too. Read more about bison safety here.)

More information about birding in Yellowstone National Park