Joining us on our field trips is a great way to learn about places to go birding, but you may be looking for ideas of where to go between events. Here are some resources to help you explore.
The Maine Birding Trail website is the place to start. You can search by region, and then see all the hot birding sites by county. In addition, it has info on tours, festivals, and printed guides.
Maine Audubon describes hotspots in six Maine regions, with specific recommendations for each region. In addition, they have several wildlife sanctuaries open for birding.
eBird lists the hotspots in Maine by the number of species seen there. Clicking on the hotspot name takes you to a list of the species seen, and a link to a map of the location. e-Bird is a real-time, online checklist program which has revolutionized the way that the birding community reports and accesses information about birds.
Want a little more information about the eBird hotspots? Visit the Birding Hotspots website. It draws in the current eBird information for each hotspot, plus adds photos, descriptions, history, and directions on how to get there. It also offers tips for birding, and summarizes birds of interest.
Audubon Chapters are scattered across the coast and western area of Maine, and most of them host field trips. It’s always nice to explore a new area with folks who know what to look for.
Land trusts have conserved more than 2.6 million acres in Maine and have more than 2,500 miles of trails. Most preserves are great places to go birding.
Happy birding!