Birding Factoids

418 species
in 45 families

22 of the 246 species
endemic to
North America are
represented here.
No state endemics
No USA endemics

Maine
Hotspots

...
Check out the Birds of New England website for more information on specific species information.
Or join Steve Nanz on his Photo Safari to Maine.
...

Maine Specialities
(Pause your cursor on the photo to see the species name. Click on the birds for more info... )

Photo by Jim Stasz

Photo copyright Alain Hogue

Photo copyright Erik Toorman

Photo copyright Douglas Herr

Photo copyright Erik Breden

Photo copyright Robert Royse

Photo copyright Monte Taylor

....Machais Seal Island - one of nature's great wildlife

spectacles: a seabird colony overflowing with graceful and aeronautic terns, impossibly patterned puffins, and those most elegant seabirds, the Razorbills. This is disputed territory between the US and Canada. Transportation to the Island can be provided by Captains Barna and John Norton.

....Acadia National Park - Located at the juncture of the

northern and temperate life zones, Acadia attracts more than 300 species of sea, shore, and land birds, from the common loon to the majestic bald eagle and peregrine falcon. Sea ducks also frequent the coastal waters, particularly during the winter months. Sieur de Monts Spring, Ship Harbor, and Wonderland trails are all favorite bird-watching spots, as are the summits of Cadillac and Beech mountains during fall hawk migration.

....The "Cat" - It takes 2 and three quarters to 3 hours to travel from

Bar Harbour, Maine to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia on the "Cat" ferry. In September along the way you might see Manx, Greater and Sooty Shearwater, Wilson's and Leach's Storm-Petrel, Northern Gannett as well as Red and Red-Necked Phalarope.

....Monhegan Island - The size and location of this

island concentrate land bird migrants and attract off-shore vagrants. Late September can produce over a hundred species over a long weekend.

....Birding in Maine: A brief guide to Maine's habitats and birding

hotspots. Maine Audubon Society.

....Birding Eastern Maine - courtesy of the Penobscot Valley Audubon

Society. Bangor and its surrounding communities are rich with birding hot spots. Download a printable 8-page booklet in Adobe Acrobat .pdf format, complete with maps and more information.

....MaineBirding.net - your source for information about birding in Maine.

Compiled by Paul Garrity. This site contains information on Moosehorn NWR and a report on a 1998 trip to Machais Seal Island.

....Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary - The largest privately

owned bird sanctuary north of Boston, Thorncrag has always been the heart of the Stanton Bird Club.

....The Stanton Bird Club Local Hotspots - If you're

looking for someplace to go birding in the Lewiston/Auburn area, or wondering where you might find a certain bird to round out one of your lists, try some of these area hotspots.

....Birding Maine - by Mary Scott. "One of my first great birding trips,

some 12 years ago, was to Maine. I went with a small group of friends, and we had a wonderful time touring around". This site contains information about:

Machias Seal Island
Campobello Island
Lubec Flats
Carrying Place Bog
West Quoddy Head
Acadia National Park (Mt. Desert Island)
Biddeford Pool and East Point Sanctuary
Scarborough Marsh

....Birding Down East - By Norman C. Famous. Includes site guides to:

Quoddy Head State Park
Carrying Place Cove Bog
Campobello Island
Blueberry Barrens

Or, take the Down East Maine (The Virtual Tour) to northern boreal and bog habitats See also Backgrounder: Down East Maine for directions to some of these locations and additional information on:

Machias Seal Island
Great Wass Island Preserve

....Maine National Wildlife Refuge Index - US Fish and Wildlife

Includes information on:

Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge
Carlton Pond Waterfowl Production Area
Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge
Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge
Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge
Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge

....Maine Trip Report - June 1995 - by Doug and Arlene Ripley.

....Maine Trip Reports - a number of Maine trip reports are available

from Blake Maybank's "Birding the Americas: Trip Report and Trip Planning Repository".

Tours and Guides

See DISCLAIMER
>>>>

birdingpal.com...>>

A Birding Pal is not a paid guide, but someone who likes to help out of town visitors. You can become a Birding Pal today! Help someone to enjoy your local birding spots and find a pal to help you when you travel. Click here for Maine Birding Pals, or join to be a Birding Pal!

Photo copyright Robert McDonald

**..Grand Manan Autumn with Victor Emanuel Nature Tours (VENT).

Located in the Bay of Fundy (off the coast of Maine and New Brunswick), Canada's picturesque island of Grand Manan makes an ideal base for experiencing the phenomenon of fall migration on the northeast coast. This area stands out from other migration hot spots because of the ready availability of exciting pelagic birding. Nearby submarine canyons promote cold-water upwellings that attract numbers of pelagic birds every fall.

Grand Manan Autumn August 30 - September 5, 2004 (7.0 days - Limit 16 ) with leaders Jeff Gordon
Grand Manan Autumn August 29 - September 4, 2005 (7.0 days - Limit 16 ) with leaders Jeff Gordon

VENT offers nearly 140 tours to over 100 land-based destinations each year and is the largest tour company in the world specializing in birding and natural history.

....Norton Puffin Tours - Join Captains Barna and John Norton on a puffin

tour to the largest puffin colony in the Eastern US , Machias Seal Island off the coast of Maine.

....Down East Nature Tours - Personalized nature and bird-watching

tours for individuals, couples, families and small groups. We help you discover the flora and fauna of Mt. Desert Island and Down East Maine with special emphasis on native and migrating birds (Bald Eagles, Osprey, Peregrine Falcons, Shore birds, Warblers)

Local Birding Events

....Maine Audubon Society - Calander

....Mid-Coast Audubon Society - Rockland - Field Trips

....Penobscot Valley Audubon Society - Programs and Field Trips

....Stanton Bird Club - Field Trip List

....York County Audubon Society - Kennebunk - Field Trips

....Warbler Wave Week - May. Welcome spring with over 100

species of songbirds and seabirds. Surround yourself with the song, the sea and the island ablaze with bird and wildflower color. This annual event is designed for the novice and expert bird watcher alike. Deer Isle, Maine. Call (207) 348-2508

Rare Bird Alert

Statewide Hot Line - (207) 781-2332

Also see: Maine RBA

North American Specialities in Maine

Information derived from Sibley & Monroe checklists in Thayer's Birder's Diary - Version 2.5.
These counts will differ in minor ways from counts based on the ABA classification,
but an international checklist system was required to enable world-wide
country to country comparisons.These speciality birds may be uncommon, or extremely rare
at this location, or may only be present in migration. However, documented sightings of each species
noted below have been made in Maine. Consult the Breeding Bird Survey or
Christmas Bird Count data on the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center website
to determine the "best" place to see each bird.

North American Endemic Specialities in Maine - No USA Endemics
___ Bewick's Wren ___ Black-headed Grosbeak ___ Black-throated Sparrow ___ Cassin's Sparrow ___ Chestnut-collared Longspur ___ Fish Crow ___ Grey-crowned Rosy-Finch ___ Harris's Sparrow	___ House Finch ___ Le Conte's Sparrow ___ Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow ___ Pileated Woodpecker ___ Red-bellied Woodpecker ___ Red-shouldered Hawk ___ Ruffed Grouse	___ Say's Phoebe ___ Seaside Sparrow ___ Smith's Longspur ___ Spruce Grouse ___ Townsend's Solitaire ___ Tufted Titmouse ___ Western Grebe
Other Speciality Birds in Maine
___ Atlantic Puffin

Links checked November 29, 2000