Bird watching mecca 338 species at acadia national park

When it comes to birding, Acadia National Park is a mecca for sightings. The Park has 338 bird species, which is a record for any national park in the United States. The list of species includes such rare birds as the bald eagle, 23 warbler variations and falcons by the bushel load. If you’re looking to fill out your life list, Acadia is the place to be.

The park has such a wide variety of bird species because of a unique environment. Part of the park consists of offshore islands that provide protected nooks and crannies that are ideal for nesting. To this end, numerous species use these island nooks as their southern breeding headquarters. Nesting species include eiders in addition to other sea birds, herons and raptors. Sandpipers and a wide variety of ducks can also be found on the islands.

In addition to the nesting areas, Acadia is famous for its rare, predatory species. The park is home to a wide variety of eagles, including the bald eagle, and falcons. Indeed, Acadia is the home of the very rare Peregrine Falcon, which was nearly pushed to extinction in 1964. Reintroduced to Acadia in the mid 1980s, the Peregrines have flourished and established nesting patters in the park.

If you’re looking to add to your life list, Acadia National Park is a destination you must visit. Here’s a list of bird species you just might see:

Red Throat Loon

Common Loon

Pied-billed Grebe

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Great Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant

American Bittern

Least Bittern

Glossy Ibis

Black-bellied Plover

American Golden-Plover

Semipalmated Plover

Killdeer

Pomarine Jaeger

Parasitic Jaeger

Dovekie

Common Murre

Thick-billed Murre

Osprey

Bald Eagle

Northern Harrier

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cooper's Hawk

Northern Goshawk

Red-shouldered Hawk

Broad-winged Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Rough-legged Hawk

Golden Eagle

American Kestrel

Merlin

Peregrine Falcon

Gyrfalcon

Common Nighthawk

Whip-poor-will

Red-breasted Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch

Bohemian Waxwing

Cedar Waxwing

Solitary Vireo

Warbling Vireo

Philadelphia Vireo

This list is a very small sample of the species you will find at Acadia. Located in Maine, the park is highly recommended as a destination for amateur and fanatical bird watchers.