RESOURCES
NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY CHAPTERS
Each state has its own birding hotspots and birding field trips as well as nature education and advocacy activities. Before traveling to other states, check out the birding field trips, festivals, and workshops being offered through a National Audubon Society Chapter. Click here to access the chapter closest to you. If you do not already have one of their field guides, pick up a copy online for the state of interest.
AMERICAN BIRDING ASSOCIATION CLUBS
The American Birding Association has clubs throughout the USA. Click here to access the list. They published the pocket-size field guide titled All the Birds of North America that is organized by water birds and land birds and is useful for your travels.
NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES
Many states also have National Wildlife Refuges that are managed by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These are great places for birding as care is given to preserving natural habitats for migrating birdlife. To access a list of these refuges by states, go to www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/bystate.cfm.
STORMWATER TREATMENT AREAS OR
WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS
Other protected habitats for birds can be found through state water management systems. Stormwater Treatment Areas are valued birding sites in Florida and birders in small groups with a leader gain access almost weekly.
EXPLORITAS OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
There is still another major resource for birding trips in the USA. Exploritas (formerly known as Elderhostels) under their Outdoor Adventures Programs provide not only field trips to observe birds but also educational presentations to improve birding skills. Click here to link to their website. Once at that site use the search term "birding" to get a list of upcoming programs.
NATURE TOURS
Many tour groups that specialize in birding internationally also include bird trips in the USA. For example, Borderland Tours based in Arizona, Ecotours sponsored by the New Jersey Audubon Society, and locally Paddy Cunninghams' Bird Adventure based in Florida offer USA birding trips. Other local field guides such as Brian Rapozza offer guide services in other parts of the country.
BIRDING TRAILS
Kenn Kaufman in four issues of Audubon Magazine (sent to all members) described birding trails across the USA. The list of these is provided as an assist in your research.
Midwest
Illinois-Chicago Region Birding Trail (www.bcnbirds.org/birdtrail/)
Kansas Birding and Natural Heritage Trails (www.kansaswildlifetrails.com/index.html
Minnesota River Valley Birding Trail (www.birdingtrail.org)
Nebraska Birding Trails (www.nebraskabirdingtrails.com)
North Dakota Birding (www.birdingingdrives.com/index1.html)
Ohio -- Hocking Valley Birding Trail (www.birdhocking.com)
Oregon Coast Birding Trail (www.OregonCoastBirding.com)
South Dakota Great Lakes Birding Trail (www.travelsd.com/_downloads/brochures/guides/GLbirdingbooklet.pdf)
Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail (www.wisconsinbirds.org/trail/index.html)
Mississippi - Great River Birding Trail (www.greatriverbirding.org/index2.php)
Northeast
Delaware Birding Trail (www.delawarebirdingtrail.org)
Maine Birding Trail (www.mainebirdingtrail.com)
Lake Champlain Birding Trail, New York and Vermont (www.lakechamplainbirding.org)
Audubon Niagara Birding Trail, New York (www.buffaloaudubon.com/publications/BuffaloAudubonNatureTourism.pdf)
Essex National Heritage Area Birding Trail, Massachusetts (www.essexheritage.org/birding)
Susquehanna River Birding and Wildlife Trail, PA (http://web1audubon.org/trailMaps/
Connecticut River Birding Trail, New Hampshire and Vermont (http://www.ctriverbirdingtrail.org)
Rhode Island Coastal Birding Trail (http://friendsnwr-ri.org/birding_trail/ricat_description.pdf)
New Jersey Birding Trails (www.njaudubon.org)
Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail (www.dgif.virginia.gov/vbwt)
Southern
Alabama Coastal Birding Trail (www.alabamacoastalbirdingtrail.com)
Florida Birding Trail (www.floridabirdingtrail.com)
Georgia's Colonial Coast Birding Trail (http://georgiawildlife.dnr.state.ga.us/content/displaycontent.asp?txtDocument=85&txtPage=1)
Kentucky's Audubon Birding Trail (www.trailsrus.com/wildlife/audubontrail.html)
Louisiana - America's Wetland Birding Trail (www.louisianatravel.com/explore/louisiana_birding_trails.cfm)
North Carolina Birding Trail (www.ncbirdingtrail.org) (annual Birding and Wildlife Festival information at http://www.wingsoverwater.org)
Oklahoma - Great Plains Trail (www.wildlifedepartment.com/wildlifetrails.htm)
Texas - Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/wildlife_trails/coastal/)
Texas - Panhandle Plains Wildlife Trail(http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/wildlife_trails/plains/)
Great River Birding Trail (http://www.greatriverbirding.org/index2.php
Pacific
Alaska Coastal Wildlife Viewing Trail (www.wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=trails.coastal_trail)
Arizona -Southeastern Birding Trail (www.seazbirdingtrail.com/sabtsite.htm)
California Central Coast Birding Trail )http://ca-ccbt.info)
California's Eastern Sierra Birding Trail (www.monolake.org/trailmap/index.html)
Colorado Birding Trail (www.coloradobirdingtrail.com)
Idaho Birding Trail (www.idahobirdingtrail.org)
Montana Birding and Nature Trail (www.montanabirdingtrail.org)
Oregon Cascades Birding Trail (www.oregonbirdingtrails.org/cascades.htm)
Utah's Great Salt Lake Birding Trail (www.wasatchaudubon.org/mapn_birding_trails.htm)
Washington State Birding Trail (http://wa.audubon.org/birds_GreatWABirdingTrail.html)