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From the highlands of the Blue Ridge to the windswept coast of the Atlantic Ocean, Virginia offers a bounty of opportunities for birders. The state is frequented by approximately 400 different bird species over the course of a year, including everything from raptors to warblers to shorebirds. For birders and wildlife enthusiasts, Virginia has even created a statewide Bird and Wildlife Trail that consists of 65 different wildlife watching loops spread over the state’s coastal, mountain and piedmont regions.
Here are a few more of the state’s avifauna hotspots.
Tucked along the James River just south of Richmond, the 796-acre Dutch Gap Conservation Area is a hodgepodge of habitats, harboring a diversity of birdlife. The area’s open meadows shelter American goldfinches, eastern bluebirds and sparrow hawks, while the wetlands are popular with aquatic birds, and the tidal lagoon is frequented by cormorants, bald eagles and osprey. Visitors can hike or cycle the 4.5-mile Dutch Gap Trail or paddle the 2.5-mile Lagoon Water Trail, a beginner-friendly route showcasing the conservation area’s blue heron rookery.
At the southern tip of Virginia’s Eastern Shore, Kiptopeke State Park is a birder’s paradise. Nestled along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, the 562-acre coastal park draws more than 300 different avian species — and not just shorebirds and water birds. A wide variety of birds descends on the state park during the autumn migration, including vast numbers of songbirds and raptors.
For wildlife watchers, the park has two beaches and 5 miles of hiking trails. For cyclists, the 5.3-mile Southern Tip Bike Trail connects Kiptopeke State Park with the Eastern Shore National Wildlife Refuge. The handicap-accessible “hawkwatch” platform is open to the public throughout fall.
Spread over the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah National Park is frequented by more than 190 different bird species — and nearly a third are year-round inhabitants. The park’s mountainous location is a haven for high-altitude species like hawks and vultures, and the park’s lofty pinnacles provide the perfect spot for watching them. In the fall, the southern portion of the park is a hotspot for migrating raptors, including red-tailed and broad-wing hawks and peregrine falcons. Besides birds of prey, the park’s extensive woodlands provide prime habitat for neotropical migrants and the protected area sustains a rich diversity of warblers, with 30 different species recorded. Birders can seek out resident avifauna along nearly 500 miles of trails or while cruising Skyline Drive, the 105-mile motorway that bisects the national park.
A haven for wildlife in suburban Northern Virginia, Huntley Meadows Park in Fairfax County has had more than 240 avian species spotted in the woodlands, wildflower-speckled meadows and wetlands. The 1,500-acre swath of land once belonged to George Mason IV and was later used as an anti-aircraft location defending the capital. It has since been transformed into a patch of suburban wilderness.
The park offers opportunities for birdwatching year-round, but the spring and fall migration offer chances to glimpse a variety of warblers. The park’s wetlands are especially rich in avifauna and rare species like Mississippi kites and little blue herons have occasionally been spotted. The nonprofit Friends of Huntley Meadows offers Monday morning bird walks every week, free of charge. The elevated boardwalk through the wetlands is a highlight.
Located at the southern end of Assateague Island, the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is renowned for a mysterious population of wild ponies — but the 14,000-acre protected area is also rich in birdlife. The refuge was established in 1943 specifically to provide habitat for migratory birds, particularly to conserve greater snow geese. A patchwork of maritime forest, marshlands, dunes and sandy beach, the refuge is used by more than 300 different bird species, including piping plovers, a threatened species.
Located along the Atlantic Flyway, the refuge also serves as a pit-stop for roving raptors in the fall, particularly hawks and falcons. Birders can also seek out songbirds along the Woodland Trail, visit viewpoints along the 3.25-mile Wildlife Loop, or sidle up to the Atlantic Ocean to admire the resident shorebirds.
Designated as a Globally Important Bird Area, the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is one of the best birding spots in the state. More than 200 avian species have been identified in the 112,000-acre refuge shared by Virginia and North Carolina, and nearly half of these birds also nest in the protected area. The peak birding season is spring, between April and June, when the greatest number of species congregates in the refuge. Species like prairie warblers, ovenbirds and barred owls are commonly spotted in the protected area, and there are abundant opportunities for visiting birders to explore the collage of white-cedar woodlands, bald cypress stands and pocosin habitats. The refuge features more than 80 miles of trails open to walkers and cyclists, and paddlers can explore the scenic Dismal Swamp Canal or 3,142-acre Lake Drummond, the larger of the state’s two natural lakes.
Named for the massive rift in Pine Mountain carved by the Russell Fork of the Big Sandy River — the largest canyon east of the Mississippi River — Breaks Interstate Park showcases some of the most dramatic landscapes in Virginia. The 4,500-acre park, spread over southwest Virginia and eastern Kentucky, is home to a diversity of birdlife, especially woodland species, particularly wood-warblers, vireos and scarlet tanagers. However, along the 25 miles of trails threading the park, birders can view some 200 different species, particularly breeding populations of yellow-billed cuckoos, cedar waxwings and great crested flycatchers. And, at the end of the day, overnight visitors are often serenaded by crooning whip-poor-wills.
Just one of the stops along the Mason Neck Loop of Virginia’s Bird and Wildlife Trail, Mason Neck State Park is brimming with birds throughout the year. Along the shores of the Potomac River, the 1,856-acre park stretches over the Mason Neck Peninsula, attracting a wide variety of avifauna. Wading birds and waterfowl are easily spotted along the river’s shoreline, while the park’s forests shelter more than 100 woodland species during the summer. Ovenbirds, wood thrushes and great-crested flycatchers all breed in the park, and approximately 50-60 bald eagles spend the entire year on the Mason Neck Peninsula. In the winter, hundreds of tundra swans descend on the park, congregating on Belmont Bay. Another perk: Birders can experience the park on land, or from the water. Hikers have 6 miles of woodland trails to wander, while paddlers can explore Belmont Bay or Kane’s Creek.
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Birding | Nature | State Parks
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state parks
