It�s not always easy to identify Maine�s most beloved birds. Maine Audubon biologists and naturalists commonly field identification questions along the lines of �is it this, or is it that?� Many species look similar from a distance, but there are some great telltale signs, both visual markers and behaviors, that can help identify species. This […]
birds
Top Ten Rare Birds found at Scarborough Marsh
At over 3,000 acres, Scarborough Marsh is the largest contiguous salt marsh in Maine, and also one of the most famous and productive birding destinations. Thousands of birders visit Scarborough Marsh each year�from Dunstan’s Landing to the Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center to Pine Point and elsewhere�and find some incredible birds. This summer we’re celebrating the […]
NEW Birding Hotspot Map for Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument
When President Obama established the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in 2016 he added permanent protection for some of the most important bird breeding habitat in the state. Contained in its more than 87,000 acres are boreal and deciduous forests, mountain peaks, spruce bogs, rivers and ponds, all hosting their own suite of birds. […]
Backyard Bird of the Month for February: Great Horned Owls
Even in the thick of winter, you might hear Great Horned Owls hooting back and forth to each other through the cold nights. Pairs often call together; the male is the one with the larger, deeper voice. Great Horned Owls tend to nest unusually early for birds in the north and are thought to be […]
Backyard Bird of the Month for September: American Goldfinch
One of the most familiar of songbirds, the American Goldfinch, is a late and specialized nester. In late summer, while many of Maine�s breeding birds are fledging this year�s chicks, goldfinches are just getting started. By September, the goldfinch chicks should be out of the nest, still following adults around, while most of their migrating […]
Big Update on a Successful Piping Plover Season!
Somehow it�s August! The piping plover breeding season is beginning to wind down, birds are taking off from Maine beaches to migrate South for the winter, and Maine Audubon�s Coastal Bird Crew is breathing a little easier. 170 young birds fledged off of beaches from Georgetown to Ogunquit is no small feat for biologists from […]
Through the Lens with Nick Leadley: Photographing Winter Wrens, the Merry Songsters
Welcome back to Through the Lens with Nick Leadley, our continuing series on wildlife photography. Read the rest of the series here, and see more of his work at Touch The Wild. A quiet spring morning in the woods of western Maine. Not long after the sun breaks the horizon, a rapid trill splits the […]
Snapshots from Christmas Bird Count Weekend 2020
Not even a pandemic and a fresh 19 inches of snow stopped Maine birders from taking part in the Christmas Bird Count this weekend. The official season for the 121st annual Count, or CBC, runs between December 14, 2020 and January 4, 2021, though many of the regions held their event this Saturday, December 19. […]
Family Fun Connections: A Bird Checklist for Young Birders
Just in time for summer vacation, we’ve added a new resource to our Birding in Maine page: The Maine Birds Checklist for Young Birders (pdf). This photographic checklist features forty common species and includes extra information about each bird’s behavior and diet, making it a useful tool both as a checklist and for introducing ecological […]