Birding Resources

A number of parks and preserves that we visit are great sites to go birding. And in the course of researching these sites, we’ve come across a lot of resources that would be of interest to birders. So instead of tucking away this information in various park reviews, we have decided to pull it together and put it in one place.

Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR)

Birding Resources

ODNR provides an overall index to their birding resources on this page.

Field Guides

• Common Birds of Ohio (PDF) – 6.6MB
• Owls of Ohio (PDF) – 3.6MB
• Raptors of Ohio (PDF) – 3.6MB
• Warblers of Ohio (PDF) – 11.3MB
• Waterbirds of Ohio (PDF) – 3.3MB

Field Checklists

• A Field Checklist: Birds of Magee Marsh (PDF) – 681Kb
• A Field Checklist: Birds of Ohio (PDF) – 1.6MB

Maps

• Catawba Island State Park Map
• East Harbor State Park Map
• Magee Marsh Wildlife Area Map
• Mallard Club Wildlife Area Map
• Maumee State Forest Trail Map
• Maumee State Park Trail Map
• Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area Map

Lake Erie Birding Trail

Ohio’s Listed Species

Separate lists are provided for wildlife species that are considered to be endangered, threatened, species of concern, special interest, extirpated, or extinct in Ohio. Within each of these categories of concern, there is a sub-category for bird species.

Species Guide Index

This ODNR website provides information on animal species found in Ohio. Open up the sub-category on birds.

Ohio’s Peregrine Falcons

Besides providing general information, includes links to video and live falcon cam.

Hit the Trail for Bluebirds (PDF)

Describes how to create nesting boxes for bluebirds and when to have them ready. By installing five bluebird nesting boxes, you can create your own bluebird trail.

Fall Wildlife Migration in Ohio

Describes when and where to look for birds migrating south in the fall.

Winter Birding in Ohio

Discusses birds who spend the winter in Ohio to enjoy our balmy weather.

Bird-related videos

The Ohio Division of Wildlife has a Vimeo account. For a listing of their bird-related videos, see the list at the end of this article.

Black Swamp Bird Observatory (BSBO)

Web pages

• BSBO Home Page
• Northwest Ohio Bird Checklist
• Birding the Crane Creek – Magee Region of Northwest Ohio &mdash This is an external website sponsored by BSBO. It is a blog that describes what’s currently going on at Magee Marsh during the warbler migration.
• Local Birding Areas & Downloadable Maps — Some of the maps are produced by the BSBO and some are maps of wildlife areas produced by the ODNR.

BSBO Maps of Birding Areas

The following maps were Produced by Kenn Kaufman for the BSBO:

• Birding Map of Magee Marsh Wildlife Area (PDF) — The map shows all the trails, the boardwalk, and the Wildlife Area’s two buildings.
• Birding Map of the Magee Boardwalk (PDF)
• Birding Map of the Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve (PDF)
• Birding Map of Ottawa National Wildlife Area — Overview (PDF)
• Birding Map of Ottawa National Wildlife Area — Eastern Section Trails (PDF) — This is a map of the walking trails
• Birding Map of Ottawa National Wildlife Area — Western Section Trails (PDF) — This is a map for the auto tour.

PDF Articles

• Magee: Anatomy of a Migrant Hotspot; the same article is also hosted at ODNR

Events

Adams County Amish Bird Symposium

March 4th, 2017 — This is the 14th Annual celebration of this event

Shreve Spring Migration Sensation

March 18, 2017 in Shreve, Ohio with a special focus on the Killbuck Wildlife Area.

Buzzard Day 2017

March 19, 2017 in Hinckley, Ohio

Warblers & Wildflowers Weekend

April 28-30, 2017; held at Shawnee State Park

The Biggest Week in American Birding

May 5-14, 2017

Birds in the Hills Festival

May 5-7, 2017; among other things, includes field trips to Lake Hope and Lake Snowden while accompanied by expert bird watcher.

Audubon

• Birding in Ohio | Audubon — Audubon identifies some of the best birding sites in Ohio
• Columbus Audubon
• Cincinnati Audubon
• Greater Cleveland
• Kirtland Bird Club, also in the Cleveland area
• Western Cuyahoga Audubon
• Aullwood Audubon in Dayton
• Miami Valley Audubon, serving Butler and Preble Counties.
• Black River Audubon, serving Lorain County
• Blackbrook Audubon Society, serving Ashtabula, Lake and Geauga counties
• Canton Audubon, serving Stark, Tuscarawas, Coshocton and Wayne counties
• Clark County Audubon
• Firelands Audubon Society, Sandusky, Ohio
• Greater Akron Audubon Society
• Greater Mohican Audubon Society
• Tri-Moraine Audubon Society, seving Allen, Auglaize, Hancock, Hardin, Logan, Mercer, Shelby, and Van Wert counties

Other Birding Organizations

• Ohio Young Birders Club
• Friends of Magee Marsh
• Ohio Bird Clubs — Lists many birding clubs throughout the state; some clubs have associated webistes, but others do not. Nonetheless contact information is provided.
• Go birdwatching with a Birdingpal from Ohio.

Bird songs

• Bird-sounds.net — Listen to the sounds of 602 North American bird species.
• Warblers of Ohio – songs and calls by brian0918 at SoundCloud
• Warblers of Ohio – pop quiz by brian0918 at SoundCloud
• Ohio Warblers at YouTube, also by brian0918

Birding Hotspots

• Ohio Birding Sites Listed By County — By the Ohio Ornithological Society
• Ohio eBird Hotspots – Birding in Ohio
• Birding Magee Marsh
• Northern Ohio Birds – Bird Watching
• Bird Watching in Cleveland and NE Ohio | Ohio Birding – cleveland.com
• Birding in Adams County, Ohio – A Patchwork of History and Nature — Describes some of the best birding sites in the county
• Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society Birding Hotspots
• Birding in Lake County Ohio
• Bird Watching – Port Clinton, Ohio
• Ohio Birding │ Shores & Islands
• Hotspots listed by OhioAndErieCanalway.com
  • Bird Watching in Cuyahoga County
  • Bird Watching in Stark County
  • Bird Watching in Summit County
  • Bird Watching in Tuscarawas County

Rehabilitation Centers

• Back To The Wild® Wildlife Rehabilitation & Nature Education Center
• Raptor Center, Birds of Prey

Blogs and Miscellaneous Websites

• Jim McCormac: Ohio Birds and Biodiversity
• Ohio’s State Bird – The Cardinal — By the Ohio Historical Society

TrekOhio articles related to birding

• An Osprey Sharing Its Catch… or Maybe Not
• Biggest Week in American Birding 2016
• Birding at Blacklick Woods on New Year’s Day
• Osprey at Hoover Reservoir 2014
• Spring Valley Wildlife Area
• Heronry in Delaware County
• An Introduction to Dabbling Ducks and Diving Ducks
• Cardinal eating poison ivy berries
• Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area
• White (Leucistic) Ruby-throated Hummingbird at Inniswood Gardens
• Hand-feeding Hummingbirds at Lake Hope
• Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures
• Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
• Metzger Marsh State Wildlife Area
• Maumee Bay State Park: The Boardwalk
• Magee Marsh Wildlife Area
• Beginning Birder at the “Biggest Week in American Birding”
• Return of the Osprey to Hoover Reservoir
• Heron Rookeries (Heronries) in Ohio
• The Wild Turkey
• Sam, the Screech Owl, Gets Animated
• Kessler Swamp State Nature Preserve
• Mother Goldfinch Feeding her Fledgling
• Morning at Hoover Mudflats Boardwalk
• When birds watch you back
• Hoover Mudflats Boardwalk
• So Many Canada Geese
• Ohio’s Overwintering Robins

Ohio Division of Wildlife Videos at Vimeo.com

The following are a list of birding-related videos published under the name, WildOhio:

• Lake Erie Birding Trail Series
• Baltimore Oriole
• Ducks Unlimited Volunteers
• Brown Creeper
• Shorebird Identification
• Bird Watcher’s Digest
• Blue Jay at the Ohio Bird Sanctuary
• Turf Wars — This video is about birds using their songs to stake out their territory
• Ruffed Grouse and Cooper’s Hawk — This begins with a ruffled grouse drumming on a log and ends with the appearance of a Cooper’s hawk.
• Pheasant Hen Feeding
• Purple Martin Migration
• In Donna’s Garden — Birds and Butterflied feasting on fruit and jam at backyard feeders.
• Carolina Wren
• Northern Cardinal 1
• Blue Jay
• Carolina Chickadee
• White-Breasted Nuthatch
• Armchair Ornithologist
• Ocellated Turkey by Jim McCormac
• Sandhill Crane Management in Ohio
• Project Owlnet
• Protecting Barn Owls in Ohio
• Raising Kestrels
• Management of the Common Tern
• Building Homes for Wildlife — This video features retired school teacher, Dick Tuttle, talking about his experiences putting up nesting boxes for bluebirds and prothonotary warblers. Here at TrekOhio, we had an opportunity to talk to Dick Tuttle about his efforts in constructing nesting platforms for osprey in the Return of the Osprey to Hoover Reservoir.
• Backyards For Wildlife: Building a Rustic Birdfeeder
• Bald Eagles
• Identifying Sparrows
• Winter Hummingbird
• Through The Eyes of Charley Harper — Discusses his nature artwork, including depictions of birds.
• Peregrine falcon videos:
  • Combining Education and Wildlife with the Peregrine Falcons
  • Cincinnati Peregrine Falcon Banding: May 27, 2014
  • Peregrine Falcon Banding 2013
  • Columbus Peregrine Falcon Feeding 2013
  • Peregrine Falcon Monitoring Program
  • Peregrine Falcon Banding: June 2010
  • Goose Roundup
  • Bird Songs
  • Bald Eagle Banding
• Warbler-related videos:
  • Common Yellowthroat
  • Prothonotary Warbler
  • Magnolia Warbler
  • The Biggest Week in American Birding
  • Migratory Bird Day at Magee Marsh