Birds

To protect the habitat and welfare of the birds that reside in and migrate to the park, Fort Pulaski asks to always keep dogs on leash, especially near the shoreline. Dogs can frighten the birds and destroy their nests, and discourage them from returning to the park. Please respect these birds’ habitats and safety and keep dogs on their leashes and away from the birds and their nests at all times.

 

Shorebirds of Fort Pulaski

FOPU Photo

The diverse habitats found within Fort Pulaski National Monument, located along Georgia’s Colonial Coast Birding Trail, supports 200 species of birds, including songbirds, shorebirds, wading birds, and waterfowl. While visiting, you may catch a glimpse of one of the many protected species that have been identified at the park, including American oystercatcher, bald eagle, gull-billed tern, least tern, and woodstork. The park also provides nesting habitat for the painted bunting, a species of special concern due to loss of neotropical wintering grounds. A glimpse of this colorful and secretive bird is a treat you will not soon forget. Look for painted buntings from spring through summer along the edges of woodlands on Cockspur Island.

 

Birdwatchers at Fort Pulaski

FOPU Photo

The numbers and types of birds found within the park and along Georgia’s Colonial Coast Birding Trail change with the rising and falling of the tides and with the passage of the seasons. Large populations of both resident and migratory birds are present year-round, but the birds seen in the park depend greatly on the time of year. This is an excellent place to spot migratory songbirds in spring and late summer through fall, and waterfowl in the winter. Clapper rails, seaside sparrows and marsh wrens can be seen and/or heard in the marshes around the fort throughout the year. Shorebirds can best be seen along the shoreline at low tide.

 

References and resources for bird watching and identification

 Colonial Coast Birding Trail
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Audubon
Mecklenburg Audubon Society