Birding

A juvenile bald eagle.

NPS / Gin Majka

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument provides important and diverse breeding habitat for 171 species of birds. Birding is an activity that can be enjoyed year-round. Common birds that can be seen at the monument are warblers, sparrows, waxwings, bald eagles, owls, and spruce grouse. Many migratory birds leave the monument in the winter, but birds like the spruce grouse, boreal chickadee, and Canada jay remain.

Equipment

The wonderful thing about birdwatching is that you don't need any equipment to enjoy viewing birds! A few extra items can be helpful to enhance your experience.

• Binoculars, or a spotting scope can help you to identify and observe birds without disturbing their natural activities. Remember to respect wildlife.
  • Tip: First spot a bird with your eyes, and then lift your binoculars to your eyes without moving your head or losing sight of the bird. Practice looking through them before your visit.
• A bird guidebook specific to the local area, or a birding app will help you identify the different species that you see. You can also download a checklist of bird species in the monument by searching for birds below.
• A notebook and pen/pencil can be helpful to record your observations (species, date, location, and observers), and any other notes, such as behavior or weather. This will help you identify birds after your trip and remember your experience.

View Responsibly

• Take care of yourself. Bring water and snacks. Wear long, loose fitting sleeves and pants to protect from the sun and biting insects. Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, and sunscreen on any exposed skin.
• Be aware of your surroundings. Don't walk with binoculars over your eyes - you could trip!
• Take care of your environment. While feeding birds in your back yard is a fun way to see wild birds, remember that feeding any wildlife in national parks is against the law. Avoid approaching or disturbing nesting birds, their eggs, or their nests. If you find juvenile birds out of the nest, leave them alone. Nature knows best, and their parents are nearby. Using bird calls is typically illegal in national parks.

For more information, visit Birding For Beginners.

 

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Species Attribute Definitions

Definitions

Occurrence

Occurrence values are defined below. One or more Occurrence Tags may be associated with each Occurrence value.

Present: Species occurs in park; current, reliable evidence available.

Probably Present: High confidence species occurs in park but current, verified evidence needed.

Unconfirmed: Species is attributed to park but evidence is weak or absent.

Not In Park: Species is not known to occur in park.

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Occurrence Tags

Adjacent: Species is known to occur in areas near to or contiguous with park boundaries.

False Report: Species was reported to occur within the park, but current evidence indicates the report was based on misidentification, a taxonomic concept no longer accepted, or other similar problem of error or interpretation.

Historical: Species' historical occurrence in park is documented. Assigned based on judgment as opposed to determination based on age of the most recent evidence.

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Abundance

Abundant:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, and counted in relatively large numbers.
• Plants: Large number of individuals; wide ecological amplitude or occurring in habitats covering a large portion of the park.

Common:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, but not in large numbers.
• Plants: Large numbers of individuals predictably occurring in commonly encountered habitats but not those covering a large portion of the park.

Uncommon:

• Animals: Likely to be seen monthly in appropriate habitat and season. May be locally common.
• Plants: Few to moderate numbers of individuals; occurring either sporadically in commonly encountered habitats or in uncommon habitats.

Rare:

• Animals: Present, but usually seen only a few times each year.
• Plants: Few individuals, usually restricted to small areas of rare habitat.

Occasional:

• Animals: Occurs in the park at least once every few years, varying in numbers, but not necessarily every year.
• Plants: Abundance variable from year to year (e.g., desert plants).

Unknown: Abundance unknown

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Nativeness

Native: Species naturally occurs in park or region.

Non-native: Species occurs on park lands as a result of deliberate or accidental human activities.

Unknown: Nativeness status is unknown or ambiguous.

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List Differences

The Checklist contains only those species that are designated as "present" or "probably present" in the park.

The Full List includes all the checklist species in addition to species that are unconfirmed, historically detected, or incorrectly reported as being found in the park. The full list also contains species that are "in review" because their status in the park hasn't been fully determined. Additional details about the status of each species is included in the full list.

The checklist will almost always contain fewer species than the full list.

Select a Park:

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument

Select a Species Category (optional):

All Amphibians Birds Fish Mammals Reptiles Vascular Plants

Get Checklist Get Full List List Differences

Species attribute definitions

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