Aptly nicknamed “America in Miniature,” this diminutive state boasts the hardwood forests of the Appalachian Mountains in the west and 4,000 miles of shoreline along the Atlantic coast and tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay in the east, with an array of habitat in between. Plateaus, valleys, plains, lakes, rivers, freshwater wetlands, salt marshes, barrier islands… Maryland has it all!
And that diverse landscape makes it attractive to a spectacular number of birds—442 species, in fact. Numerous locations throughout the state host vast flocks of ducks, shorebirds, waders, and seabirds as well as large concentrations of migrant songbirds and nesting bald eagles. With 5 national wildlife refuges, 16 national parks, and more than a million acres of Important Bird Areas, perhaps the most challenging part of birding in Maryland is picking where to go first!
