The United States of America isn’t just from sea to shining sea. Alaska is separated from the Lower 48 by a foreign country; Hawaii is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean; and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, home to 3.5 million U.S. citizens—not to mention 17 endemic bird species—is an island in the Caribbean Sea. There are 15 other U.S. territories, of which 11 have no human residents but plenty of birds. Alaska has one of the longest bird checklists of any state, and with Hawaii recently included to the American Birding Association area, offshore birding opportunities within the U.S. are worth exploring.
