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State of Michigan

Kirtland's Warbler Setophaga kirtlandii ©Dubi Shapiro Website

Michigan is a state in the Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest region of the United States. It borders Wisconsin to the southwest in the Upper Peninsula, and Indiana and Ohio to the south in the Lower Peninsula; it is also connected by Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie to Minnesota and Illinois, and the Canadian province of Ontario. With a population of over 10 million people and an area of over 250,000 km2 (c.97,000sq mi), Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the largest by area east of the Mississippi River. Its capital is Lansing, and its largest city is Detroit. Metro Detroit is among the nation’s most populous and largest metropolitan economies.

Michigan consists of two peninsulas. The Lower Peninsula resembles the shape of a mitten, and comprises a majority of the state’s land area. The Upper Peninsula (often called ‘the U.P’.) is separated from the Lower Peninsula by the Straits of Mackinac, a five-mile (8 km) channel that joins Lake Huron to Lake Michigan. The Mackinac Bridge connects the peninsulas. Michigan has the longest freshwater coastline of any political subdivision in the United States, being bordered by four of the five Great Lakes and Lake St. Clair. It also has 64,980 inland lakes and ponds. Michigan has the second-most water area of any state, behind only Alaska. With the exception of two tiny areas drained by the Mississippi River by way of the Wisconsin River in the Upper Peninsula and by way of the Kankakee-Illinois River in the Lower Peninsula, Michigan is drained by the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence watershed and is the only state with the majority of its land thus drained. No point in the state is more than six miles (9.7 km) from a natural water source or more than 85 miles (137 km) from a Great Lakes shoreline. Numerous lakes and marshes mark both peninsulas, and the coast is much indented.

Porcupine Mountains State Park – Yinan Chen, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The heavily forested Upper Peninsula is relatively mountainous in the west. The Porcupine Mountains, which are part of one of the oldest mountain chains in the world, rise to an altitude of almost 2,000 feet (610 m) above sea level and form the watershed between the streams flowing into Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. The surface on either side of this range is rugged. The state’s highest point, in the Huron Mountains northwest of Marquette, is Mount Arvon at 1,979 feet (603 m). The peninsula is as large as Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island combined but has fewer than 330,000 inhabitants. The Lower Peninsula is 446 km (277 miles) long from north to south and 314 km (195 miles) from east to west and occupies nearly two-thirds of the state’s land area. The surface of the peninsula is generally level, broken by conical hills and glacial moraines usually not more than a few hundred feet tall. It is divided by a low water divide running north and south. The larger portion of the state is on the west of this and gradually slopes toward Lake Michigan.

The state has numerous large islands, the principal ones being the North Manitou and South Manitou, Beaver, and Fox groups in Lake Michigan; Isle Royale and Grande Isle in Lake Superior; Marquette, Bois Blanc, and Mackinac islands in Lake Huron; and Neebish, Sugar, and Drummond islands in St. Mary’s River. Michigan has about 150 lighthouses, the most of any US state.

The state’s rivers are generally small, short and shallow, and few are navigable. The principal ones include the Detroit River, St. Marys River, and St. Clair River which connect the Great Lakes; the Au Sable, Cheboygan, and Saginaw, which flow into Lake Huron; the Ontonagon, and Tahquamenon, which flow into Lake Superior; and the St. Joseph, Kalamazoo, Grand, Muskegon, Manistee, and Escanaba, which flow into Lake Michigan. The state has 11,037 inland lakes.

The state is home to several areas maintained by the National Park Service including: Isle Royale National Park, in Lake Superior, southeast of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Other national protected areas in the state include: Keweenaw National Historical Park, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Huron National Forest, Manistee National Forest, Hiawatha National Forest, Ottawa National Forest and Father Marquette National Memorial. The largest section of the North Country National Scenic Trail passes through Michigan. With 78 state parks, 19 state recreation areas, and six state forests, Michigan has the largest state park and state forest system of any state.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore – National Park Service Digital Image Archives, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A wide variety of commodity crops, fruits, and vegetables are grown in Michigan, making it second only to California among US states in the diversity of its agriculture. Leading crops include corn, soybeans, flowers, wheat, sugar beets, and potatoes. Livestock in the state included 78,000 sheep, a million cattle, a million hogs, and more than three million chickens. Michigan is a leading grower of fruit in the US, including blueberries, tart cherries, apples, grapes, and peaches. Plums, pears, and strawberries are also grown in Michigan. These fruits are mainly grown in West Michigan due to the moderating effect of Lake Michigan on the climate. There is also significant fruit production, especially cherries, but also grapes, apples, and other fruits, in northwest Michigan along Lake Michigan. Michigan produces wines, beers and a multitude of processed food products. Kellogg’s cereal is based in Battle Creek, Michigan and processes many locally grown foods.

Michigan has a continental climate with two distinct regions. The southern and central parts of the Lower Peninsula (south of Saginaw Bay and from the Grand Rapids area southward) have a warmer climate with hot summers and cold winters. The northern part of the Lower Peninsula and the entire Upper Peninsula has a more severe climate, with warm, but shorter summers and longer, cold to very cold winters. Some parts of the state average high temperatures below freezing from December through February, and into early March in the far northern parts. During the winter through the middle of February, the state is frequently subjected to heavy lake-effect snow. The state averages from 30 to 40 inches of precipitation annually; however, some areas in the northern lower peninsula and the upper peninsula average almost 160 inches of snowfall per year.

Birding Michigan

Half a million years ago, the earth’s climate cooled, and a continental glacier, spreading across thousands of miles from a centre near Hudson Bay in Canada, covered the entire state of Michigan. Ten or more advances of heavy ice, sometimes one-quarter of a mile thick, advanced, retreated, advanced, and retreated. As the last glacier chilling the upper half of North America retreated 12,000 to 15,000 years ago, a remarkable ecosystem emerged on what is now Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Rushing melt water forged rivers while retreating glaciers broke in stranded, detached chunks that melted beneath glacial debris to form depressions in the landscape called kettles. Some of these kettles became glacial lakes harbouring the fish that ducks, eagles, and loons (divers) eat. Shallower kettles became bogs and wetlands where American bitterns, herons, and cranes feed on aquatic delicacies. In the flatter, central and eastern Upper Peninsula, a mosaic of marshes and sedge meadows developed, some deep, others shallow, depending upon the lay of the land.

Tahquamenon Falls – ©Wpwatchdog, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Michigan has the longest freshwater shoreline in the world, 3,200 miles along four of the five Great Lakes. The state also contains 36,000 miles of rivers and streams and 100 scenic waterfalls. The state contains more than 1,000 state parks and recreation areas, and large tracts of forested state land.

The Michigan Bird Records Committee lists 461 species of birds having been reliably recorded in the state. One of them, the globally endangered Kirtland’s Warbler breeds in the northeastern part of the Lower Peninsula. Tied to jack pine habitat, this bird’s numbers are tenuous. Another smaller colony of Kirtland’s Warbler is in the Upper Peninsula.

Contributors

Sheryl DeVore
| sheryl_1956@yahoo.com
http://natural.editions.tripod.com/

Number of Species

Number of bird species: 471

(As at october 2024)
State Bird - American Robin Turdus migratorius

Checklist

Avibase
PDF Checklist
This checklist includes all bird species found in Michigan , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years. I am pleased to offer these checklists as a service to birdwatchers. If you find any error, please do not hesitate to report them.
Michigan Bird Records Committee
Annotated List
This is the website for the Michigan Bird Records Committee. On these pages you will find important information pertaining to the operation of the MBRC, the actions taken by the MBRC, photos of rare birds in Michigan, and a database of all accepted records.
Wikipedia
Annotated List
This list of birds of Michigan includes species documented in the U.S. state of Michigan and accepted by the Michigan Bird Records Committee (MBRC). As of January 2023, there are 456 species included in the official list.[1] Of them, 92 are classed as accidental, 47 are classed as casual, seven have been introduced to North America, one is known to be extinct and another is believed to be, and two have been extirpated.
eBird
PDF Checklist
This checklist is generated with data from eBird (ebird.org), a global database of bird sightings from birders like you. If you enjoy this checklist, please consider contributing your sightings to eBird. It is 100% free to take part, and your observations will help support birders, researchers, and conservationists worldwide.

Useful Reading

ABA Field Guide to Birds of Michigan

| By Allen T Chartier & Brian E Small | Scott & Nix, Inc | 2018 | Paperback | 368 pages, colour photos | ISBN: 9781935622673 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birds of Michigan

| By Ted Black & Gregory Kennedy | Lone Pine Publishing | 2003 |360 pages, illustrations, maps | ISBN: 9781551053363 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birds of Michigan Field Guide

| By Stan Tekiela | Adventure Publications | 2019 | Paperback | 320 pages, colour photos, colour maps | ISBN: 9781591939009 Buy this book from NHBS.com
National Geographic Field Guide to Birds: Michigan

| Edited by Jonathan Aderfer | National Geographic Society | 2006 | Paperback | 258 pages, maps, photos, drawings | ISBN: 9780792238744 Buy this book from NHBS.com
The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Michigan

| By R Brewer, GA McPeek & RJ Adams | Michigan State University Press | 1991 | Hardback | 594 pages, maps | Out of Print | ISBN: 9780870132919 Buy this book from NHBS.com
The Birds of Washtenaw County, Michigan

| By MA Kielb, JM Swales & R Wolinski | University of Michigan Press | 1993 | Hardback | 262 pages, illustrations | ISBN: 9780472095353 Buy this book from NHBS.com

Festivals & Bird Fairs

CraneFest
Webpage
CraneFest, sponsored by Michigan Audubon in partnership with the Kiwanis Club of Battle Creek, focuses to raise awareness and appreciation of our natural heritage and to support the ongoing educational and conservation efforts of Michigan Audubon and it’s Bernard W. Baker Bird Sanctuary. The festival is held at the Kiwanis Youth Area in Bellevue, overlooking Big Marsh Lake.
Keweenaw's Migratory Bird Festival in Copper Harbor
Festival
Celebrating the wild birds that live in and migrate through our locale. Raptor migration is at its peak - Check out Brockway Mountain and the Lake Superior shoreline for birds and keep your eye on the sky! Sparrows are here - a good spot to view many species is Clyde's Bird Trail. The warblers are arriving in great numbers…
Leelanau Peninsula Birding Festival
Information
Join Annual Leelanau Peninsula BirdFest, offering a wide variety of unique field trips including Birding by Tallship, endangered Great Lakes Piping Plovers, a 300 acre prairie, and pontoon boat to the Leelanau Conservancy’s Cedar River Preserve. Every field trip, seminar and keynote program reflects our conservation theme…
Midwest Birding Symposium
Facebook Page
The World's Friendliest Birding Event! Learn more and register at the main Website

Observatories

Rouge River Bird Observatory
Observatory Website Satellite View
Due to a lack of sustainable funding, the Rouge River Bird Observatory ceased operations in October 2018. The RRBO website, the Net Results blog, and social media (Twitter and Facebook) will be maintained for the time being, and I’ll use these venues to post updates on publications and related news, for those interested.
Whitefish Point Bird Observatory
Observatory Website Satellite View
Located 11 miles north of Paradise, Whitefish Point Bird Observatory is the premier migration hot-spot in Michigan. Jutting out in Lake Superior, Whitefish Point acts as a natural migration corridor, bringing thousands of birds through this flyway every spring and fall. With its wooded dune and swale complex, distinctive to the Great Lakes region, the Point witnesses a huge diversity of migrants. Home to numerous rare breeding birds, this Globally Important Bird Area has recorded over 340 bird species. Research conducted at WPBO significantly contributes to an ongoing effort to increase knowledge of bird migration, encourage public awareness of birds and the environment, and further critical bird conservation.

Museums & Universities

University of Michigan Bird Division
Webpage
The Bird Division is a collection of resources for people who conduct research on or need information about birds. The research collections, with 215,000 bird specimens, is one of the largest in the world. The Bird Division also houses the expansive library of the Wilson Ornithological Society. The faculty, staff, and students conduct research on the evolutionary histories, behavior, ecology and conservation of a wide variety of birds using museum collections, molecular techniques, and field studies.

Organisations

AuSable Valley Audubon
Website
AuSable Valley Audubon members live in the Alcona and Iosco counties area. The chapter meetings are usually at 7:00 pm on the second Tuesday of the month in the Tawas High School Library on M-55, or Board Meeting Room 104 in the Oscoda High School on River Road. December, January and February meetings will be at 1:00 pm in the Robert J Parks Library, 6010 N. Skeel Ave., Oscoda. There are NO formal meetings scheduled in July & August. The October monthly meeting is traditionally our annual joint meeting with the Thunder Bay Audubon. See monthly meeting calendar for particulars. See you there!
Audubon Society in Michigan
Website
Offices & Chapters, Upcoming Events
Audubon Society of Kalamazoo
Website
The Audubon Society of Kalamazoo (ASK) has been a part of the Kalamazoo community since 1945, when Kalamazoo area bird watchers decided to organize. For many years it was the only all-volunteer nature organization in the Kalamazoo area. Today we are an active club with members from all birding skill levels, although many are at the beginner to intermediate levels.
Benzie Audubon Club
Website
The Benzie Audubon Club promotes an appreciation for and better understanding of the plants and animals of northern Michigan, preserving our natural environment, and preventing any activities that may pose a threat to our natural ecology
Berrien Birding Club
Facebook Page
With its forests, dunes and Lake Michigan shoreline, Berrien County has long been one of Michigan's most popular bird watching locations. With this in mind and to promote recreational birding and bird conservation in Southwest Michigan, the Berrien County Parks sponsors the Berrien Birding Club.
Blue Water Audubon Society
Facebook Page
Post sightings and request information on birding in the Bluewater area as well as for travel outside the area
Brigham Audubon Society - Battle Creek
Website
Also see the BCBA page. BCBA is for the casual backyard bird watcher, serious birder, wildflower enthusiast, hiker, and/or anyone who enjoys the great outdoors. If you are one of the above and enjoy the company of tohers who feel similarly, Battle Creek's Brigham Audubon is for you!
Capital Area Audubon Society
Website
Serving Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton Counties. Capital Area Audubon Society is dedicated to creating a greater awareness, appreciation and understanding of the interrelatedness of Michigan’s wild places and wild creatures, and the need for stewardship.
Chappee Rapids Audubon Society
Facebook Page
The Chappee Rapids Audubon Society is a Michigan - Wisconsin organization whose purpose is to acquire knowledge of and promote understanding of the natural sciences and to conserve, appreciate, and protect wildlife and the environment. - N 2982 Cooke La, Marinette, WI 54143 - Trygve Rhude, President
Chippewa Valley Audubon Club
Facebook Page
The Chippewa Valley Audubon Club is a chapter of the Michigan Audubon Society and is affiliated with the National Audubon Society.
Copper Country Audubon Club
Website
Houghton, MI - President Dana Richter, P.O. Box 124, Houghton, MI 49931 Phone: 482-3361 dlrichte@mtu.edu
Copper Harbor Birding
Webpage
Thank you for visiting Copper Harbor Birding. Our organization was developed to promote bird watching, awareness and conservation in Copper Harbor and the Keweenaw. There is amazing bird life here, read about it and pass it on! A great spot for bird watching all year long and observing the spectacular spring migration!
Detroit Bird Alliance
Website
Our mission is to foster the appreciation and conservation of birds and the environment we share.
Genesee Audubon
Website
The Genesee Audubon Society, founded in 1977 is a subchapter of the Michigan Audubon Society. Genesee Audubon was organized to reach people of all levels of interest by offering a variety of workshops, field trips, and presentations. We strive to enhance public awareness of the natural world through promoting environmental education and scientific research of our natural resources and the environment.
Grand Rapids Audubon Club
Website
A gathering place for those who care about birds, their preservation and the conservation of their habitat in West Michigan.
Grand Traverse Audubon Club
Facebook Page
Welcome! The Grand Traverse Audubon Club members enjoy birding together, meeting for nature-oriented programs or field trips, and participating in service projects related to the environment. We are concerned about the preservation of habitat for wildlife, and natural areas for the enjoyment of all residents. We are a chapter of the Michigan Audubon Society.
Grosse Pointe Audubon
Website
News about Grosse Pointe Audubon, birds and their habitat in the Grosse Pointe area.
Hartland Audubon Nature Club
Website
All meetings are held at the Hartland Senior Center at the Hartland Education Support Service Center and begin at 7:15 pm unless otherwise noted…
Holland Audubon Society
Website
The Holland Audubon Club and its members celebrate the abundant birds and wildlife in West Michigan and the world. We are an organization that promotes the awareness, understanding and enjoyment of the natural environment.
Huron Valley Audubon Society
Facebook Page
As a chapter of Michigan Audubon, HuronValley Audubon Society works to inform and inspire an appreciation of the natural world.
Jackson Audubon Society
Website
The Audubon Society of Jackson County, Michigan. We host monthly wildlife and conservation programs and introduce the public to birds during special walks at local and nearby birding areas. JAS has many knowledgeable and recognized birders who are always happy to help someone new. We get together in December for a Christmas Bird Count and we celebrate Earth Day every year at a public event with the Jackson Area Outdoor Coalition.
Laughing Whitefish Bird Alliance
Website
Representing the birding communties of Marquette and Alger Counties. The Laughing Whitefish Audubon Society was formed in 1992 as a Chapter of the Michigan Audubon Society. The Society serves birders in Marquette and Alger Counties of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, although we have members from lower Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, as well as other states.
Lee LeBlanc Audubon Society
Facebook Page
Iron River, MI
Macomb Audubon Society
Website
If you're a visitor to our area or a curious nearby resident, join us at one of our monthly meetings or call (or e-mail) one of our Contacts for club information or about birding in the Macomb County area.
Manistee Audubon Society
Website
Manistee Audubon is a Chapter of Michigan Audubon. Chapter meetings are held the second Wednesday of each month at the Lake Bluff Bird Sanctuary. Chapter activities include: monthly meetings, field trips, and special programs in the Manistee community. Each year, Manistee Audubon chapter leaders participate in the Southwest Regional Meeting and the Annual Conference of Michigan Audubon…
Michiana Audubon Club
Facebook Page
The Michiana Audubon Club demonstrates respect for the natural world by providing educational programs and wholesome activities for our members and the community at large. We will encourage the conservation of resources by our actions as individuals and as a group.
Michigan Audubon Society
Website
Michigan Audubon connects birds and people for the benefit of both through conservation, education, and research efforts in the state of Michigan.
Michigan Bird Records Committee
Facebook Page
The MBRC gathers information about, and maintains acceptable records of birds unusual to Michigan...
Michigan Loon Preservation Association
Facebook Page
The Michigan Loon Preservation Association is a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve the Common Loon as a breeding bird in Michigan through public education, research, and the protection and management of loons and their habitat.
Michigan Songbird Protection Coalition
Website
The Songbird Protection Coalition is an all-grassroots effort of diverse participants and include: advocates for animals, avid hunters, bird hobbyists, environmentalists, falconers, farmers, kids, photographers, wildlife rehabilitators, and most of all - the average citizen.
Muskegon County Nature Club
Website
This is the official home page of the Muskegon County Nature Club, Muskegon's chapter of the Michigan Audubon Society. Contact us directly by emailing: oakridge35@yahoo.com
Nature Conservancy in Michigan
Website
For nearly 40 years, The Nature Conservancy has worked with the people of the Great Lakes state to protect nearly 380,000 acres of land, hundreds of inland lakes, and miles of rivers. Yet much more needs to be done to solve the complex challenges facing our natural world today. We can't do it without you.
Northern Michigan Birding Club
Facebook Page
Whether a bird feeder watcher, or a birder who gets out and about a lot, this is the place for you! A place for people in Northern Michigan to share their birding experiences from Antrim county and beyond!
Oakland Bird Alliance
Website
Our Mission Promote an interest in native wildlife including birds, other animals and plants and advocate the preservation of wildlife habitats in Michigan.
Owashtanong Islands Audubon Society
Website
The Owashtanong Islands Audubon Society is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization serving the Greater Grand Haven, Michigan area with support for local environmental education as well as stewardship of two island wildlife sanctuaries in the Grand River.
Petoskey Regional Audubon Society
Website
The Petoskey Regional Audubon Society offers monthly indoor programs and over 30 field trips all year-round. Upcoming indoor and outdoor activities can be found on our Facebook Page. Founded in 1966 as a chapter of Michigan Audubon, Petoskey Regional Audubon Society has over 200 members, and is led by current president Darrell Lawson, who can be reached at 231-330-4572 or lawsodw@gmail.com.
Sable Dunes Audubon Society
Facebook Page
The Sable Dunes Audubon Society was chartered by the Michigan Audubon Society in 1982. Our objective is to promote public recognition of the need to protect and preserve bird species in Oceana and Mason Counties.
Saginaw Valley Audubon Society
Website
Meetings are open to the pubic.Our mission is to promote an interest in, knowledge of, and an appreciation for our natural resources. We wish to present opportunities to accomplish this by our monthly programs, field trips and bird banding.
Sault Naturalists Club
Website
The Sault Naturalists is an international club with about 120 members. Our objective is to provide members with a common meeting ground for exchange of ideas and for broadening their knowledge and understanding of natural science. We seek to promote the appreciation, preservation, and conservation of our natural heritage and to support other organizations with similar goals…
Straits Area Audubon Society
Website
The mission of the Straits Area Audubon Society is to educate the community, including its children, about conservation and enjoyment of the natural world with emphasis on the local natural communities of wildlife. Straits Area Audubon Society holds frequent field trips as well as free monthly programs on the second Wednesday of every month from September through May. Programs are held at 6 p.m. at Cheboygan Area Public Library, 100 S. Bailey St. in Cheboygan. Refreshments and a brief business meeting highlighted by recent nature sightings follow the program. Attendees are invited to participate in door prize and raffle drawings.
Thunder Bay Audubon Society
Website
Thunder Bay Audubon Society is a chapter of the Michigan Audubon Society. Its purpose is to: promote among the people of Northeastern Michigan an interest in our native birds and wildlife because of their economic, cultural and recreational value.conserve the wildlife and natural beauty of this area.cooperate with other organizations which are working for the true conservation of our natural resources.
Washtenaw Bird & Nature Alliance
Website
All are welcome to bird with us, learn with us, and to share our passion for birds and the environment.
Wilson Ornithological Society
Website
The Wilson Ornithological Society is a world-wide organization of people who share a curiosity about birds. The Society’s primary focus is the scientific study of birds, but WOS also encourages and supports public interest in birds, and the Society welcomes involvement of amateur members.

Reserves

Abbreviations Key

*Michigan National Park Service
Information Satellite View
5 National Parks
*Michigan State Parks
Information Satellite View
With 103 state parks in Michigan, there is something for everyone.
*Protected areas of Michigan
Information Satellite View
Parks, reserves, forests etc
BS Lake Bluff Bird Sanctuary
Information Satellite View
Lake Bluff Bird Sanctuary is located on 76 acres in Manistee Township, two miles north of Manistee. The grounds occupy 1/3 mile of bluff overlooking Lake Michigan.
NA Grand River Nature Area
Webpage Satellite View
The Grand River Nature Area offers stunning views of the Grand River and many opportunities to view wildlife. This riverside park of 100-acres was donated to the residents of Ada Township by Eastbrook Homes. Land was also donated to Cascade Township (named McGraw Park) and the Forest Hills School District (Home of their Crew boathouse), making a linear park of 150+ acres.…
NC Chippewa Nature Center
Website Satellite View
Chippewa Nature Center (CNC) got its start in 1963 when Midland Nature Club President, Howard Garrett, appointed a committee to explore the idea of establishing a nature center in Midland. A year later, Eugene Kenaga approached the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation about establishing the center and they supported the idea. In November 1965, the Dow Foundation reserved 198 acres that they owned at the confluence of the Pine and Chippewa Rivers for the new nature center. The Dow Foundation leased that land to Chippewa Nature Center until 1975 when they donated that parcel and eight other leased properties to the Center.
NWR Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge
Information Satellite View
A unique gem located in southeast Michigan in the heart of a metropolitan area, Detroit River IWR is the only international wildlife refuge in North America.
NWR Harbor Island
Information Satellite View
Refuge habitats include a marsh-lined harbor in the center, sandy beaches, and mature stands of balsam fir, white cedar, paper birch, sugar maple and red oak. The gently rolling terrain of the island peaks around 100 feet above the level of the lake. Resident wildlife species include red fox, ruffed grouse, snowshoe hare, white-throated sparrows, white-tailed deer, gray jays and magnolia warblers. Gray wolves from St. Joseph Island, Ontario are thought to hunt the island during winter months. Of special note is that in 1965-1978 Louis Benua visited Harbor Island and nearby islands and noted a number of large predators, including Canada Lynx.
NWR Huron
Information Satellite View
Eight small islands, totaling 147 acres, make up the Huron National Wildlife Refuge. It is located just three miles off the south shore of Lake Superior in Marquette County, Michigan. Huron National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1905 as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife, especially the herring gull, which has large nesting colonies on the islands. These early, bird sanctuaries were vital for a number of species of birds, including the herring gull, whose populations had been drastically reduced by plume hunters and egg collectors in the 1800s and early 1900s.
NWR Michigan Islands
Information Satellite View
Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge is comprised of eight islands in Lakes Michigan and Huron. Gull, Pismire, Hat and Shoe, are part of the Beaver Archipelago in Lake Michigan and are managed by Seney NWR. Sugar, and Scarecrow Islands located in Thunder Bay near Alpena, Michigan and Big and Little Charity Islands are located in Saginaw Bay are managed by Shiawassee NWR.
NWR Seney
Information Satellite View
Seney National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1935 as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. The wild land that today is the refuge has not always appeared so wild. This is a land that was once heavily logged, burned, ditched, drained and cultivated. Despite repeated attempts, the soils and harsh conditions of this country would not provide a hospitable environment for sustained settlement and agriculture. So, nature claimed it once again. What was viewed as a loss by early 20th century entrepreneurs became a huge gain for the wildlife, natural resources and the people of Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula.
NWR Shiawassee
Information Satellite View
Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1953 and contains 10,000 acres of marsh, bottomland hardwood forest, and grasslands. It was authorized by the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission under the Migratory Bird Conservation Act “...for use as an inviolate sanctuary, or for any other management purpose, for migratory birds.” Additional purposes designated under the Refuge Recreation Act are “…incidental fish and wildlife-oriented recreational development, the protection of natural resources, and the conservation of endangered and threatened species.”
US Fish and Wildlife Service in Michigan
Webpage Satellite View
Refuges, management districts etc.
WMA Kirtlands Warbler
Information Satellite View
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Kirtland’s Warbler Wildlife Management Area was established in 1980 in response to the need for more land dedicated to the recovery of the Kirtland’s warbler, an endangered species. The management area contains 125 separate tracts of land totaling 6,684 acres located throughout eight counties in the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan.Kirtland’s Warbler Wildlife Management Area is located throughout the northern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan in Presque Isle, Montmorency, Oscoda, Ogemaw, Crawford, Kalkaska, Roscommon and Clare counties.
WS Bernard W Baker Sanctuary
Facebook Page Satellite View
Baker Sanctuary is North America's first bird sanctuary dedicated to the preservation of a crane species, the Sandhill Crane. At 898 acres and the second largest of Michigan Audubon's sanctuaries, it is a refuge for nesting and migrating Sandhill Cranes. The area is dominated by the 200-acre Big Marsh Lake, a restored wetland flooding. More than 200 species of birds and dozens of species of mammals have been recorded here. There are two groomed trails in the sanctuary….

Sightings, News & Forums

Mich Listers (Michigan Rare Bird Alert)
Sightings & Discussion
Thanks for being part of this group! The purpose of this group is to share information and multimedia of recently found rare birds of Michigan
Michigan Rare Bird Alert
Sightings
The report below shows observations of rare birds in Michigan.

Guides & Tour Operators

Birdfinders
Tour Operator
Spring migration at a number of localities in north-western Ohio means an abundance of colourful warblers of many species at close range plus various flycatchers, vireos, thrushes and other migrants; Trumpeter Swan and Red-headed Woodpecker also occur in the area. In Michigan we will look for Yellow Rail, Upland Sandpiper, Sedge Wren, breeding Kirtland’s Warblers, Henslow’s Sparrow and more migrating warblers.
FieldGuides
Tour Operator
A spring tour for the richest birding in the Midwest with plenty of specialty birds from Kirtland's Warbler to boreal species.
Naturalist Journeys
Tour Operator
Isle Royale, an island archipelago in Lake Superior, is a true wilderness gem...
Nature Travel Birding
Tour Operator
Starting in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky, this trip will traverse several different ecosystems, including three Great Lakes, as we move north finishing in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
NatureTrek
Tour Operator
Tour Code: USA25An exciting 11-day birdwatching holiday to the southern edge of the Great Lakes to experience the mind-blowing display of the warbler migration, as well as exceptional birding in Michigan!
She Flew Birding Tours
Tour Operator
...Leaving the crowded boardwalk of Magee Marsh, we head north for Michigan’s migration hotspot at Tawas Point. Here the birds concentrate on the narrow peninsula in small groupings of trees and bushes making the birds easier to see...
Skye Christopher G. Haas - Borealis Birding
Local Guide
Skye is an avid birder, naturalist, tour guide and field biologist living in Marquette, along the shores of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Tropical Birding Tours
Tour Operator
Spring migration in the eastern United States is an avian phenomenon that draws people from all over the World.
Wildside Nature Tours
Tour Operator
Ohio & MICHIGAN: Magee Marsh & Kirtland’s

Trip Reports

2021 [08 August] - Dave Mehlman
PDF Report
...Unfortunately, the poor weather continued, and we were only able to dig up a few things at Hunter’s Point, including Red-breasted Nuthatch, a few Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warblers, and a distant Belted Kingfisher perched on a dock. Breakfast at the Lake Effect Bar & Grill was good, and we all stocked up for the boat ride....
2023 [09 September] - David Mehlman - Michigan’s Isle Royale & Keweenaw Peninsula
PDF Report
With the fall migration under way, we had varying success both on the mainland of Michigan and on Isle Royale, with some stops being birdier than others
2024 [05 May] - Steve Arlow – - Ohio & Michigan
PDF Report
Ever since I last visited Magee Marsh and Lake Erie area back in spring 2011 I’ve wanted to make a return so I decided that this year was going to be the year.
2024 [09 September] - David Mehlman - Michigan’s Isle Royale & Keweenaw Peninsula
PDF Report
This tour explored Michigan’s Isle Royale National Park and the Keweenaw Peninsula. Our first day on the peninsula we explored Michigan’s Copper Country and it’s unique geology that, for a time, made the region the copper mining capital of the United States. We explored Michigan Tech’s mineral museum, learning about float copper, pure native copper that was exposed at the surface and carried by glaciers across the region. Native Americans utilized this source of copper, and later mining of thief own, to fabricate cutting tools, decorative, and trading goods. A 19-thousand pound nugget of pure native copper was the star of the show, and yep-we had to get our picture by it. We made our way to Copper Harbor, with a quick stop at Estivant Pines- one of last remaining old-growth forests in Michigan. We spend the night in Copper Harbor where we’ll spend the night before boarding the ferry to Isle Royale.

State of Michigan

Birding Michigan

Sheryl DeVore

Number of bird species: 471

Avibase

Michigan Bird Records Committee

Wikipedia

eBird

ABA Field Guide to Birds of Michigan

Birds of Michigan

Birds of Michigan Field Guide

National Geographic Field Guide to Birds: Michigan

The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Michigan

The Birds of Washtenaw County, Michigan

CraneFest

Keweenaw's Migratory Bird Festival in Copper Harbor

Leelanau Peninsula Birding Festival

Midwest Birding Symposium

Rouge River Bird Observatory

Whitefish Point Bird Observatory

University of Michigan Bird Division

AuSable Valley Audubon

Audubon Society in Michigan

Audubon Society of Kalamazoo

Benzie Audubon Club

Berrien Birding Club

Blue Water Audubon Society

Brigham Audubon Society - Battle Creek

Capital Area Audubon Society

Chappee Rapids Audubon Society

Chippewa Valley Audubon Club

Copper Country Audubon Club

Copper Harbor Birding

Detroit Bird Alliance

Genesee Audubon

Grand Rapids Audubon Club

Grand Traverse Audubon Club

Grosse Pointe Audubon

Hartland Audubon Nature Club

Holland Audubon Society

Huron Valley Audubon Society

Jackson Audubon Society

Laughing Whitefish Bird Alliance

Lee LeBlanc Audubon Society

Macomb Audubon Society

Manistee Audubon Society

Michiana Audubon Club

Michigan Audubon Society

Michigan Bird Records Committee

Michigan Loon Preservation Association

Michigan Songbird Protection Coalition

Muskegon County Nature Club

Nature Conservancy in Michigan

Northern Michigan Birding Club

Oakland Bird Alliance

Owashtanong Islands Audubon Society

Petoskey Regional Audubon Society

Sable Dunes Audubon Society

Saginaw Valley Audubon Society

Sault Naturalists Club

Straits Area Audubon Society

Thunder Bay Audubon Society

Washtenaw Bird & Nature Alliance

Wilson Ornithological Society

*Michigan National Park Service

*Michigan State Parks

*Protected areas of Michigan

BS Lake Bluff Bird Sanctuary

NA Grand River Nature Area

NC Chippewa Nature Center

NWR Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge

NWR Harbor Island

NWR Huron

NWR Michigan Islands

NWR Seney

NWR Shiawassee

US Fish and Wildlife Service in Michigan

WMA Kirtlands Warbler

WS Bernard W Baker Sanctuary

Mich Listers (Michigan Rare Bird Alert)