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State of Ohio

Hooded Warbler Setophaga citrina ©Dubi Shapiro Website

Ohio is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the west, and Michigan to the northwest. Of the 50 US states, it is the 34th-largest by area covering over 116,000 km2 (nearly 41,000 square miles). With a population of nearly 12 million people, Ohio is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated state. Its capital and most populous city is Columbus, whose metropolitan area has 1.75 million inhabitants. There are also a number of other large population centres such as Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Akron, and Toledo. Ohio is nicknamed the ‘Buckeye State’ after its Ohio buckeye trees, and Ohioans are also known as ‘Buckeyes. Its flag is the only non-rectangular flag of all US states. It derives its name from the Ohio River that forms its southern border, which, in turn, originated from a Seneca word meaning ‘great river’.

Ohio has the nation’s 10th-largest highway network and is within a one-day drive of 50% of North America’s population and 70% of North America’s manufacturing capacity. To the north, Ohio has 312 miles (502 km) of coastline with Lake Erie, which allows for numerous cargo ports such as Cleveland and Toledo.

Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge – ©Butler Janet, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Much of Ohio features glaciated till plains, with an exceptionally flat area in the northwest being known as the Great Black Swamp. This glaciated region in the northwest and central state is bordered to the east and southeast first by a belt known as the glaciated Allegheny Plateau, and then by another belt known as the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. Most of Ohio is of low relief, but the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau features rugged hills and forests. Ohio’s rugged southeastern quadrant, stretching in an outward bow-like arc along the Ohio River from the West Virginia Panhandle to the outskirts of Cincinnati, forms a distinct unit.

Significant Ohio rivers include the Cuyahoga River, Great Miami River, Maumee River, Muskingum River, and Scioto River. The rivers in northern Ohio drain into the northern Atlantic Ocean via Lake Erie and the St. Lawrence River, and those in southern Ohio drain into the Gulf of Mexico via the Ohio River and the Mississippi. Ohio also includes Bass Islands and Kelleys Island. Grand Lake St. Marys in the west-central part of the state was constructed as a supply of water for canals in the canal-building era; at over 52 km2, was the largest artificial lake in the world when completed.

Areas under the protection of the National Park Service include Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, First Ladies National Historic Site, James A. Garfield National Historic Site, William Howard Taft National Historic Site, and the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument and Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park – ©Niagara66 CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The climate of Ohio is a humid continental climate throughout most of the state, except in the extreme southern counties of Ohio’s Bluegrass region section, which are located on the northern periphery of the humid subtropical climate and Upland South region of the United States. Summers are typically hot and humid throughout the state, while winters generally range from cool to cold. Precipitation in Ohio is moderate year-round. Severe weather is not uncommon in the state, although there are typically fewer tornado reports in Ohio than in states located in what is known as the Tornado Alley. Severe lake effect snowstorms are also not uncommon on the southeast shore of Lake Erie, which is located in an area designated as the Snowbelt.

Birding Ohio

Ohio’s list of more than 450 bird species includes 41 waterfowl, 20 hawks and falcons, 47 shorebirds, 30 larids, 12 owls, 10 woodpeckers, and 41 warblers. Breeding species on the list number c.200.

The state’s dominant geographical features include the Lake Erie shore along the eastern two-thirds of the state’s northern border, the associated plains in the north and west, and rugged hills and dense deciduous forest covers most of the hill country, and agricultural fields are a prominent feature of the plains. Wetlands, though much diminished from bygone days, are an important component of the birding scene, with the largest remnants lying near the Lake’s western end.

Winter birding is most exciting along the Lake Erie shore, with enormous gatherings of waterfowl and gulls. Spring migration, during which a day’s count can approach 200 species, takes place over a broad front and on a strict schedule. There are many favoured locations for watching neo-tropical passerines, raptors, shorebirds, and the like at this time. The variety of breeders differs rather widely latitudinally, with good reasons to seek birds in both the north and south. Autumn’s migration of passerines is more various in both time and space, with different places to find shorebirds, raptors, sparrows, ducks and geese, etc., and a lengthier time of passage.

Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge – ©Dakota Callaway CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Good birding can reliably be found in many locations at any season. Certain State Parks, many state Wildlife Areas and Nature Preserves, city and county parks, and Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge are always of interest, and are generally good places to learn about Ohio’s bird life. Elsewhere, certain reservoirs, urban waterfronts, grasslands, woodlots, and the like are known to local birders as productive spots. Half a dozen examples of particularly productive areas are briefly described in the section below.

Ohioans are fortunate to have excellent sources of information for visiting birders and the very best source is local birders who welcome visitors. Like birders everywhere, we relish making new friends, and showing our birds to those less familiar with them.

Top Sites

Headlands Beach State Park
Information Satellite View
Headlands Beach State Park and Natural Area, thirty miles east of Cleveland, is also a magnet for spring and fall migrants, not only passerines but waterfowl and gulls. Here, marshes, sand dunes, open beach, and both open and sheltered Lake water invite an ever-changing succession of passing birds, and the area's list numbers over 300 species. Perhaps no place in the state is more exciting in winter for water birds when the Lake remains unfrozen.
Hocking Hills State Park
Information Satellite View
The Hocking Hills, in Hocking County in the south-central part of the state, harbour a rich array of breeding species from late April through August, accessible in scenic settings on trails on public lands. Several state parks here feature striking sandstone caves, cliffs, and ravines, and Clear Creek Metro Park has a fine range of unspoiled habitats, with damp and shadowy gorges, riparian areas, fields, and deep woods. A significant number of more southern species, unlikely to be found at places like Magee, occur here as breeders, and hence are especially noticeable. At the same time, some habitats in the Hills, such as groves of hemlocks and other conifers, harbour nesters normally found only far to the north.
Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area
Webpage Satellite View
Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area is dominated by grasslands and successional habitats interrupted by woodlots and reservoirs. While of interest during migration periods, this area in Wyandot County in the central part of the state draws most attention from birders during the winter, when numerous raptors hunt its fields and forests. Eagles nest, and several species of hawks are usually prominently present in good numbers. Owls of half a dozen species are easiest to find at this time, with the most thrilling encounters perhaps those with hunting short-eared owls at dusk over the fields. Other wintering birds such as shrikes, buntings, longspurs, and sparrows are as easy to find here as anywhere in the state.
Magee Marsh Wildlife Area
Webspage Satellite View
Magee Marsh Wildlife Area deserves its international reputation as a spring migrant trap, due mostly to the spectacular concentrations of northbound birds near its boardwalk trail, accessible from the Crane Creek State Park parking lot. More than a few May days will bring 20+ species of wood warblers, along with Colorful orioles, tanagers, grosbeaks, flycatchers, etc. Corresponding concentrations of birders help to ensure that no species goes unobserved or unshared here. The great spring rush of migrants is easily observed at other spots along the Lake as well, such as in the Lake Erie Islands and parklands to the east, or at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, though nearby Ottawa is most renowned in spring as a spot for raptors, waterfowl, and shorebirds during their migrations.
Oak Openings
Information Satellite View
The Oak Openings, protected in several Nature Conservancy preserves and in the Toledo parks system, represent several habitats unique to Ohio. Sandy ridges, patches of wetland, and several forest types constitute this area west of Toledo. This is a fine spot for observing spring and fall migrations, and several species of birds and butterflies breed only here in the state. Like those of the Hocking Hills, its richly-mixed habitats attract nesting birds from much further north and south than its latitude alone would suggest.
Shawnee State Forest
Webpage Satellite View
After a long winter, Ohio birders resort to Shawnee State Forest as an attractive place to see and hear the year's first migrants. Beginning in mid-April, numerous neo-tropical birds appear, many those of southern affinities arriving to breed, and by the end of the month birds heading for Canada are passing through. Very peaceful at this time of year, this mature forest rings with birdsong, and wildflowers in bloom are everywhere at one's feet. Nearby Adams County is dominated by the botanical treasures of its large Nature Conservancy properties, but here also are the most reliable spots in Ohio for southern nesters like chuck-will's-widows and blue grosbeaks.

Contributors

Bill Whan
| danielel@iwaynet.net

Number of Species

Number of bird species: 454

(As at November 2024)
State Bird: Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis

Checklist

Avibase
PDF Checklist
This checklist includes all bird species found in Ohio , 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.
Ohio ornithological Society
Checklist
Official OOS Ohio Bird Checklist
Wikipedia
Annotated List
This list of birds of Ohio includes species documented in the U.S. state of Ohio and accepted by Ohio Bird Records Committee (OBRC). As of December 2023, there were 450 species on the official list. Of them, 193 have been documented as breeding in the state, and 123 are review species as defined below.
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

A Birders Guide to the Cincinnati Tristate

| By Robert Folzenlogen | Willow Press | Second Edition | 1995 | Paperback | 142 pages, Illustrations | Out of Print | ISBN: 9780962068584 Buy this book from NHBS.com
American Birding Association Field Guide to Birds of Ohio

| By Ethan Kistler & Brian E Small | Scott & Nix, Inc | 2019 | Flexibound | 368 pages, colour photos | ISBN: 9781935622703 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birding in Ohio

| By Tom Thomson Indiana University Press | 1995 | Paperback | 320 pages, 9 illustrations, 40 maps | ISBN: 9780253208743 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birds of Ohio

| By Jim McCormac & Gregory Kennedy | Lone Pine Publishing | 2004 | paperback | 360 pages, colour illustrations, map | ISBN: 9781551053929 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birds of Ohio Field Guide

| By Stan Tekiela | Adventure Publications | 2020 | Edition 3 | Paperback | 332 pages, colour photos, colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9781591939610 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birds of the Lake Erie Region

| By Carolyn V Platt | Kent State University Press | 2001 | Paperback | ISBN: 9780873386906 Buy this book from NHBS.com
The Birds of Hocking County, Ohio

| By John T Watts, Paul E Knoop, Jr. & Gary A Coovert | McDonald & Woodward Publishing | 2016 | Paperback | 150 pages, 45 colour photos | ISBN: 9781935778356 Buy this book from NHBS.com
The Birds of Ohio

| By Bruce G Peterjohn | Wooster Book Company | 2001 | Paperback | 640 pages, Distribution maps | Out of Print | ISBN: 9781888683882 Buy this book from NHBS.com
The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in Ohio

| Edited by Paul G Rodewald, Matthew B Shumar, Aaron T Boone, David L Slager & Jim McCormac | Pennsylvania State University Press | 2017 | Hardback | 578 pages, colour photos, 446 colour & 5 b/w illustrations, 484 colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9780271071275 Buy this book from NHBS.com

Useful Information

The Ohio Cardinal

Festivals & Bird Fairs

Mohican Wildlife Weekend
Festival
There's a wonderful natural world waiting to be explored at night! For our 23rd Annual Mohican Wildlife Weekend
Mosquito Lake Big Birding Weekend
Festival
The Big Birding Weekend highlights the unique diversity of bird species that migrate and stopover to rest and feed in the area annually.
New River Birding & Nature Festival
Festival
Since 2002, the annual New River Birding & Nature Festival takes place in and around the New River Gorge National River in the heart of the upland, hardwood forests that Cornell Lab of Ornithology identified as a crucial stopover habitat for the continued survival of species such as Golden-winged, Blue-winged, and Swainson's Warbler, as well as the Scarlet Tanager. Our bird and nature watching festival highlights more than 100 bird species on a variety of daily birding tours.
Shreve Migration Sensation
Festival
Annually in March
The Biggest Week in American Birding
Festival
An annual Birding Festival every May in Northwest Ohio: 'The Warbler Capital of the World'. Are you a brand new birder who's never been to The Biggest Week? So, you’ve decided that you’re interested in The Biggest Week and this whole “birding” thing. But where do you go from there? Beginning anything new can be a bit overwhelming, especially when it’s participating in the largest birding festival in the United States! Black Swamp Bird Observatory wants to assure you that it’s not as intimidating as it seems. With generous support from a first-time birder, we’ve generated a list of frequently asked questions to aid you in your upcoming birding experience.

Observatories

Black Swamp Bird Observatory
Observatory Website Satellite View
The mission of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory is to inspire the appreciation, enjoyment and conservation of birds and their habitats through research, education and outreach. The bottom line is this: we want to help people fall in love with birds! People care more about the things they love, and we believe that connecting people to the joys of birding is the first step in building support for conservation. We provide opportunities to make a meaningful difference for the environment through our many Citizen Scientist projects, and to be involved in something regenerative; working together to safeguard our natural world for future generations.
Navarre Marsh Banding Station
Banding Station Satellite View
Located in the Navarre Marsh unit of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, this station is part of a long-term study that has collected data on over 400,000 birds.
Songbird Banding Project Jones Preserve
Observatory Website Satellite View
Spring and fall songbird banding activities take place at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Jones Preserve located at the end of Monaghan Road (past Camp Patmos). The banding station is behind the gate to Long Point.

Organisations

Appalachian Front Audubon Society
Website
A regional chapter affiliated with the national Audubon Society, our group is headquarted in southern Ohio.
Audubon Society in Ohio
Website
Offices & Chapters
Audubon Miami Valley
Website
Our Mission: Audubon Miami Valley works to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity.
Audubon Society of Greater Cleveland
Website
The Audubon Society of Greater Cleveland (ASGC) has a long and proud history of service to the Greater Cleveland Community and its members. It is one of Cleveland’s oldest continuously operating environmental organizations.
Audubon Society of Mahoning Valley
Facebook Page
As a member of the National Audubon Society, you are also a member of the Audubon Society / Mahoning Valley, our local chapter. There are no local dues, and you will receive The Heron bimonthly. To find out more about activities of Mahoning Valley Audubon, contact any of our officers, or join us at a meeting…
Audubon Society of Ohio
Website
Our mission is to promote the conservation and appreciation of nature for environmental sustainability with a focus on birds, thorough habitat protection and education. The Audubon Society of Ohio (ASO) was established in 1897 in the Greater Cincinnati area, and was incorporated in 1900. ASO was the first Audubon Society organized in Ohio, and is currently a local chapter of the National Audubon Society.
Aullwood Audubon
Website
As an environmental education, sustainable agriculture, and Audubon Center of the National Audubon Society in western Ohio, Aullwood Audubon teaches, leads and inspires people to preserve, protect and enjoy nature, farming and the environment. Aullwood offers both children and adults the opportunity to encounter and appreciate the world through experience-based education. Discover our woods, streams, ponds, prairies, meadows, working sustainable farm, educational animal exhibits, and much more!
Black River Audubon Society
Website
Welcome to the Black River Audubon Society! Established in 1958, members of Black River Audubon Society (BRAS) are committed to protecting birds and other wildlife while preserving their ecosystems and natural environment in our community.
Black Swamp Audubon Reserve
Information
P O Box 7086, Defiance, OH 43512
Black Swamp Conservancy
Website
The Black Swamp Conservancy is a land trust dedicated to protecting agricultural land and natural areas, now and for future generations, through land conservation agreements. We do this to preserve the rural heritage, unique natural habitats, and lakes and streams of northwest Ohio.
Blackbrook Audubon Society
Website
Blackbrook Audubon dates back to 1938 when Carl Newhaus, Kay Boothe, and others met at the "Blackbrook Creek Bridge." Around 1950, the "Blackbrook Bird Club", which held monthly meetings and was informally involved with National Audubon, and had been walking at Richmond Beach for 12 years of Spring Bird Walks, became the Blackbrook Audubon Society and began a more formal association with Audubon.
Canton Audubon Society
Website
Canton Audubon Society strives to meet our members’ varied interests in the field of nature. For some, the focus is on birds and animals, for others its on plants, and still others its on waterways and diversities of the land. For all it is an interest to enjoy, to conserve, restore, share with others, and to educate both adults and students.
Clark County Audubon Society
Website
Membership dues for Clark County Audubon are $20 per year. This supports our newsletter, meetings, Christmas Bird Count, field trips and other activities. If you are interested in joining please contact Doug Overacker. You can send memberships to Doug Overacker, 2532 Woodside Ave., Springfield, OH 45503. Send a check made out to Clark County Audubon.
Columbus Audubon Society
Website
With approximately 3,000 members in Central Ohio, Columbus Audubon is one of the largest Audubon chapters in the nation. We offer a variety of ways for members and other nature enthusiasts to learn about and enjoy wildlife.
Dayton Audubon Society
Facebook Page
Our purpose and objectives are to engage in any such educational, scientific, investigative, literary, historical, philanthropic and charitable pursuits as may be part of the stated purpose of the National Audubon Society of which the Dayton Audubon Society shall function as a Chapter.
East Central Ohio Audubon Society
Facebook Page
The East Central Ohio Audubon Society (ECO-AS) enables Audubon members and non-members to meet, learn, work, and enjoy the pursuit of common interests in wildlife, the natural world, and the environment. Through sponsoring events designed to educate and stimulate the public’s environmental conscience, ECO-AS strives to facilitate citizen concern and action for the wise stewardship of our local, regional, national and global natural resources...
Firelands Audubon Society
Website
This group of dedicated and hard working individuals is the life line of Firelands Audubon. Take a moment see who's who.
Grange Insurance Audubon Center
Website
A National Audubon Society Center for Conservation Action
Greater Akron Audubon Society
Website
Thank you for visiting the home page of the Greater Akron Audubon Society. We hope you enjoy the visit and decide to join us in some of our activities. As is common on the Web, these pages are continually changing. Each page should indicate the date of the last change; in addition, this home page will have dates for each of the subsequent pages. Better than average chapter site
Greater Mohican Audubon Society
Facebook Page
The Greater Mohican Audubon Society consists of Ashland, Holmes, Richland, and Wayne Counties in North-central Ohio. The National Audubon Society recognized GMAS as an official chapter in May 1999. The bird chosen to represent the GMAS is the handsome Bobolink
Kelleys Island Audubon Club
Website
For more than 100 years, Audubon has embraced the mission of protecting birds and the places they need
Kirtland Bird Club
Website
The Kirtland Bird Club of Northeast Ohio meets on the first Wednesday of each month, September through June, at 7:00 p.m - on Zoom during wintery months; in person (public health conditions allowing) during milder months. Guests and nonmembers are welcome.
Nature Conservancy in Ohio
Website
Working with Communities to Preserve Ohio's Last Great Places. Welcome to the Ohio Chapter of The Nature Conservancy! Here you'll find information on the many ways we're working with the people of the state and the nation to help preserve the diversity of living things by protecting the habitats - land and water - in which they live…
Ohio Bluebird Society
Website
The Ohio Bluebird Society was formed in 1987 to foster the return and the perpetuation of the Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) and other native cavity nesting birds in Ohio. To this end, the Ohio Bluebird Society will strive for the best methods to use to conserve and create habitat for the protection of these species
Ohio Bird Records Committee
Website
Our knowledge of Ohio’s birds would be incomplete if we could not agree upon which birds rightfully belong on any list of these birds. All of us know the common species, but when it comes to the rare ones, opinions can differ in the absence of verified knowledge. Knowledge about the scarcer species is important: it may teach us about range changes among these birds, or provide the first warnings about threats to birds becoming harder to find locally or throughout their range. Similarly, evidence of unusual seasonal occurrences, nesting records, or noteworthy numbers of less common species is vital to monitoring their status in Ohio.
Ohio Ornithological Society
Website
The Ohio Ornithological Society, P.O. Box 14051, Columbus, Ohio 43214 - There is a rich tradition of ornithological societies around the world. Ohio itself has a venerable history of local organizations devoted at least in part to to birds: the Cincinnati Bird Club, the Kirtland Bird Club, Columbus' Wheaton Club, the Toledo Naturalists' Association, and others, including many active local Audubon chapters. But what Ohio lacked, until 2004, was a wider-reaching, statewide organization—one that would will bring local groups together, muster many important resources, provide a larger perspective, seek wide appeal amongst many constituencies, and represent the cause of bird protection for all. It was this general set of goals that was the genesis of The Ohio Ornithological Society, which was founded by a dedicated group of Ohio birders in the winter of 2004…
Toledo Naturalists Association
Website
Rare Bird Alert + birding news etc.
Tri-Moraine Audubon Society
Website
The Tri-Moraine Audubon Society is more than just birds! Our members belong for many different reasons. All appreciate the natural environment. Some are interested in reptiles and amphibians. Others in flowers, trees, and mushrooms. Others enjoy star-gazing. And some just enjoy spending time outdoors
Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society
Website
Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society (WCAS) is a chapter of the National Audubon Society. Membership dues support public education programs and conservation projects.

Reserves

Abbreviations Key

*List of protected areas of Ohio
Information Satellite View
Interactive list of National Parks, Forests, Wildlife Refuges, Nature preserves etc
IBA Crown City Wildlife Area
Information Satellite View
It contains large populations of grassland birds. Of particular interest are the populations of Henslow's Sparrow.
IBA Egypt Valley
Information Satellite View
This lBA is a state wildlife area managed by Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife. It consists of a reclaimed strip mine area with the typical mosaic of ponds, cattail swamps, shrubland, and upland hardwood woodlots within the grassland matrix. The mix of grassland and shrubland includes as many as 5,000 acres of open grassland.
IBA Gilmore Ponds
Webpage Satellite View
Nearly hidden by an industrial park and an airport, Gilmore Ponds Interpretive Preserve provides over 200 acres of marsh, ponds, and other wetland wildlife habitat. This wildlife oasis lies entirely within the boundaries of the city of Hamilton Ohio, just north of Cincinnati. Each spring and fall the ponds teem with migratory waterfowl and songbirds…
IBA Lake Erie Central Basin
Information Satellite View
The Ohio open waters of Lake Erie extending from the east side of the Bass Island Archipelago eastward to the Pennsylvania border, known as the Central Basin. Roughly 790,000 hectares. Counts of Red-breasted Mergansers have recorded nearly a quarter million birds which represents an extremely large portion of the global population contained within the basin at one time. These large concentrations continues to this day even though many of the routine surveys have been discontinued. Significant concentrations of American Black Duck etc...
IBA Wilderness Center
Information Satellite View
This site is owned and operated by a non-profit organization, including a land trust, focusing on nature education and conservation. It encompasses a large area of mature deciduous woods, coniferous plantings, open areas of planted grasslands, streams, ponds, and small marshes. The diversity of habitats provides excellent stopover characteristics during migration as well as good habitat for a large number of breeding birds.
IBA Woodburry Wildlife Area
Information Satellite View
A reclaimed stripmine with approximately 35% open grassland, 8% brushland and 57% woodland. This site has very high populations of several area-sensitive grassland species. 19,050 acres = 7709.54 hectares. The site has very high populations of several area-sensitive grassland species. It also supports exceptional concentrations of migratory landbirds.
NC Aullwood Audubon Center
Website Satellite View
Aullwood is an environmental education centre in western Ohio. We are an Audubon Centre of the National Audubon Society. Our goal is to promote the protection of birds, other wildlife and the habitats on which they depend. Aullwood offers both children and adults the opportunity to experience and appreciate the world through experience-based education. Come see our woods, streams, ponds, prairies, meadows, and our education centre and organic farm.
NC Cincinnati Nature Center
Website Satellite View
Located in the Eastgate area, just east of Milford, Rowe Woods consists of 1,025 acres of fields, forest, ponds and streams. This original Cincinnati Nature Center site boasts more than 16 miles of hiking trails for visitors to explore and enjoy…
NC Grange Insurance Audubon Center
Website Satellite View
Grange Insurance Audubon Center's mission is to awaken and connect participants to the beauty of the natural world in the heart of Columbus and inspire environmental stewardship in their daily lives.
NR Oak Openings Preserve Metropark
Information Satellite View
The park gets its name from the region in which it is located. Oak Openings Preserve lies within the larger Oak Openings Region of Northwest Ohio. The region hosts over 180 rare species of plants and animals. This is over one-third of all rare species found in the state of Ohio.
NR Preserves, Kelleys Island
Information Satellite View
With a land mass of twenty-eight hundred acres (four square miles) and almost eighteen miles of shoreline, Kelleys Island is the largest American island situated in the western basin of Lake Erie. Located three and one half miles north of Marblehead, Ohio, its latitude is forty-one degrees thirty-five minutes north and eighty-two degrees forty-two minutes west.
NR Springfield Bog Metro Park
Webpage Satellite View
Springfield Bog Metro Park opened January 5, 2011. Over the last few years, visitors have seen quite a change as more than 40 varieties of prairie plants have transformed the former farmland into a thriving prairie, creating valuable habitat for grassland bird species.
NWR Ottawa
Webpage Satellite View
The Ottawa NWR Complex is a major feeding, nesting, and resting area for migrating birds. The refuge preserves portions of the historic Lake Erie marshes and Great Black Swamp habitats. Ottawa NWR Complex is comprised of three refuges - Cedar Point NWR, Ottawa NWR and West Sister Island NWR. West Sister Island NWR, is Ohio's only wilderness area and is located about 9 miles offshore in Lake Erie…
Ohio State Parks
Information Satellite View
74 State Parks • 17 State Forests • 20 State Memorials 4 State Nature Preserves • 2 State Reserves • 12 State Wildlife Areas 1 National Park • 1 National Forest • 2 National Historic Parks 3 National Wildlife Refuges • 3 Metro and City Parks
SP Crane Creek State Park
Webpage Satellite View
Located on the scenic shore of Lake Erie, Crane Creek State Park offers a vast freshwater marsh and spacious sandy beach for enjoyment. This coastal environment is home to more than 300 species of birds. Herons, waterfowl, warblers, gulls and the magnificent bald eagle make this park one of the best birdwatching areas in the country.
SP East Harbor State Park
Information Satellite View
Large numbers of ducks, geese, gulls, terns and other migratory waterfowl delight birdwatchers. Middle Harbour is a game sanctuary where black-crowned night herons, egrets, great blue herons and other shorebirds find refuge. Furbearers in the park include muskrat and red fox. Hundreds of migrating songbirds rest here before winging north across the lake…
SP Headlands Beach
Information Satellite View
Headlands Beach State Park and Natural Area, thirty miles east of Cleveland, is also a magnet for spring and fall migrants, not only passerines but waterfowl and gulls. Here, marshes, sand dunes, open beach, and both open and sheltered Lake water invite an ever-changing succession of passing birds, and the area's list numbers over 300 species.
SP Hocking Hills
Website Satellite View
Here, in these sandstones and shales, one can read Ohio's history from the rocks. The scenic features of the six areas of the Hocking Hills State Park complex are carved in the Blackhand sandstone.
SP Shawnee
Information Satellite View
It is located in western Scioto County and eastern Adams County and encompasses 63,747 acres (25,797 ha) of woodland. It is the largest state forest in Ohio. As with many government owned forests, some parts of Shawnee are actively managed through logging and other activities. However, approximately 8,000 acres (3,200 ha) of the forest is designated as wilderness, with no roads or logging allowed.
WA Magee Marsh Wildlife Area
Website Satellite View
Most visitors park in the westernmost parking lot and enter the boardwalk at the west platform. Note that you'll often find good birding along the forest edge that borders the west platform and the west lawn and pedestrian road paralleling the middle parking lot.
WS Killdeer Plains
Facebook Page Satellite View
Owls of half a dozen species are easiest to find at this time, with the most thrilling encounters perhaps those with hunting short-eared owls at dusk over the fields. Other wintering birds such as shrikes, buntings, longspurs, and sparrows are as easy to find here as anywhere in the state.

Sightings, News & Forums

Ohio Birding Forum
Forum & Mailing List
The Ohio Birding Forum provides a supplement to the Ohio-birds mailing list. Unlike that list, which is limited to discussions of Ohio birding, the Forum provides a place for you to discuss nearly any topic that relates to birds or birding….
Ohio Chase Birds
Facebook Page
Closed Group (You need to join to view) of news etc for Ohio listers with nearly 2000 members
eBird Ohio Rare Bird Alert
Sightings
The report below shows observations of rare birds in Ohio.

Guides & Tour Operators

Bird Treks
Tour Operator
Bird Treks has been providing small group and custom birding tours for over 20 years. Visit their website to see the incredible tours available, including Ohio to try to see all of the eastern warbler species and other migrants!
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.
Birding Ecotours
Tour Operator
Birding Ecotours, a leader in small group and custom-made birding adventures worldwide, offers an amazing tour through Ohio to seek out all of the eastern warblers – including a stop in West Virginia for Swainson’s Warbler, and up into Michigan for Kirtland’s Warbler!
Naturalist Journeys
Tour Operator
Join Naturalist Journeys on this spring migration tour to Ohio, a place that is quickly gaining recognition as one of North America’s best places to bird...
Partnership for Birding
Tour Operator
Springtime Birding in Ohio and Michigan Magee Marsh and Grayling for Kirtland's Warbler
She Flew Birding Tours
Tour Operator
This region draws people from all over the world, in other words, the eastern warbler capitol. Each spring, thousands of passerines, waders, shorebirds and raptors pass through this area for breeding areas further north.
Th Wilds
Local Tour Operator
Embark on a captivating three-hour guided birding expedition led by The Wilds' staff, traversing diverse habitats within one of Ohio's most pivotal bird sanctuaries.
Tropical Birding Tours
Tour Operator
Spring migration in the eastern United States is an avian phenomenon that draws people from all over the World.
Ventures Birding Tours
Tour Operator
The vast array of freshwater marshes, woodlots and fields of Northern Ohio are a must-see for North American birders.
WINGS
Tour Operator
Northwest Ohio: Spring Migration
Wildside Nature Tours
Tour Operator
Highlights of OHIO & MICHIGAN: Magee Marsh & Kirtland’s Warbler...

Trip Reports

2022 [05 May] - Bryan Shirley
PDF Report
...We were all excited to be birding, so a few minutes from the hotel the Rocky River Nature Center was perfect. The feeders held a few common species like Tufted Titmouse, Black-capped Chickadee, and Northern Cardinal...
2023 [05 May] - Rick Weiman
PDF Report
Annotated list
2023 [05 May] - Sarah Preston - Northwest Ohio
PDF Report
Jim and Traci from Colorado came to northwest Ohio for the beginning of The Biggest Week in American Birding festival. They were getting back into birding after a twenty-year hiatus and were excited to see the spring warbler migration as well as Ohio resident birds.
2024 [05 May] - Kent Skaggs
PDF Report
- 150 species were recorded of which 11 were heard only (HO) and 3 were introduced (I). Details are included below. (#) after the species indicates the number of days the species was seen on the tour.
2024 [05 May] - Pat Leuders
PDF Report
This tour began in Cleveland, spending two days exploring the Cleveland Metroparks, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and the Cleveland Lakefront. We drove to the scenic Maumee Bay Resort located on the shore of Lake Erie, staying there for four days to bird at the Magee Marsh boardwalk, Howard & Metzger Marshes, and Oak Openings in Toledo.
2024 [05 May] - Steve Arlow - Ohio & Michigan
PDF Report
Trip Planning 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. I already knew that the woodlots along the southern shore of Lake Erie were migrant magnets with upwards of 30 or more species of North American Wood Warbler being possible which is huge draw for birders.

State of Ohio

Birding Ohio

Headlands Beach State Park

Hocking Hills State Park

Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area

Magee Marsh Wildlife Area

Oak Openings

Shawnee State Forest

Bill Whan

Number of bird species: 454

Avibase

Ohio ornithological Society

Wikipedia

eBird

A Birders Guide to the Cincinnati Tristate

American Birding Association Field Guide to Birds of Ohio

Birding in Ohio

Birds of Ohio

Birds of Ohio Field Guide

Birds of the Lake Erie Region

The Birds of Hocking County, Ohio

The Birds of Ohio

The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in Ohio

The Ohio Cardinal

Mohican Wildlife Weekend

Mosquito Lake Big Birding Weekend

New River Birding & Nature Festival

Shreve Migration Sensation

The Biggest Week in American Birding

Black Swamp Bird Observatory

Navarre Marsh Banding Station

Songbird Banding Project Jones Preserve

Appalachian Front Audubon Society

Audubon Society in Ohio

Audubon Miami Valley

Audubon Society of Greater Cleveland

Audubon Society of Mahoning Valley

Audubon Society of Ohio

Aullwood Audubon

Black River Audubon Society

Black Swamp Audubon Reserve

Black Swamp Conservancy

Blackbrook Audubon Society

Canton Audubon Society

Clark County Audubon Society

Columbus Audubon Society

Dayton Audubon Society

East Central Ohio Audubon Society

Firelands Audubon Society

Grange Insurance Audubon Center

Greater Akron Audubon Society

Greater Mohican Audubon Society

Kelleys Island Audubon Club

Kirtland Bird Club

Nature Conservancy in Ohio

Ohio Bluebird Society

Ohio Bird Records Committee

Ohio Ornithological Society

Toledo Naturalists Association

Tri-Moraine Audubon Society

Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society

*List of protected areas of Ohio

IBA Crown City Wildlife Area

IBA Egypt Valley

IBA Gilmore Ponds

IBA Lake Erie Central Basin

IBA Wilderness Center

IBA Woodburry Wildlife Area

NC Aullwood Audubon Center

NC Cincinnati Nature Center

NC Grange Insurance Audubon Center

NR Oak Openings Preserve Metropark

NR Preserves, Kelleys Island

NR Springfield Bog Metro Park

NWR Ottawa

Ohio State Parks

SP Crane Creek State Park

SP East Harbor State Park

SP Headlands Beach

SP Hocking Hills