Acadia is a great location for birdwatching, with more than 270 species of breeding birds on Mount Desert Island and many migrating species passing through on their way north or south along the coast. Raptor Ranger Lora compiled a list of a few of the best spots to find birds in the park, along with some of the birds you might see in each location.

Bring your binoculars and a bird book, sit quietly, and have fun as you look for birds in the park!

Sieur de Monts Spring Area

• Detailed Locations:
• • Parking lot, Wild Gardens of Acadia, Jesup Trail, Hemlock Trail, Stratheden Trail, Great Meadow along Park Loop Road
• Highlighted Birds:
• • Nashville, Tennessee, yellow, chestnut-sided, magnolia, black-throated blue, black-throated green, and black-and-white warblers; American redstart; common yellowthroat; ovenbird; barred owl; mourning dove; ruby-throated hummingbird; downy, hairy, and pileated woodpeckers; eastern wood-pewee; alder and least flycatcher; eastern phoebe; great-crested flycatcher; red-eyed vireo; black-capped chickadee; brown creeper; winter wren; hermit and Swainson’s thrush; gray catbird; cedar waxwing; American goldfinch

Bear Brook and Beaver Dam Pond

• Detailed Locations:
• • Picnic area; the pond and wetland across the street
• Highlighted Birds:
• • Great blue heron; wood duck; American black duck; bald eagle; belted kingfisher; hairy woodpecker; alder and least flycatcher; black-capped chickadee; red-breasted nuthatch; winter wren; golden-crowned kinglet; hermit and wood thrush; gray catbird; cedar waxwing; American redstart; common yellowthroat; song, swamp, and white-throated sparrow; red-winged blackbird; and scarlet tanager

Precipice 

• Detailed Locations:
• • View the cliff for nesting peregrine falcons (mid-April through early August) and for other raptors passing by
  • Wetland across the street
• Highlighted Birds:
• • Nesting peregrine falcons, bald eagle, osprey, red-shouldered hawk, indigo bunting, chestnut-sided warbler, common yellowthroat, red-eyed vireo, hermit thrush, American goldfinch, black-throated green warbler, ovenbird, dark-eyed junco

Otter Point Area

• Detailed Locations:
• • Otter Cliffs and ocean
  • Fabbri Picnic Area
  • Otter Cove overlook from the Fabbri Memorial
  • Woods between Otter Cliffs and Fabbri Picnic Area on Otter Cliff Road
  • Old Soaker (island off of Great Head and Sand Beach)
• Highlighted Birds:
• • Variety of seabirds: common eider, black guillemot, herring gull, laughing gull, ring-billed gull, great black-backed gull, double-crested cormorant, and northern gannet (inclement weather or fog)
  • Hairy woodpecker, blue-headed vireo, common raven, black-capped chickadee, brown creeper, red-breasted nuthatch, golden and ruby-crowned kinglet, northern parula, black-throated green warbler, yellow-rumped warbler, purple finch, pine siskin

Carriage Roads

• Detailed Locations:
• • Grab a bike and binoculars and take a ride. Just about everywhere you go you can find a feeding flock of songbirds.
  • Great starting locations and loops: Eagle Lake, Witch Hole Pond Loop, Aunt Betty Pond, Jordan Pond, and Bubble Pond
• Highlighted Birds:
• • Almost everything can be found along the carriage roads if you are in the right place at the right time.

Seawall Area

• Detailed Locations:
• • The Seawall, on both sides of the road
  • Seawall Picnic Area (remember the cove to the west) 
  • Seawall Campground
  • Hio Road (northern end of the campground; road is closed to vehicles)
    
• Highlighted Birds:
• • Ocean and freshwater birds: common eider, possible king eider, black scoter, surf scoter, white-winged scoter, American black duck, mallard duck, and red-winged black bird
  • Woodland birds: yellow-bellied flycatcher, black-throated green warbler, common yellowthroat, swamp sparrow, and more

Wonderland and Ship Harbor

• Detailed Locations:
• • Both trails
  • Along road and other side of the road for parts of the Big Heath
• Highlighted Birds:
• • Bald eagle, osprey, alder flycatcher, blue-headed vireo, black-capped chickadee, red-breasted nuthatch, golden and ruby-crowned kinglets, winter wren, hermit thrush, Nashville warbler, Tennessee warbler, northern parula, blackburnian, magnolia warbler, black-throated green warbler, yellow-rumped warbler, white-throated sparrow, dark-eyed junco
  • Possible rare or irregular birds: spruce grouse, white-winged and red crossbills, palm warbler, olive-sided flycatcher, blackpoll warbler, boreal chickadee, bay-breasted warbler, Cape May warbler, and black-backed woodpecker

Schoodic Peninsula

• Detailed Locations:
• • Frazer Point and Mosquito Harbor
  • Loop Road (look and listen for birds)
  • Power-line cut path
  • Back roads and trails
• Highlighted Birds:
• • Many ocean, wetland, bog, and boreal species can be found here including boreal chickadee and spruce grouse

Cadillac Mountain

• Detailed Information:
• • Summer: come early to avoid crowds
  • Fall: North Ridge Trail for HawkWatch
• Highlighted Birds:
• • Summer: eastern towhee, common yellowthroat, white-throated sparrow, brown thrasher, golden and ruby-crowned kinglets, bald eagle, turkey vulture, and more
  • HawkWatch: In mid-September on north or northwest wind days, HawkWatch can be very productive with about 10 different species of migrating raptors. Migrants will often be very close and easy to spot.