Things You'll Need:
- Bird watching guide
- A spotting scope or binoculars
- Sunscreen
- Water
- Notebook
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Step 1
Start birding in South Carolina at Huntington Beach State Park for one of the highest concentrations of bird species anywhere on the East Coast. Over 275 bird species have been identified in the 2,500-acre park, including Least Bitterns, Common Gallinules, Long-billed Dowitchers, King Rails, Ospreys, Rough-winged Swallows and Gannets. Huntington Beach has a causeway, paved jetties and excellent beaches which make birding a pleasure.
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Step 2
Enjoy South Carolina birding in the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge and discover a huge protected area of barrier island/salt marsh habitat, extending for 20 miles along the Atlantic Coast. Over 225 species of birds have been identified in this internationally acclaimed Refuge. Cape Romain has the largest nesting rookery for Brown Pelicans, Terns and Gulls on South Carolina's coast.
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Step 3
Find a great birding hot spot at the Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge in north-central South Carolina. The Sandhills has one of the largest remaining populations of the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker. Tens of thousands of migrating ducks and geese winter in the Refuge. The 46,000-acre Refuge has a great number of songbirds, water birds and raptors throughout the year.
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Step 4
Travel to the Audubon Society's Beidler Forest Wildlife Sanctuary. Beidler Forest is the world's largest remaining virgin blackwater cypress-tupelo swamp forest. Between Charleston and Columbia, the Sanctuary's rare habitat provides shelter for a large number of bird species.
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Step 5
Print out guides, maps, checklists and directions. Find up-to-date and detailed information on South Carolina birding, rare bird sightings and information on migratory species (see Resources below).
