Birdwatching is one of the most popular activities at Elk Neck State Park. With a variety of habitats along the peninsula, visitors can see many types of birds throughout the seasons but especially during times of migration. Elk Neck State Park falls within the Atlantic Flyway zone.
Photo Credit: US Fish and Wildlife Service
Maryland Biodiversity Project
Since 2021, Elk Neck State Park has partnered with the Maryland Biodiversity Project (MBP), a non-profit organization that performs nature studies of Maryland’s living things (birds, insects, plants, and others) to promote conservation, science, and education. This MBP community has cataloged more than 20,600 species, including nearly 13,000 species with photographs and features the work of more than 18,000 naturalists and photographers. For more information about the Maryland Biodiversity Project or to see the data collected from the nature studies, visit
https://www.marylandbiodiversity.com.
Common Birds seen at Elk Neck State Park
- Length (L), Wingspan (WS), Habitat (H), Features (F), Seasons (S)
- Numbers viewed taken from 2022 Bird Count Aug-Nov Summary
Ring-billed Gull
(Larus delawarensis)
L: 17"
WS: 48"
H: Beaches, ponds, reservoirs
F: Yellow bill w/black, ring; pale gray above; white; yellow legs
S: All year
# viewed in bird count: 4137
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Photo Credit: Skip Russell |
Double-Crested Cormorant
(Phalacrocorax auritus)
L: 32"
WS: 52"
H: Coastal areas, bays, lakes
F: Large black body, orange to yellow skin on face and throat; hooked bill
S: All year
# viewed in bird count: 4024
|
Photo Credit: Dennis Church |
Snow Geese
(Chen caerulescens)
L: 30"
WS: 54"
H: Shallow marshes and ponds, grain fields
F: White body w/ black wingtips; large pink bill; pink legs
S: Fall - Spring
# viewed in bird count: 104
|
Photo Credit: Mick Thompson |
Tundra Swan
(Cygnus columbianus)
L: 52"
WS: 85"
H: Estuaries, lakes
F: Huge white body; black bill w/ yellow patch near eye
S: Fall - Spring
# viewed in bird count: 1937
|
 Photo Credit: Sergey Yeliseev |
Forster's Tern
(Sterna forsteri)
L: 19"
WS: 31"
H: Marshes, lakes, bays
F: Breeding adult w/ full black cap; orange bill
w/ dark tip; forked tip
S: All year
# viewed in bird count: 2942
|
 Photo Credit: Len Blumin |
Red-winged Blackbird
(Agelaius phoeniceus)
L: 9"
WS: 13"
H: Marshes, ponds, wet fields
F: Male: jet black w/ red or orange shoulder patch w/ yellow edge
S: All year
# viewed in bird count: 14632
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Photo Credit: Ashok Boghani
|
American Goldfinch
(Carduelis tristis)
L: 5"
WS: 9"
H: Shrubby areas, farms, gardens
F: Male: yellow body; dull orange bill; black wings, tail and cap
S: Spring - Fall
# viewed in bird count: 15017
|
Photo Credit: Karin Lewis |
Common Grackle
(Quiscalus quiscula)
L: 12"
WS: 17"
H: Farmlands, parks, wetlands
F: Mostly black; iridescent wings in sunlight; yellow eyes
S: All year
# viewed in bird count: 128181
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Photo Credit: Tim Sackton |
Cedar Waxwing
(Bombycilla cedrorum)
L: 7"
WS: 12"
H: Countryside, suburbs, parks
F:Brown overall; black eyestripe; yellow-tipped tail and red-tipped wings
S: All year
# viewed in bird count: 14685
|
Photo Credit: Diana Robinson |
Eastern Bluebird
(Sialia sialis)
L: 7"
WS: 9"
H: Farmlands, country yards
F: Male: Bright blue head, wings and back, rust colored breast
S: All year
# viewed in bird count: 1201
|
Photo Credit: Miki Jourdan |
Blue Jay
(Cyanocitta cristata)
L: 11"
WS: 16"
H: Woodlands, parks, gardens
F: Blue crest and back; white around the eye; primarily blue wings w/ black bars
S: All year
# viewed in bird count: 18462
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Photo Credit: Phil Romans |
American Robin
(Turdus migratorius)
L: 10"
WS: 14"
H: Fields, woodland edges, lawns
F: Yellow bill; dark gray upperparts; brick red below
S: All year
# viewed in bird count: 25026
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Photo Credit: MD Dept of Natural Resources |
Scarlet Tanager
(Piranga olivacea)
L: 7"
WS: 12"
H: Mature woodlands
F: Male: bright red body; black wings and tail
S: Spring - Fall
# viewed in bird count: 148
|
Photo Credit: Steven Kersting |
Pileated Woodpecker
(Dryocopus pileatus)
L: 17"
WS: 29"
H: Mature woodlands, suburbs
F: Black body and wings; red neck; males w/ red stripe on chin
S: All year
# viewed in bird count: 17
|
Photo Credit: Jerry McFarland
|
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)
(Colaptes auratus)
L: 13"
WS: 19"
H: : Open woodlands, parks, suburbs
F: Yellow under wing and tail; black
spotted underparts; black bill; red blaze on nape
S: All year
# viewed in bird count: 1505
|
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Photo Credit: Mark Moschell |
Bald Eagle
(Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
L: 35"
WS: 85"
H: Bays, lakes, rivers, fields
F: adults: white head, tail; hooked yellow bill; yellow feet
S: All year
# viewed in bird count: 139
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Photo Credit: MD Dept of Natural Resources |
Osprey
(Pandion haliaetus)
L: 24"
WS: 70"
H: Coastlines, bays, rivers
F: White head; dark streak through eye; dark above; white below; underwings boldly patterned
S: Spring - Fall
# viewed in bird count: 86
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Photo Credit: Mick Thompson
|
Turkey Vulture
(Cathartes aura)
L: 27"
WS: 69"
H: Woodland edges, fields
F: Large black body; red, unfeathered head, trailing wing edge silver in flight
S: All year
# viewed in bird count: 1319
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Photo Credit: Mark Moschell |
