Much like how the Isle of Palms has a wealth of marine life to see, the island is also renowned for its extensive wildlife—particularly its birding grounds. Read on below to find out more about birding in Isle of Palms!
See the Wild Birds of Isle of Palms Firsthand!
Isle of Palms County Park is an excellent place to start your birding adventure. Primarily a beach park, you’ll find species such as rare Painted Buntings and Yellow-rumped Warblers lodging in the small patches of scrub that characterize the park. Painted Buntings are notable for their vibrant hues of lime green, ruby red, royal blue, and black when they make their way to South Carolina during April and other spring months. Other species that make their home in the park will fluctuate during certain seasons. Winter brings on mass migrations, during which time species such as Lesser Scaup, White-winged Scoter, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Loons, horned Grebes, Bonaparte’s Gull, and Palm Warblers come through. Spring and summer draw the likes of Sandwich and Least Terns and Semipalated Sandpipers. And all year long, birders may encounter Brown Pelican, Snowy Egret, Osprey, Black-bellied Plovers, Sanderlings, Laughing Gulls, Willet, and more. About an hour northwest of Isle of Palms is the Santee Coastal Reserve, where Bachman’s Sparrows and the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker make their homes and species of rails, shorebirds, ducks, and herons can be spotted with ease. Rare species like American Avocet and Yellow, Black, and Ruff Rail are frequently spotted in this reserve. Throughout South Carolina, a spectacular array of bird species makes their home in habitats as diverse as coastal plains and swamplands. The Isle of Palms Connector is home to Osprey nests, and shorebirds can be seen on every beach. Nearby in downtown Charleston, the Charleston Harbor houses species such as shorebirds, gulls, terns, and pelicans. As you embark on a birding expedition around Isle of Palms and the surrounding area, keep an eye out for the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Wood Ducks in marshes and swamps, and the Carolina Wren—the official state bird of South Carolina. Carolina Wrens can be found in areas ranging from urban and suburban locales to swamps and forests, distinguishable for their loud songs and their monogamous pairings.
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Contact our team of reservation specialists to learn more about birding and other fascinating Isle of Palms and Charleston, SC things to do when you reserve your accommodations in one of our glamorous vacation rentals today! Other things to do in Isle of Palms: