The Best States for Birdwatching, Mapped

Birdwatching in your backyard is fun, but going to designated areas for the activity can be even more rewarding. You can easily immerse yourself in the great outdoors with the right equipment. We’ve already shared the best cities for birdwatching; to see which states are best suited for birders, check out this map.

To determine the most attractive spots for birdwatching, data analysts at the outdoor clothing brand KÜHL rated all 50 U.S. states using two main factors: bird presence and diversity, and birding location opportunities. Eight weighted metrics, such as the number national parks known for birding and total species count, were used to measure the two categories. The criteria was scored on a 100-point scale, and each state’s final score was calculated based on the weighted average of all metrics.

America’s Best States For Birdwatching_Map — The crown goes to Texas. | KÜHL

Texas came out as the No.1 destination for desirable birding spots. According to KÜHL, the Lone Star State has the highest overall bird presence, with roughly 1.03 billion birds seen in fall and 1.3 billion in spring. Texas also boasts the second-most birding locations.

California follows close behind, coming in second overall. It has the highest diversity (706 species), including two species that are endemic, or indigenous to the state, and 53 that are threatened. Additionally, the Golden State has the most locations for birdwatching, with 43 wildlife refuges and 16 national parks famous for birding. Californian destinations also dominated this list of the best birdwatching cities in the U.S.

Florida is a common spot for migrating birds to rest, making it a popular place for birdwatching. It’s ideal to visit in the fall since the state sees about 630 million birds during the season, compared to the 200 million that stop by in the spring. Florida also has plenty of designated spaces for birdwatching at 46.

The top 10 best states for birdwatching are as follows: