How to watch: 10 million birds soar across Georgia nightly, but not for long

According to the Atlanta expert, around 10 million birds will fly across the state each night this week. Since they’re migrating, they won’t be staying for much longer than that.

“So most of these small birds, they’re actually... flying at night,” he explained. “So when they’re flying, they’re spending so much energy they’re heating up, so they like to fly when it’s cool at night. And they’re flying a couple thousand feet up. They’re flying all night and then sometime in the morning they’ll land and they’ll spend the day looking for food. And then the next night, they’ll often rise up again and keep flying north, so they’re flying a couple (hundred) miles a night.”

In Georgia, roughly 15% of the state’s population are bird watchers — around 1.65 million. Just last night, according to real-time migration predictor BirdCast, there were 10,635,600 birds in Georgia’s skies. That represents 4% of every bird that’s crossed the state for the entire year — all in a single night.

The best places to bird watch in Georgia right now

The Georgia Audubon, an independent chapter of the National Audubon Society, has been around since 1926, having garnered thousands of members since it’s inception. Throughout that time, the chapter has narrowed down Georgia’s best birding spots.

Brasstown Bald

2941 Hwy. 180 Spur, Hiawassee, GA 30546

As North Georgia’s go-to bird watching hot spot, Brasstown Bald is home to a bevy of species dedicated birders will want to check off their lists.

Expect to see: Ruffed grouse, blue-headed vireo, common raven, winter wren, veery, chestnut-sided warbler, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, Canada warbler, dark-eyed junco, broad-winged hawk, pileated woodpecker, wood thrush, ovenbird, worm-eating warbler, hooded warbler, scarlet tanager and rose-breasted grosbeak

Georgia’s Colonial Coast Birding Trail

Varies by site, but follows the Georgia coastline

Beachgoers will want to try out the Colonial Coast Birding Trail, which is home to a majority of the Peach State’s bird species.

Expect to see: Roughly 75% of all Georgia bird species, over 300 in total.

Kennesaw Mountain

900 Kennesaw Mountain Dr., Kennesaw, GA 30152

The first major Georgia bird watching hot spot acknowledged by the Audubon Society, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is a migrant step over where raptors and Cerulean Warblers are often in high supply.

Expect to see: Warblers, vireos, thrushes and tanagers

Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve

2580 Pine Bluff Dr., Decatur, GA 30033

Want to see more than just birds? The wetlands of Decatur’s Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve are home to beavers, foxes, turtles, snakes, frogs and much more.

Expect to see: warblers, hawks, woodpeckers, flycatchers, sedge wren, marsh wren, hooded merganser, blue-winged teal, ring-necked duck and great-horned owl

For a comprehensive list of birding sites in Georgia, visit birdsgeorgia.org/birding-sites-in-georgia. For a list of nocturnal migrant species expected to fly over the Peach State, visit dashboard.birdcast.info/region/US-GA?night.