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Two American Oystercatchers with black heads, orange beaks, and white underbellies stand on a sandy beach near the waterline.

Cape May Birding & Audubon

Stay Close to Nature in Comfort

Located just steps from the pristine shores, our hotel offers easy access to Cape May's renowned birding locations. The Cape May Bird Observatory's Northwood Center, for instance, hosts regular events such as "Birding Cape May Point," where participants can explore diverse habitats including beaches, dunes, ponds, forests, and marshes. 

Birding Map

The image shows three dark-colored ducks with distinct orange bills floating on a body of water.
Two people are hiking in a forest. One is using binoculars, while the other points at something. Both are wearing backpacks.
A small bird with light feathers is standing on a sandy surface alongside two fluffy chicks, showcasing a nurturing scene.

Birding in Cape May

Birdwatcher's Retreat

Discover Cape May with our birding package! Includes a Bird & Butterfly Map, local hot spot maps, Cape May Birding 101 guide, binoculars, a NJ Birding Field Guide, and a field list of Cape May County birds for your adventure.

Book Birding Package

Fall Birds of Cape May

Fall in Cape May is well known for one of North America’s most impressive migration events, the perfect opportunity for birders to cross off unique species from their bird bucket list. Drawing thousands of raptors, songbirds, seabirds, and shorebirds through the peninsula each day, autumn offers birders exceptional opportunities to observe high diversity, strong migration volume, and species that are harder to spot elsewhere. You can spot some these species from early September until mid-November, with peak season being mid-September until mid-October.

See if you can spot these beauties this fall season:

A shaggy black cormorant perched on a branch, sea in the background, displaying its spiky crest and long beak.

Great Cormorant

Seabird, Fall Season

A black-winged stilts-like shorebird with long legs walks on a shallow reflective wet surface, a slim curved bill pointed forward.

American Avocet

Shorebird, Fall Season

A tall wading bird (likely a bittern) with brown and tan striped plumage, standing upright in shallow water among reeds.

American Bittern

Wading Bird, Fall Season

A sharp-eyed hawk glides low over desert shrubs, talons ready, wings spread wide as it pursues prey.

Coopers Hawk

Raptor, Fall Season

A black duck with a pale blue bill, striking yellow eye, swimming in gray-green water, mottled gray body feathers.

Lesser Scaup

Waterfowl, Fall Season

Two and a half long-necked birds with pale plumage stand side by side on rocks under a bright blue sky, looking ahead with calm beaks.

Northern Gannets

Seabird, Fall Season

A pink roseate spoonbill lands in marshy grass, wings spread wide, long bill pointing forward, pink plumage shimmering in soft light.

Roseate Spoonbill

Wading Bird, Fall Season

    A small, colorful bird with bright yellow and speckled plumage is perched on a lichen-covered branch against a blurred background.

    Upcoming Birding Events

    Cape May's birding calendar is rich with events tailored for both novice and seasoned birders. Notable upcoming events include:

    Birding Cape May Point: Join naturalists for two hours of birding around Cape May Point State Park, exploring its diverse habitats.

    Fall Birding in Cape May: Experience the unique birdlife that stops in Cape May during this special event.

    View Birding Calendar

    Cape May’s Birding Hotspots

    Cape May’s unique location at the southern tip of New Jersey makes it one of the best birding locations in North America. As a vital stopover for migratory birds, the area offers an ever-changing array of species throughout the seasons. Must-visit birding locations include:

    Cape May Point State Park

    A migration hotspot with hawk-watching platforms, dunes, and freshwater ponds.

    The South Cape May Meadows

    A mix of saltwater marsh, coastal dunes, and freshwater wetlands attracting shorebirds and waterfowl.

    Cape May Bird Observatory (CMBO) Northwood Center

    Your go-to hub for guided bird walks, rare bird alerts, and educational programs.

    Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area

    A great spot for warblers, flycatchers, and raptors, especially during fall migration.

      Spring Birds of Cape May

      As birds return north to their breeding grounds in spring, you’ll spot everything from vibrant warblers and orioles to shorebirds and hawks. It’s a great time to catch fresh plumage, active behaviors, and a wide variety of species moving through—perfect for birders looking to build their life list or sharpen their ID skills. You can catch a glimpse of these springtime birds between early February to late June, with peak season occuring in May.

      Here are some notable species you might catch a glimpse of this season:

      A black and white oystercatcher with a red beak standing on sandy beach, one leg raised, calm coastal scene.

      American Oyster Catcher

      Shorebird, Spring Season

      A small, fluffy white and gray shorebird with a black neck ring, orange beak and legs, walking on sandy beach.

      Piping Plover

      Shorebird, Spring Season

      A small shorebird with brown and white plumage stands on a rock at the water’s edge among seaweed and rocks, by the calm shoreline.

      Ruddy Turnstone

      Shorebird, Spring Season

      A small to mid-sized falcon perches on a branch, wings spread mid-flight, brown and white spotted plumage, yellow talons, alert gaze, against a pale sky.

      Merlin Falcon

      Raptor, Spring Season

      A woodpecker with black and white markings and a red crown clings to the side of a tree trunk, pecking or perched along the bark.

      Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker

      Woodpecker, Spring Season

      A small grayish-green songbird perched on a textured branch, facing left, with subtle white wing bars and a slim bill against a blurred green background.

      Acadian Flycatcher

      Songbird, Spring Season

        Year‑Round Regulars: Birds of Both Seasons

        Not sure which season suites your travel needs? There are plenty different species of birds that you can catch migrating in both spring and fall! These birds appear reliably and make multiple passes through the region during both major migration seasons, providing many great photo opportunities and identification practice for birders of any level.

        Here are some birds you can spot year-round:

        A small seabird (likely a common gull or tern) perched on a rock with a white chest and dark wings against a blurry, earthy background.

        Parasitic Jaeger

        Seabird, Fall & Spring Season

        Three black ducks with bright yellow/orange bills swim in a line on calm water, early light reflecting off the ripples.

        Surf Scoter

        Waterfowl, Fall & Spring Seasons

        A bird of prey, likely an osprey, wings spread mid-flight against a clear blue sky. adorably poised to strike.

        Osprey

        Raptor, Fall & Spring Season

        A black-crowned heron standing in shallow water on long yellow legs, with striking white and black plumage and antenna-like crest feathers.

        Black-Crowned Night-Heron

        Wading Bird, Fall & Spring Season

        A red-throated loon calmly swimming on blue water, its white neck and bold red throat patch standing out.

        Red-Throated Loon

        Waterfowl, Fall & Spring Seasons

        A row of graceful white seabirds with orange beaks standing on the wet sand by the shoreline, with gentle waves in the background. Top it at 140 characters, always ending the sentence.

        Royal Tern

        Seabird, Fall & Spring Seasons

        A small bird perched on a thin reed, in a softly blurred grassy field with pastel blue sky, facing right, calm and lone.

        Saltmarsh Sparrow

        Songbird, Fall & Spring Seasons