Migratory and Aquatic Birding on the Woodward Avenue

Diamond Jim Boat Tours (MI) [1]

Woodward Avenue runs through the middle of the dense urban area of Detroit. Normally this wouldn’t be the best place to find birds, but just south of the byway, along the Detroit River lies the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. This area sits along a huge migratory corridor to Canada. Hop over to Grosse Ile, the main island for the refuge, to visit refuge headquarters and learn more about where to see the many types of birds.

Seated at the Riverside (MI) [2]

Despite its proximity to the busy urban area surrounding Detroit, the refuge provides quiet, up-close birding opportunities. Forty eight miles of islands, marshes, shoals, coastal wetlands, and riverfront lands, running along the Detroit River and Lake Erie into Canada, provide a safe habitat for 300 species of migratory birds and 29 species of waterfowl. Keep your eye for a variety of animals such as gray fox, opossums, white-tailed deer, coyotes, spotted turtles, and raccoons who also call the refuge home.

Browse the coasts of the Detroit River and hop along the islands to see local waterfowl and migratory birds. Thrill at the sight of hawks and eagles swooping across the sky. See a range of aquatic birds like the Great Blue Heron, Dunlins, Spotted Sandpipers, and Mute Swan, as well as several other types of swans. Sit back and spend a lazy day listening to the songs of Belted Kingfishers, American Woodcocks, and Common Loons in the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, the first International Wildlife Refuge in North America.