Birding in Iowa

The top birding locations in Iowa include DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Ada Hayden Heritage Park, Amana - Lily Pond, Bacon Creek Park, Banner Flats Wildlife Management Area, Bays Branch Wildlife Management Area, Big Creek State Park, Big Marsh Wildlife Management Area, Big Wall Lake Wildlife Management Area, Big Woods Lake Recreation Area, Black Hawk Marsh Wildlife Management Area/Blackhawk State Park complex, Broken Kettle Grasslands, Browns Lake/IPS Wildlife Management Area, Brushy Creek State Recreation Area, Cardinal Marsh Wildlife Management Area, Cedar Lake, Cedar River Crossing - North Access, Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt, Cone Marsh Wildlife Management Area, Coralville Lake - dam area, Credit Island Park, Deere Dike Park and Riverside Road, DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Dewey's Pasture Wildlife Management Area - Trumbull Lake, Diamond Lake, Dunbar Slough Wildlife Management Area, Errington Marsh Wildlife Management Area, F.W. Kent Park, Forney Lake Wildlife Management Area, George Wyth State Park, Grammer Grove Wildlife Area, Green Island Wildlife Management Area, Greenbelt Lake, Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area, Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area - Greencastle Avenue causeway, Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area - James. NW, Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area - Swan Lake, Hendrickson Marsh Wildlife Management Area, Hickory Grove Park, Hickory Hill Park, Hickory Hills Park, Hitchcock Nature Center, Jensen Marsh, Lake Ahquabi State Park, Lake Darling State Park, Lake Macbride - North Arm, Lake Manawa, Ledges State Park, Little Storm Lake, Little Wall Lake, Maskunky Marsh, Mines of Spain State Recreation Area, Mississippi River Lock & Dam 14 (Iowa), Nahant Marsh, Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, Oak Grove & Big Sioux Park, Otter Creek Marsh Wildlife Management Area, Owego Wetland Complex, Pine Lake State Park, Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area, Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge, Prairie Lakes Park, Prairie Rose State Park, Princeton Wildlife Management Area, Purple Martin Lake Water Resource Area, Rathbun Lake, Red Rock Reservoir, Red Rock Reservoir - below dam (North and South Tailwater, Ivan's, and Howell Station recreation areas), Red Rock Reservoir - Boxcars area, Red Rock Reservoir - Pinchey Bottoms, Riverton Wildlife Management Area, Rock Creek State Park, Saylorville Reservoir, Saylorville Reservoir - Big Creek spillway area, Saylorville Reservoir - Cherry Glen Recreation Area, Saylorville Reservoir - Jester Park, Saylorville Reservoir - Lincoln Access, Saylorville Reservoir - overflow spillway and Bob Shetler Recreation Area, Saylorville Reservoir - Sandpiper Recreation Area, Sedan Bottoms Wildlife Management Area, Snyder Bend Park, South Twin Lake, Storm Lake, Sugar Bottom WA, Sunken Grove Wildlife Management Area, Swan Lake State Park, Sweet Marsh Wildlife Management Area, Sycamore Bottoms, Tedesco Environmental Learning Corridor, Terra Park, Terry Trueblood RA, Union Grove State Park, Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge, Wanatee Park, Water Works Park, Des Moines, Waterworks Prairie Park, Wickiup Hill Learning Center. Each offers unique habitats and species.

The best seasons for birding in Iowa are Spring and Fall. Spring migration brings diverse species through the area.

Notable species in Iowa include Snow Goose, Bald Eagle, American White Pelican, Wood Duck, Prothonotary Warbler, Mourning Dove, Killdeer, House Sparrow, and more. The state supports wetland, forest, grassland, urban park, lake, river/riparian, coastal habitats.