Arnold Arboretum
Massachusetts · Northeast
Easy
May
Free
Dawn to dusk daily
About This Location
Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is a 281-acre living museum of trees and shrubs in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, and one of New England's best urban birding sites. Over 200 species have been recorded among the arboretum's diverse plantings, which create a patchwork of habitats that attract migrant songbirds in impressive numbers during spring and fall.
The arboretum's varied tree collection, from native oaks and maples to exotic conifers and Asian flowering trees, provides food and shelter for waves of warblers, vireos, thrushes, and flycatchers during peak migration in May. The hemlock hill and conifer collection host wintering owls and finches, while the meadows and shrub borders support sparrows and resident woodpeckers. Peters Hill offers an elevated viewpoint for hawk watching during fall migration.
Location
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Notable Species
Live Bird Data
Powered by eBird / Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Notable Sightings
Rare or unusual species spotted nearby in the last 14 days
Bank Swallow
Riparia riparia
Lincoln's Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii
Little Blue Heron
Egretta caerulea
Acadian Flycatcher
Empidonax virescens
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta canadensis
Cliff Swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Northern Parula
Setophaga americana
Blackburnian Warbler
Setophaga fusca
Louisiana Waterthrush
Parkesia motacilla
Wood Thrush
Hylocichla mustelina
Mourning Warbler
Geothlypis philadelphia
Hooded Warbler
Setophaga citrina
Alder Flycatcher
Empidonax alnorum
Semipalmated Plover
Charadrius semipalmatus
Recent Observations
Species reported at this location in the last 14 days
American Herring Gull
Great Blue Heron
Red-tailed Hawk
House Sparrow
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Blue Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
Gray Catbird
American Robin
Baltimore Oriole
Common Grackle
Northern Yellow Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Chipping Sparrow
Great Egret
Birding Tips
- 1
The hemlock hill and conifer collection are magnets for migrant warblers and wintering owls
- 2
Peters Hill is the best vantage point for fall hawk watching
- 3
Visit on a morning after overnight south winds in May for the best warbler fallouts
Amenities
Nearby Attractions
- Jamaica Pond
- Franklin Park Zoo
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Massachusetts Birding Guide
Complete guide to birding in Massachusetts →