Horn Pond Recreation Area
Massachusetts · Northeast
Moderate
April-May, September-October
Free
Open daily, dawn to dusk
About This Location
Horn Pond Recreation Area is a productive birding destination in Massachusetts, with 239 species recorded on eBird. This lake habitat attracts Canada Goose, Mute Swan, and Wood Duck among many others. Spring and fall migration bring waves of warblers and shorebirds through the area.
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
Cliff Swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Northern Parula
Setophaga americana
Acadian Flycatcher
Empidonax virescens
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
Bay-breasted Warbler
Setophaga castanea
Prothonotary Warbler
Protonotaria citrea
Purple Martin
Progne subis
Nashville Warbler
Leiothlypis ruficapilla
Recent Observations
Species reported at this location in the last 14 days
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Mallard
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Ring-billed Gull
American Herring Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Black-crowned Night Heron
Great Blue Heron
Osprey
Red-tailed Hawk
Barred Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Birding Tips
- 1
Scan the water surface methodically for diving ducks, loons, and grebes.
- 2
Check the shoreline and mudflats for shorebirds and wading birds.
- 3
Visit during mid-May for peak warbler migration.
- 4
A spotting scope is essential here — many waterbirds stay far from shore and are difficult to identify with binoculars alone.
- 5
Winter months bring peak waterfowl diversity — visit November through February for the best duck and goose viewing.
Amenities
Nearby Attractions
- Horn Pond Mountain
- Middlesex Fells Reservation
- Winchester Reservoir
More in Massachusetts
Mount Auburn Cemetery
Historic Cambridge cemetery renowned as a spring warbler migrant trap.
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
Massachusetts barrier beach refuge vital for shorebirds and Piping Plovers.
Arnold Arboretum
Harvard's 281-acre living tree museum in Boston with 200+ bird species and outstanding warbler migration.
Massachusetts Birding Guide
Complete guide to birding in Massachusetts →