Bird-watching
See nature's messengers and bird-watch at one of Hilton Head Island's nature preserves.
Protected wetlands make Hilton Head the place to watch shorebirds and inland birds. See Egrets, Sandpipers and Wood Storks. Look above to catch Sea Gulls in flight alongside Pelicans and Osprey Eagles. Hilton Head Island is a bird watcher's haven.
According to the Audubon Society, nearly 200 species of birds flock to the lakes, marshes and shoreline of Hilton Head Island. However, more than 350 species of native American birds have been sighted on the Island over the past ten years. Among the most notable of species are the Snowy Egret, the Large Blue Heron and the Osprey, but bird watchers will also discover the White Ibis with its unique beak that curves downward. In addition, smaller Cattle Egrets that first arrived on Hilton Head Island in 1954 from their South American habitat may be observed following Island cows, horses and tractors.
To learn more about the birds of Hilton Head Island, visitors are encouraged to take a bird-watching tour at the Audubon-Newhall Preserve. Please contact the preserve for additional information at 843-671-4721.
