Birding Guides

articles on finding birds in Iowa

Most of these guides have been published in Iowa Bird Life to help the birder find interesting places to look for birds. The publication date is shown in the table below so some may be a bit dated. Check our hotspot directory as well for the most up-to-date directions and information. Click on a symbol for a link to the article or select from the list below.



To help find areas in a particular part of Iowa, the state is divided into quadrants (NW, SW, NE, SE) with the dividing lines being Interstates 35 and 80. Click on an article to read it.

 
 
Area
Area
 
 
Area: NE (8 records)
 
4
NE
Birding Clayton County
Danny Akers
22
42.863301
-91.25229
2006
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=4" class="bodylink">Birding Clayton County</a>
6
NE
Birding Coralville Reservoir
Chris Edwards
52
41.7879529928842
-91.6633987426758
1999
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=6" class="bodylink">Birding Coralville Reservoir</a>
13
NE
Birding Northeast Iowa on Highway 9
Rita Goranson
100
43.363128950682
-92.4801635742188
2007
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=13" class="bodylink">Birding Northeast Iowa on Highway 9</a>
18
NE
Birding Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area
Jim Durbin
57
42.124710287102
-91.8031311035156
2005
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=18" class="bodylink">Birding Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area</a>
25
NE
Birding the Shellrock River Greenbelt and Preserve
Rita Goranson
17
43.2006711457982
-93.0850982666016
2003
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=25" class="bodylink">Birding the Shellrock River Greenbelt and Preserve</a>
28
NE
Birding Squaw Creek Park
Pete Wickham
57
42.0095094254938
-91.5576553344727
2007
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=28" class="bodylink">Birding Squaw Creek Park</a>
31
NE
Birding the Colo Bogs Wildlife Management Area
Hank Zalatel
85
42.0235383999604
-93.2511806488037
2009
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=31" class="bodylink">Birding the Colo Bogs Wildlife Management Area</a>
33
NE
Birding Area: Green Island Wildlife Management Area, Jackson County
Eric Ollie and Tony Moline
49
42.1495893319119
-90.3219886286577
2020
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=33" class="bodylink">Birding Area: Green Island Wildlife Management Area, Jackson County</a>
Area: NW (7 records)
 
30
NW
Waterman Creek Meets the Little Sioux River
Lee Schoenewe
71
42.9163321543103
-95.3510284423828
2004
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images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=30" class="bodylink">Waterman Creek Meets the Little Sioux River</a>
32
NW
Birding South Twin Lake in Calhoun County
Shane Patterson
13
42.4685514905952
-94.643440246582
2009
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=32" class="bodylink">Birding South Twin Lake in Calhoun County</a>
15
NW
Birding on the Edge: Western Lyon County
Doug Harr
60
43.375972
-96.234647
2004
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=15" class="bodylink">Birding on the Edge: Western Lyon County</a>
17
NW
Birding Owego Wetlands Complex
Jerry Von Ehwegen and Paul Roisen
97
42.277816819535
-96.1329460144043
2006
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=17" class="bodylink">Birding Owego Wetlands Complex</a>
11
NW
Birding Hancock County
Rita Goranson
41
43.100314
-93.734538
2006
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=11" class="bodylink">Birding Hancock County</a>
1
NW
Woodland Birding in the Algona Area
Matt Kenne
55
43.226452
-94.203629
2003
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=1" class="bodylink">Woodland Birding in the Algona Area</a>
2
NW
Birding Brookside Park in Ames
Shane Patterson
85
42.0312689550994
-93.6313462257385
2006
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=2" class="bodylink">Birding Brookside Park in Ames</a>
Area: SE (10 records)
 
5
SE
Birding Cone Marsh
Carol Thompson
58
41.4218124423306
-91.4178371429443
1991
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=5" class="bodylink">Birding Cone Marsh</a>
8
SE
Birding Areas of Des Moines
Bob Cecil
77
41.590796851056
-93.6076354980469
2000
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=8" class="bodylink">Birding Areas of Des Moines</a>
14
SE
Prairie Birding at Indiangrass Hills, Iowa County
Michael C. Dooley
48
41.6511102337142
-92.1560668945313
2000
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=14" class="bodylink">Prairie Birding at Indiangrass Hills, Iowa County</a>
19
SE
Birding Mississippi River Pool 19 in Winter
Michael C. Dooley
56
40.5393733501562
-91.40625
2003
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=19" class="bodylink">Birding Mississippi River Pool 19 in Winter</a>
20
SE
Birding Raccoon River Park in Polk County
John Bissell
77
41.5389079278698
-93.7639331817627
2008
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=20" class="bodylink">Birding Raccoon River Park in Polk County</a>
21
SE
Birding the Red Rock Area
Ann Johnson
63
41.3695947475623
-92.9779815673828
1990
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=21" class="bodylink">Birding the Red Rock Area</a>
23
SE
Birding the Sedan Bottoms in Appanoose County
Tom Johnson
4
40.6566805640442
-92.7252960205078
2000
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=23" class="bodylink">Birding the Sedan Bottoms in Appanoose County</a>
24
SE
Wayne County Short-eared Owl Locations
Aaron Brees
93
40.701593743002
-93.31787109375
2006
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=24" class="bodylink">Wayne County Short-eared Owl Locations</a>
26
SE
Birding Croton Unit, Shimek State Forest
Bob Cecil
56
40.5466784705804
-91.6165351867676
2007
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=26" class="bodylink">Birding Croton Unit, Shimek State Forest</a>
29
SE
Starr’s Cave Park and Preserve: A Little Gem in Southeast Iowa
John Rutenbeck and Chuck Fuller
29
40.8399179659871
-91.1370849609375
2005
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=29" class="bodylink">Starr’s Cave Park and Preserve: A Little Gem in Southeast Iowa</a>
Area: SW (4 records)
 
12
SW
Hitchcock Nature Center Honey Creek
Mark Orsag
78
41.4137668269861
-95.8576011657715
2007
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=12" class="bodylink">Hitchcock Nature Center Honey Creek</a>
10
SW
Hitting the Hot Spots in Fremont County
Ross Silcock
36
40.747164
-95.630845
2003
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=10" class="bodylink">Hitting the Hot Spots in Fremont County</a>
7
SW
Birding Decatur County
Jeff Livingston
27
40.7222826728315
-93.7408447265625
2008
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=7" class="bodylink">Birding Decatur County</a>
3
SW
Chuck-will's-widow and Summer Tanager in Fremont County
Ross Silcock
36
40.7040663432425
-95.678129196167
2008
images/icon2-12.png
images/icon2-12s.png
32, 32    
56, 32    
16, 32    
16, 0    
<br /><br /><a href="SiteGuide.aspx?site=3" class="bodylink">Chuck-will's-widow and Summer Tanager in Fremont County</a>