Birding Hotspots

Hilton Head Island offers a range of birdwatching opportunities with nearly 330 species of birds reported by eBird. Hilton Head Audubon owns and maintains the Audubon Newhall Preserve located at 55 Palmetto Bay Road on Hilton Head Island where over 140 species of bird have been recorded (eBird). The Sea Pines Forest Preserve and Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge, part of the larger Savannah Coastal Refuge Complex, are recognized Important Bird Areas by Audubon South Carolina.

Follow migration over Beaufort County, South Carolina in real time: BIRDCAST INTERACTIVE MAPS

For persons who are mobility challenged or have health concerns, please visit our Birdability page for more information on accessible birding spots on or around Hilton Head Island.

Citizen science open portals like ebird and iNaturalist collect bird watching data and are a good place to research local species, recent sightings and seasonal variations. Visit the links below to start exploring local birding watching hot spots!

On Hilton Head Island
Audubon Newhall Preserve
Sea Pines Forest Preserve (fee)
Sea Pines Harbor Town Pier (fee)
Pinckney Island NWR (just before bridge)
Fish Haul Beach Park
Mitchelville Freedom Park
Burkes Beach
Shelter Cove Community Park
Jarvis Creek Park
Mid Island Tract (off Union Cemetery Road)
Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn
Broad Creek Landing (near Old Oyster Factory)

Within an hour drive off Hilton Head Island
Savannah National Wildlife Refuge:
Kingfisher Pond
Laurel Hill Drive
Onslow Island (Wed only)
Solomon Track

Victoria Bluff Heritage Preserve
Altamaha Town Heritage Preserve
Widgeon Point Preserve
Port Royal Cypress Wetlands (SC)
Port Royal Boardwalk (SC)

Regional Birding

Driving within 2-3 hours drive of Hilton Head Island, you will find diverse birding habitats and locations in the Lowcountry.

To the north on highway 17 drive along the coast to experience the ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge, one of the “last great places” on Earth as described by The Nature Conservancy. Other birding hotspots are Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, Bear Island Wildlife Management Area and Hunting Island State Park. Also worth visiting is the Port Royal Cypress Wetlands and Rookery (As a bonus they have a great farmer’s market on Saturday mornings!).

Head south on I95 to visit Georgia’s Harris Neck Wildlife Refuge, the southern most track of the broader Savannah Coastal Refuge Complex.

To west, inland and along the Savannah River is the Webb Wildlife Center where you can reliably see the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker.

For a list of bird species and recent sightings, consult these resources:

ACE Basin NWR (SC)

ACE Basin NWR – Combahee Unit (SC)

Botany Bay WMA Plantation

Caw Caw Interpretive Center (SC)

Donnelley WMA (SC)

Bear Island WMA (SC)

Webb Wildlife Center (SC)

Harris Neck NWR (GA)

Harbor Island (SC) restricted access