Birds of Lake Huron

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Brought to you by Michigan State University Extension, Iosco County and Michigan State University Sea Grant Extension, Northeast District.

A Webfoot Page.

This page gives the general information for the bird groups. Each category below leads to its own web page with more pictures and life history information. Over 300 species have been recorded for Tawas State Park and Saginaw Bay. Of these approximately 160 species are known to breed in the area.

This web page on Lake Huron birds specializes in the waterfowl, shorebirds, gulls, terns, geese, raptors, and others likely to be seen on the water, beach, or in the wetlands. As more photos are submitted, this site will grow. Please help fill in the blanks.

A general introduction to Lake Huron Birds

The birds of northern Michigan are made up of residents and migrants, which regularly utilize the waters, shores and inland areas of the Great Lakes. There are many good birding sites all around the lake, with some of the best in Saginaw Bay. Walking the shores or canoeing a wetland will open up a whole new birding world compared to a woods, prairie, farmland or suburban walk.

Birds have been selected that are seen near water; i.e. are there because of standing water, an adjacent shore or wetlands to rest, feed and breed. This amounts to approximately one-third of the total birds for the area. Some of the birds listed here will only be seen during their migration, in limited numbers at few locations.

Ducks: 23 species of ducks inhabit Lake Huron at different times in the year. Males and females have different plumage and can be told apart readily except for the summer molting period when males resemble females for a few months. Saginaw Bay is a nationally famous waterfowl area because of its central location related to the major flyways and the tremendous number of wetlands.

Shorebirds: The shorebirds number 23 species. They include the sandpipers, plovers, dunlins and others. Most are only here during migration. Lake Huron has many islands where shorebirds abound. The sandy, low flats of Saginaw Bay and many miles of sandy beaches make for excellent shorebird habitat.

Gulls &Terns: The Ring-billed Gull shown here is the most numerous of the group in the summer. There are six gulls and four terns common to the area. In the winter the Herring Gull becomes the more numerous local gull and most of the terns have left.

Herons &Egrets: Here we see the lovely Great Egret feeding in a field near the Bay. This irregular summer resident is more common in the south. The Great Blue, the Green, and the Black-crowned Night Heron are the common herons here.

Geese & Swans: The Blue Goose is a variety of the Snow Goose, that can be common during the fall migration. The sexes of geese and swans cannot be told apart in the field. Most mate for life, but will take another mate if the other is lost.

Raptors: The Coopershawk is typical of the raptors that take large prey with their sharp talons and tear the flesh apart with their hooked beaks. Eagles and marsh hawks are the main two likely to be encountered along the shores of Lake Huron, but many others could be seen including owls.

Immatures of all are usually some shade of brown or mottled grey. Flight pattern and size are good clues to identification.

Miscellaneous Species: This group includes many species that cannot be placed in one of the other groups above. It includes such things as coots, grebes, moorhens, blackbirds, sparrows, and others. The immature Common Moorhen shown on the right already has a yellow tip on the bill.

A Webfoot Page by MSU Sea Grant Extension, Northeast District, and MSUE, Iosco Co. Write Walter Hoagman with comments or suggestions. We need photos of other ships, birds, plants, etc. please help.

Additional links to Maritime History, Birds, Plants, Islands, Wetlands, Museums and other Great Lakes Info.

Birds of Lake Huron and the Coastal Zone