A Birdwatcher’s Guide to Savannah

Savannah’s vast expanse of coastal woodlands and marshes provides the perfect scene for hundreds of bird species. Rare birds perch in Savannah every year,  migrating to and from South America and nesting within the wildlife refuges just outside the city. We’ve compiled just a small sampling of some of the most iconic species that can be spotted in Savannah and surrounding areas- happy bird watching!

Wood Stork Mycteria americana

The Wood Stork is a regal, beautiful bird that graces the wetlands and marshes of the South Georgia coast. Using a probing technique to hunt its diet of small fish and crustaceans; this stork can be seen slowly wading through the shallow waters in the wetlands. Standing at a stunning 3 feet tall, this rare creature somehow nests within the branches of small trees above standing water at the edge of the marsh. 

Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus

This proud symbol of American freedom can be found soaring high in the sky above the marsh. This large bird eats fish, though sometimes his meal is achieved by stealing it from smaller birds of prey!

Eagles are surprisingly playful creatures, having been observed tossing sticks to each other in the air, and playing around on the ground with water bottles and shiny objects. Look closely in the skies above Savannah- many sightings of a pair of Bald Eagles have been reported here!

White Ibis Eudocimus albus

The White Ibis certainly earns its name- boasting graceful feathers, all white except for the very tips of their wings. They are social creatures, and they gather in groups on the wetlands and estuaries of the coast. They wade slowly together through the mud, searching for aquatic invertebrates to fill their stomachs. 

Don’t get too close, though! The males are very territorial and protective over their females and their young, only leaving them alone at night when the risk in the surrounding areas is heightened. 

Painted Bunting Passerina ciris

These birds are renowned across the globe for their striking, enigmatic colors. As tropical birds who only come to the South Georgia coast for breeding season; they fit right in within the brightly colored tropics of South America where they spend most of their time. 

They eat seeds that they find in their arborous homelands. They thrive in thick, dense underbrush, and when they bless Georgia with their presence, a careful eye can spot them fluttering about the shrubs on the forest floors near the swamps and marshlands.