Birding

Drumlin Farm hosts a wide variety of birds year-round, and Mass Audubon names three birding hot spots: the top of the drumlin, the edges of the crop fields, and the red pine forests. On Bird Hill you can also see rehabilitated hawks, falcons, owls and vultures up close in their enclosures. Mass Audubon runs owl prowls and bird walks through the year.

Where to Bird

Mass Audubon describes several well-maintained birding spots for beginners and experts:

• The top of the drumlin: open views over fields and woods.
• The crop fields: edge habitat, where field meets hedgerow and woods. The Crops Discovery Trail and the Bobolink Trail Loop, both rated good for birding, follow the fields; the Bobolink loop leads to the Overlook.
• The red pine forests.

Mass Audubon also rates the Drumlin Loop and the Hayfield Loop as good for birding. The Beeline Trail has a platform overlooking a small pond, which Mass Audubon calls a great spot for visiting birds. See the trail map for each trail.

Bird Hill: Raptors Up Close

Bird Hill is one of Drumlin Farm's native wildlife exhibits. Mass Audubon provides a long-term home here for rehabilitated, injured or human-habituated birds that could not survive in the wild. Along the trail you can see most of the raptors that live in Massachusetts: depending on the season, hawks, falcons, owls and vultures. Nearby is a group of ring-necked pheasants, ground-dwelling, chicken-like birds. Bird Hill is on the Farmyard Loop, though its side path is rough. More on the animals.

Bird Programs

Mass Audubon's Drumlin Farm calendar includes family night hikes and owl prowls, adult bird walks (some at nearby Mass Audubon sanctuaries such as Brewster's Woods in Concord), and teen birder trips. Dates change; search Mass Audubon's program calendar for Drumlin Farm and the Birds & Birding activity. See events and programs.

Tools Mass Audubon Offers

• A free Mass Audubon bird checklist to track what you see.
• Mass Audubon's eBird page, run with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, for logging sightings after your visit.
• Loaner hands-free binoculars at the Nature Center, listed among Drumlin Farm's adaptive items.

Good For / Maybe Skip If

Good for: beginner birders, families who want guaranteed owl and hawk views on Bird Hill, a mixed farm-and-woods outing.

Maybe skip if: you want big water birds; Drumlin's ponds are small. Mass Audubon's teen trips go to Great Meadows for marsh birds.