Birding event uncovers why Michigan is a must-visit destination for birders

Greg Bodker has been a birder for two decades. Now, he leads workshops that teach people how to bring more birds to their yard and experience and observe various birds across the state in their natural habitats.

He utilizes photography, video, and his own stories and accounts to inform participants at his hosted events.

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While birding and birdwatching might seem similar in nature, there is a difference between the two. Birdwatching is more casual, with people often viewing birds from a window or while they're out taking a walk. Birding, on the other hand, is a more intense, involving hiking to locations that allows birders to get closer to the bird in order to track the species information.

“Birding is an excuse to be out in nature, so it's not just the birds, it's the birds in context with where they are — all the different habitats that you can see the state of Michigan has,” Bodker said. ”We have all kinds of different habitats to enjoy, and each one of those habitats has its own unique set of birds.”

Bodker stressed that there was no single greatest habitat for birds in the state, and that each has its own positives. Bodker said what really keeps him excited is migration.

“You never know what's going to appear today compared to tomorrow, because things are moving either north in spring or south in the winter,” he said.

Habitats also play a role in what types of birds show up and at what frequency, according to Bodker. He said while most states contain a variety of habitats, Michigan's stand out.

“We have the [Great] Lake shores, and that provides a bunch of opportunities to see birds if there's a storm," Bodker said. "For example, an onshore wind can blow some rare ducks or rare gulls from the center of the lake up to the lakeshore that can be seen."

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Exclusive to Michigan is the Kirtland's warbler, a once-endangered bird only found here.

“The Kirtland's warbler only breeds in Michigan, so people come from all over the world and all over the states to see the Kirtland's warbler that they can't see anywhere else,” Bodker said.

Bodker hosts various birding events throughout Michigan. Within the state, he’s birded in all 83 state counties, and across many parts of North America as well.

For more on birding in the state, watch our live event from 2023.