Birding the North Maine Woods
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The North Maine Woods is an experience unlike birding anywhere else. The region west of Baxter State Park and north of Moosehead Lake is comprised of 3,500,000 acres, most privately owned or managed by 25 different companies, some protected by the state of Maine as public reserve lands. North Maine Woods, Inc. (NMW) is a non-profit association of these owners and managers formed in 1972 to oversee multiple use of these properties. Birders who venture into this semi-wilderness are participating in a centuries old tradition of public access on private lands and must recognize this is an industrial forest and respect its rules. The association charges small fees for day and overnight use to fund road and campsite maintenance.

The pleasures awaiting adventurous birders are innumerable. Lakes, ponds, and rivers are undeveloped. Moose, coyotes, and bears roam at will. Populations of the rare Canada Lynx have increased. All of Maine’s boreal bird specialties thrive here. Gray Jays and Black-backed Woodpeckers are most commonly found in open areas where boreal forest is regenerating, while Boreal Chickadees gravitate to the thick spruce stands that surround waters and wetlands or that have been actively replanted. Ruffed Grouse appreciate dense, mixed forest while Spruce Grouse are specialists of spruce/fir. Olive-sided Flycatchers populate areas opened by cutting while Yellow-bellied Flycatchers occupy boggy areas protected from logging. Understanding the habitat types and their characteristic foliage is an important key to birding the North Maine Woods.

There are two distinct sections of the North Maine Woods. The bulk of these lands lie north of Moosehead Lake. Another section between Millinocket and Greenville is managed separately and is called the Jo-Mary/Katahdin Ironworks Area. Each is described separately. These areas are rich in sporting camps, some over a century old. These traditional camps are invariably remote, and range in comfort from rustic to elegant. Many have their own private trails and access to spots hidden away from the rest of the world. Long treasured by hunters and anglers, birders have recently begun to appreciate their total solitude. Many will be described at the end of this guide.