Hilton Head Island is a resort community with full-time residents. The island was developed with a concern for nature. The Hilton Head Island Birding Trail is a unique experience around an island with a focus on natural areas. Because it is a resort community there are ample resources for organized tours and boating rentals. The birding trail lists parks and natural areas outside and within the gated communities but open to visitors. In many cases passes to gated communities can be easily arranged for visitors. Please be aware of the rules for each community. To reach Hilton Head Island drive east on Highway 278.
Links: https://www.hiltonheadislandsc.gov/ hiltonheadisland.com hiltonheadisland.org
About: Deeded to and maintained by the Hilton Head Island Audubon Society. Admission is free although donations are welcome. The Audubon Newhall Preserve is a 50-acres and is a place to see and study the vegetation of the island in a convenient, compact area encompassing pine/saw palmetto flatwoods, hardwoods and wetlands including a pond and a pocosin (ground-water wetland). Some endangered and rare plants have been collected and given a favorable environment here. Audubon volunteers maintain trailside labels to identify the numerous plant species found in the Preserve. The aerated pond with pier was restored in 1993. The area around the pond can be a productive birding spot for warblers and other migrants in the spring and fall.
About: The 68-acre historic Honey Horn Plantation property offers events, talks, tours, and education programs specifically designed to plant the seed of discovery and awe, inspiring others to care for a place of rich history and abundant natural resources. The museum property is a combination of saltmarsh, open grassy areas and maritime forest. Centuries-old live oaks, covered in Spanish moss, are located throughout the property. Three boardwalks with stationary spotting scopes overlook the Jarvis Creek saltmarsh with its resident wading birds. There are 2 Osprey platforms, one visible from the parking area and the other from the boardwalk. Bird feeders located in front of the Discovery House offer sightings of the common feeder birds. Numerous live oaks provide a great habitat for migratory warblers, songbirds and other insect-eating birds. Grassy open areas offer the opportunity to see Swallows, Killdeer and American Kestrel. The many birdhouses increase the chances of seeing Eastern Bluebirds and other species. Several gardens in the property also increase the chances of encountering insect-eating birds and the occasional Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
About: Daufuskie Island is a residential sea island between Savannah, Georgia and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. It is home to a resort, a private residential community, and a largely undeveloped tract of residential property.
About: Driessen Beach Park, part of the Town of Hilton Head, has nature trails and a boardwalk through the dunes providing beach access. Given the level of human activity, birds are not always present but during the cooler months, Burke’s Beach is a pleasant location and good birds a possibility.
About: Nestled in Bay Gall, one of Hilton Head Island's historic Gullah neighborhoods, Fish Haul Beach overlooks Port Royal Sound. Park amenities include restrooms and parking. The paths to the ocean are good for birding and the beach offers many shore birds.
About: Hilton Head Plantation is a residential community and admission is based on the destination for nonresidents. There are golf courses and restaurants open to the public and passes are issued to nonresidents for those destinations. Within the gates are Whooping Crane Conservancy, Cypress Conservancy, and Pine Island accessed from the Dolphin Head Recreation Area. Visitors are strongly urged to seek out residents for help with gate admission and touring these natural areas.
About: This 53-acre park includes a large pond, fishing pier, open fields, picnic shelters, playground, restroom facilities, an one-mile walking trail and workout stations. Pathways extend all over the park and around the lake creating a one-mile loop. The lakeside paths extend out into wooded areas. The paved trail is equipped with wooden bridges over marshy areas.
About: Situated between Hilton Head Island and the mainland town of Bluffton, SC, Pinckney Island is easily accessible and receives nearly a quarter of a million visitors a year. Visitors can enjoy wildlife-dependent activites such as hiking, bicycling, and wildlife watching.
About: Port Royal Plantation is a private beachfront residential community without commercial development or short-term rentals. The community encompasses more than 1,000 acres with over 900 homes. Freshwater lagoons, manicured golf courses, saltwater estuaries, the Port Royal Sound, and the Atlantic Ocean are all views found within the community. The community is adjacent to the Westin Resort & Spa.
About: The Sea Pines Forest Preserve is a 605 acre nature preserve in Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island. It's a protected area for wildlife and outdoor activities featuring trails, boardwalks, bridle paths, fresh water lakes, a wildflower meadow, and 4,000-year-old ring of shells made by Indian moundbuilders. The National Audubon Society has recognized the area as an "Important Bird Area.