Ready to up your bird watching game? Expand your experience with paddle birding, also known as kayak birding. By observing birds from a kayak, canoe, or other small paddle craft, you can combine the quiet, low-impact movement of paddling with the immersive experience of birdwatching. You get the unique opportunity to observe waterfowl, waders, and other birds in their natural aquatic habitats.
Why Try Paddle Birding?
Stealth and Proximity
By their very nature, kayaks allow paddlers to approach quietly and closely. The smooth, low-profile movement of a kayak makes it less likely to startle wildlife. If you practice smooth, precise paddling, you can take advantage of a stealthy approach. In addition, birds often seem less wary of those approaching from the water, allowing you to get closer than on foot.
Unique Perspective
There's nothing quite like being right on the water, surrounded by birds and wildlife. It offers a different vantage point when you are right at water level. You can more easily spot birds as they swim, dive, and feed. In fact, you might discover yourself right in the middle of a feeding frenzy as bait fish school and birds come in to feast.
Access to Remote Areas
The low profile of a kayak, which allows for a stealthy approach, also makes it possible to reach secluded spots that are inaccessible in any other way. Shallow wetlands, marshes, and islands can come into play when you’re in a kayak. These can be birding hotspots that you might not otherwise reach.
Benefits of Kayak Birding
Access to Water-Dependent Species
Birding on the water will, by its very nature, bring you closer to aquatic species. Kayak birders encounter grebes, loons, ducks, herons, cormorants, swans, coots, and many shorebirds, which are more easily seen on the water. It opens up a new world of bird sightings.
Wildlife Encounters
Even more than hiking, paddling can be a quiet affair that allows you to have “close encounters” with all sorts of wildlife, surprising both bird and birder. Birds can surface right near your craft, providing unforgettable experiences.
Respectful of Environmental Impact
Kayak birding has a minimal impact on the environment when done correctly. As you simply float in its natural habitat, wildlife don’t feel as threatened. Especially if you paddle tangentially to your target, rather than head-on, you can approach without disturbing it. Because you appear more a part of the environment, more wildlife may approach as well. As long as you respect the wildlife and its habitat, you will leave very little impact, even as you take away lasting memories.
Tips for Paddle Birding
Equipment
- Stable kayak and paddle. Some paddle birders prefer the option of a single-blade paddle for directing their craft while they take pictures. (Some double-sided paddles can even pop apart to give you options.)
- An anchor may be used to stay stationary while observing, but many birders prefer to float with the environment, using the paddle to make minor adjustments. As your skills grow, you will develop your preference.
- Binoculars and a camera with a zoom lens are important. Keep them in a dry bag or waterproof case to protect against damage.
- A field journal or identification app can greatly enhance your experience. Keep track of all the birds you see and keep a record.
Technique
- Practice paddling smoothly, with as little splash as possible. You want to move slowly and quietly.
- Approach birds obliquely, not directly. Taking a more diagonal approach can allow you to get closer and cause the least disturbance.
- Staying as still as possible and as quiet as possible will attract the wildlife to you. They will often emerge if you blend into the environment. If possible, ensure your camera doesn’t have a loud shutter or click that might startle them.
Safety and Comfort
- Always WEAR a personal flotation device and leave a float plan with someone on shore who knows your intended paddling route.
- Select calm lakes, ponds, or marshes for optimal results. Be flexible if the weather impedes your plans, and avoid taking unnecessary risks. You won’t get the results you are hoping for anyway.
- Pack adequate food and water. Don’t get dehydrated.
- Be sure to protect yourself from the sun - wear sunscreen and layers to shield against both cold and heat.
- Consider finding a class or community of birders near you to enhance your experience. Classes can make you more comfortable on the water and teach you through guided tours. Finding like-minded individuals can also make your outings more enjoyable as you share tips and sightings.
Best Places to Experience Kayak Birding
Kayak birding can be enjoyed wherever there is calm, navigable water - even if you aren’t going for the express purpose of birding, just paddling can result in sightings that can take your breath away.
Destinations that are remarkable for their birdlife include marshes, refuges, lakes, and slow-moving rivers. Locations abound throughout North America, including Elk Island National Park in Canada, the Mississippi River in Minnesota, Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska, the Everglades in Florida, the Point Reyes Peninsula in California, and the Adirondacks in New York, to name a few.
Paddle birding is a delightful hobby that combines the passions of bird watching and kayaking. You can experience the joy of interacting with wildlife in a new and unique way, tailoring your experience to your skills and preferences.