Cover photo by Rick Nirschl
Nature
Jim McCormac
May 17, 2026
Thousands of others – this writer included − will soon make an appearance. And now we have a comprehensive, newly released guide to the region, "Birds of the Toledo Area."
Up to100,000 birders visit this region annually, but spring sees the biggest human migration. An estimated 80,000 people travel here from all over Ohio, scores of other states and even from overseas. All these birdwatchers dump about $40 million annually into the local economy during spring alone.
Why is this region so attractive to birds, and birders? Three primary reasons:
- The western basin of Lake Erie (the most biologically rich of the five Great Lakes) is fringed with large marshes that are great bird attractants. Fortunately, many of these wetlands have been conserved by various state and federal agencies. The most famous of these coastal marshes among the birding crowd is Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, which is owned by the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
- Lake Erie itself serves as a major speed bump to migrant birds. Some species have traveled from as far south as Argentina, on their way to boreal or even Arctic nesting locales. Even though it’s a paltry 25 miles or so across the water to Canada from Magee (many migrants have already flown 500-plus miles across the Gulf of America, formerly known as Gulf of Mexico), the birds don’t know that and see a wall of water. They stop along shoreline habitats to rest and refuel before venturing across the lake. On prime days, spectacular numbers congregate in lakeside haunts such as Magee, Maumee Bay State Park, Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area, and Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge.
- A third major factor in the region’s rich avifauna is the Oak Openings. Located primarily in western Lucas County, the Oak Openings covers about 1,300 square miles and is characterized by sand: the old dunes and beach ridges left from a time when Lake Erie was larger. Several regional specialties such as lark sparrow breed here. Irwin Prairie State Nature Preserve is this author’s favorite Oak Openings site, and it, along with all the other must-see Oak Openings sites, is detailed in the book.
About 454 bird species have been recorded in Ohio, and 381 (84%) of them have been recorded in the western Lake Erie region, including numerous rarities. Perhaps the oddest among them is Ohio’s only record of Atlantic puffin. One never knows what might turn up, but rarities aside, the sheer numbers of warblers, waterfowl, shorebirds, and others can be mind-blowing.
In 1968, legendary naturalist and Toledo Blade writer Louis W. Campbell’s book, "Birds of the Toledo Area," appeared. It served as the birder’s first guide to this amazing region. In 2002, Toledoan and expert birder Matt Anderson spearheaded an update of Campbell’s informative publication, which was packed with much new information.
Twenty-four years later, a new edition of "Birds of the Toledo Area" is hot off the press and it is a publication that all birders visiting this area should have. For that matter, anyone interested in Ohio’s bird life should have a copy.
Anderson is editor, and he had help from a fine cast of northwest Ohio birding luminaries. Co-editors are Tom Kemp, Greg Links, Elliot Tramer, and Steve Lauer. Matt Kemp and Robert Harlan provided editorial oversight. Layout and design were handled by Abby Anderson.
This 326-page book is a gem and includes nestfuls of new information. The overall look and layout are superb and especially striking are the hundreds of color photographs. The team enlisted some of the state’s best bird photographers, including such well-known shooters as Jamie Cunningham, Paul Jacyk, Rick Nirschl, and the legendary Brian Zwiebel. The photos alone are worth the price of admission.
The introductory material offers a good overview of the region that it covers, which is Lucas County (Toledo is the county seat) and parts of five other adjacent and nearby counties. A small portion of southeastern Michigan is also included. There are interesting sections on the region’s history, recent changes in bird abundance, habitat alterations wrought by man, and much more. In the back of the book is a comprehensive checklist of birds of the region.
Also quite useful is a map depicting the locations of 42 of the best birding locations in the Toledo area. This precedes accounts of each hotspot, and many include a photo of the site. The sites are split into five regions, and introductory text for each offers a good general description of the region. Each site account offers a comprehensive overview of the location, along with notable bird species that might be found, including rarities.
Other natural history information is often included, such as the teeming amphibian life at Irwin Prairie.
Making up the meat of "Birds of the Toledo Area" is the species accounts. Each includes a summation of the species’ status and habitat, and many include an excellent photo of the account’s protagonist. The authors even managed to drum up an image of the Atlantic puffin from 1980. That account’s text imparts a bizarre story, which I will not spoil for book-buyers, but imagine walking out the front door and finding a live puffin in your driveway!
"Birds of the Toledo Area" is a must-have for those interested in the feathered crowd, especially those who routinely visit northwest Ohio. I highly recommend it.
Get a copy at Amazon, RIGHT HERE.
Naturalist Jim McCormac writes a column for The Dispatch on the first and third Sundays of the month. He also writes about nature at jimmccormac.blogspot.com.
Naturalist Jim McCormac writes a column for The Dispatch on the first and third Sundays of the month. He also writes about nature at jimmccormac.blogspot.com.
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