Discover the Magic of Magee Marsh: America's Premier Birding Destination!

Magee Marsh in Ohio is known for being one of the top birding destinations during spring migration, specifically, the boardwalk. Here, many colorful warbler and other migrants can be seen at close range. We went to Magee Marsh to see if it lived up to the hype.
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Screech Owl in cover image by Susan Young (Public Domain, edited)
Prothonotary Warbler in cover image by Mike Budd/USFWS (Public Domain, edited)
Blackburnian Warbler in cover image by Isaac Sanchez (CC by 2.0, edited)
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All other photos and videos by Derek and Ryan Sallmann
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[@ESan-yq1tm]

Thank you for the video. I enjoyed it very much.

[@tvalkyrie]

Magee Mash, What a Great Place to go Birding ! Thanks for taking us along. 😊💕

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@barbaracole709]

I have never been to Magee Marsh, but I would love to go. I like the boardwalk feature and there are plenty of beautiful birds. 😊

[@BadgerlandBirding]

It’s definitely a worthwhile place to go in spring!

[@黃日恆-l1n]

Ok honestly this looks like heaven for a Warbler lover like me. Have to go at some point.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

@@黃日恆-l1n the views are so good!

[@kathrynclark9921]

Nice job on Magee and Biggest Week In American Birding I volunteer every year for Black Swamp Bird Observatory for the festival

[@BadgerlandBirding]

@@kathrynclark9921 that’s awesome! Thanks for all your hard work 👏

[@ABirdersParadise]

I think my list of places to visit for birds is so long now, I'll never catch up. 😂

[@BadgerlandBirding]

You’re welcome! :p

[@joseph2535]

The thing about Magee Marsh is how accessible and plentiful the birds are! You almost don't need binoculars or long lenses because the birds practically come right up to you. Time seems to slow down on the boardwalk. You can easily spend a couple hours creeping along and not notice it. Although the people are generally accommodating, I tend to avoid Biggest Week and go just before or after. The crowds thin out but the birds are still there. I'm glad you gave some love to the welcome center in this version of the video. They have some nice displays on the human and natural history of the marsh. My favorite is the "warbler tree" with a score of pairs of warblers. BTW, I really liked your interview with Greg Miller on your podcast! What a great story teller!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Excellent comment! We encountered a fair amount of people who shared the sentiment about going after the festival. Greg is indeed a great storyteller and a birding legend! Glad you enjoyed the interview

[@noelmccluney6597]

I went to this place 4 days ago and I love it I saw a American Woodcock

[@BadgerlandBirding]

@@noelmccluney6597 epic!

[@thecornells7430]

Great video, guys. Looks a fab location. Thanks for all the content, genuinely useful. Morning from the UK. 🇬🇧

[@BadgerlandBirding]

@@thecornells7430 you’re welcome! What are some of the top birding locations in the UK?

[@thecornells7430]

The North Norfolk Coast is great birding. Particularly in may or during spring and Autumn migration. You guys should do a UK trip! Scotland is also brilliant. Great content guys. The number one birding channel 👍👍

[@jimmosley3382]

Magee Marsh is on my Bucket List for sure. Great video as usual.

[@Beryllahawk]

Wow!!! That first warbler was SO vibrant in color, hard to believe you didn't touch up the video. That orange-y patch practically glows!! I've never been to Ohio but I've got a reason to visit now :D

[@BadgerlandBirding]

The Blackburnians are certainly stunning! Definitely check out the biggest week birding festival!

[@Jps3bs]

What an AMAZING place with an AWESOME variety of birds! Loved the Eastern Screech Owl and great variety of warblers. You guys are FANTASTIC 😊

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Thank you so much! We really appreciate the kind words!

[@susanbrown4891]

Thank you for this great video.🕊

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Thank YOU for watching she commenting!

[@NathanWebb-c5h]

That was fun to watch. I've never been to Magee Marsh, but it would be fun to visit.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

You definitely should! You’d be amazed!

[@TracyBirds]

Never been there but it’s on my list! We’re heading to Point Pelee NP in May, and maybe we’ll take a detour after. I love warblers!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

I’ve heard Magee and Point Pelee are very similar

[@chrissocha7457]

Another great spring festival you should attend & film is Tawas point migration days festival in mid May. Similar migration as Magee but with the added benefit of being able to camp within walking distance of the main trail along its namesake point . It is also accessible for day trips or those preferring motels nearby but camping amongst a community of fellow birders & not having to do any daily driving makes the entire weekend / festival a very enjoyable experience

[@markshen3280]

Good morning to you from Hong Kong 🇭🇰 SAR. Would you two rather go bird-watching alone or join the crowd ? As for me, I’d prefer going alone, but I really hate it when passer-by disturbing the peace making lots of noise : chatting noisily, playing loud music on their cell-phones, cyclicals clinging their bells 🔔, parents bring crying babies……etc……

[@BadgerlandBirding]

It’s a great question. A mix of the two is fun. I enjoy sharing experiences with people and with that many eyes a lot of birds get found but sometimes it’s nice to just relax by myself -Ryan

[@markshen3280]

I’d say, “ Two’s a company.” and “Threes a crowd” 😁

[@markshen3280]

Hi, good afternoon to you both from Hong Kong 🇭🇰 SAR. Today for the first time in my life, all these decades in Hong Kong 🇭🇰, it’s the first time for me to see a Black-capped Kingfisher ! This bird, a ‘LIFER’ for me, is widely distributed in tropical Asia from India 🇮🇳 east to China 🇨🇳. Korea 🇰🇷, and Southeast Asia !

[@timjozwiak2293]

Hope you do a video about the migration in Crex Meadows by Grantsburg and Horizon marsh in the fall!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

We will see! It depends if we can find some time and what’s reported there

[@timjozwiak2293]

@@BadgerlandBirding the spectacle of the great number of birds and what makes up this flock is awe inspiring

[@1coolkitty]

I see you have some great shots of the birds. Can I ask what kind of camera equipment you are using? 🐦 😊

[@BadgerlandBirding]

For sure! A lot of the Warblers were shot with the Sony A7iv and their 200-600mm lens and some were shot with the Panasonic LUMIX FZ-80. For example, Sony can be seen at 3:35 and Panasonic at 4:14.

[@guymatson7731]

Just added it to our list for 2025

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Awesome!

[@hollyperry3774]

Do they close that center up for official BWIAB festival participants only those weeks?

[@BadgerlandBirding]

They actually don’t. All of the parks and natural areas are still open to the public at that time

[@DanOhPhotography]

I see you have a mirrorless camera and Sony and nikon neck straps. Which Sony and Nikon cameras do you have?

[@BadgerlandBirding]

I was testing the SONY A7iv with the 200-600 (really enjoyed that combo) and then the Nikon D5300 with a wide angle lens I use for vlogging

[@DanOhPhotography]

@@BadgerlandBirding I have both Sony AI and A1 with 400 prime lens and 200-600 zoom. 200-600 is a terrific versatile lens but it has very good stabilization for video also. I have shot video of birds with 200-600 posted on my KZbin channel. I use 400 prime with 1.4 Telley converter during good lighting situation whereas I use 400 for shooting owls at dusk and Dawn or even when pitchdark. Hope you get a great shot. Keep posting.

[@DanOhPhotography]

BTW we need young people like you pass on the great joy of birding.

[@inspector4133]

Is it worth going in the Fall, or is it just good in the Spring?

[@BadgerlandBirding]

It’s still a great location since it’s right on the lake but there’s way more fanfare and breeding plumage in spring

[@mychinada]

Looks like it's a cloudy day,, why were you wearing sunglass while birding and shooting photos?

[@BadgerlandBirding]

@@mychinada great question 😂 I actually had a terrible allergic reaction the day before and my eye swelled up like I’d gotten beaten up in a fight. It wasn’t completely back to normal the next day, but I wanted to go out anyways - hence the shades when I was on camera

[@chrissocha7457]

Another great spring festival you should attend & film is Tawas point migration days festival in mid May. Similar migration as Magee but with the added benefit of being able to camp within walking distance of the main trail along its namesake point . It is also accessible for day trips or those preferring motels nearby but camping amongst a community of fellow birders & not having to do any daily driving makes the entire weekend / festival a very enjoyable experience