USA · North America
Birds of Indiana
Indiana sits on the Mississippi Flyway, with the Indiana Dunes pulling in lakefront migrants and Goose Pond hosting spectacular waterfowl and Sandhill Crane staging. Modest in species but big on accessibility.
- Documented species
- 420+
- Peak window
- Late April through mid-May; mid-September through mid-October
- Region
- North America
Signature species
These are the birds people specifically come to Indiana to see. Birder AI identifies all of them on photo or sound.
- Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis
State bird; common at every feeder.
- Sandhill CraneAntigone canadensis
Massive staging numbers at Jasper-Pulaski.
- Kirtland's WarblerSetophaga kirtlandii
Migrant; rare but recorded most years.
- Bell's VireoVireo bellii
Reclaimed mine land specialty in southwest Indiana.
- Cerulean WarblerSetophaga cerulea
Breeds in mature deciduous forest.
Top hotspots in Indiana
- 1Eagle Creek Park
Indianapolis's premier migration trap — warblers, vireos, thrushes.
- 2Goose Pond Fish & Wildlife Area
Cranes, ducks, marsh birds, and Henslow's Sparrow.
- 3Indiana Dunes National Park
Lakefront migration; Black-throated Blue, Olive-sided Flycatcher.
- 4Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area
Tens of thousands of Sandhill Cranes in fall.
Common questions
When is peak warbler migration in Indiana?+
April 25 through May 15. The biggest single-day counts at Eagle Creek Park are typically the first week of May, on mornings following a south wind overnight.
Where can I see Sandhill Cranes in Indiana?+
Jasper-Pulaski FWA in fall (peak late October through November) and Goose Pond FWA in late February and early March. Both regularly host tens of thousands of birds.
Take Birder AI to Indiana
Photo and sound ID with regional context built in. Every sighting you log here is tagged to your Indiana list — and contributes anonymous data to better range maps for the species above.