Songbirds, shorebirds, loons, grebes, cormorants, alcids, gulls.

At Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge, the coastal habitats are actively protected and managed for migratory birds. Its location within the Atlantic Flyway means the refuge provides an important resting, feeding, and nesting place for many species of songbirds and shorebirds. Off-shore habitats are used by seals, waterfowl, loons, grebes, cormorants, and alcids.

Located just thirty miles north of Boston, Thacher Island NWR is home to herring and great black-backed gulls. Established in 1972, the refuge claims the northern 22 acres of the 52-acre island, located approximately one mile off the coast of Rockport, Massachusetts. Thacher Island also has a rich cultural history, perhaps best symbolized by the twin lighthouses that continue to grace its rocky landscape.

There are several different birding boat tours, whale watches, and pelagic trips that leave from Massachuestts ports. For pelagic trips, familiarize yourself with eBird's pelagic protocol and use the appropriate personal locations or eBird hotspots

The eBird pelagic protocol applies to checklists that are made farther than two miles offshore on oceans, seas, or large lakes. Choose the Pelagic Protocol option from the ‘Other’ menu of Observation Types. Please note that we still have much to learn about seabird distribution, so we encourage you to add photos and notes to document your sightings on your checklists! 

If you’re moving: Count for up to 60 minutes on each checklist; stopping at the 1-hour mark. Record the distance traveled (ideally with eBird Mobile Tracks), adjust the distance estimate for backtracking as you would a traveling checklist, and choose a location on the map for where you started that checklist period. Repeat this process throughout the trip until you return to within two miles of shore.

If you’re anchored: Keep a checklist for as long as you’re anchored, and then follow the above instructions once you start to move again.

The Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge trail guide and map has a description, map, and photo illustrations of stops along the trail at Thacher Island.