Kent, Queen Anne’s, Caroline, Talbot, Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset, and Worcester Counties
The eight counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore (from north to south: Kent, Queen Anne’s, Caroline, Talbot, Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset, Worcester) are on the mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain, separated from the rest of the state by the expansive Chesapeake Bay to the west.
Maryland’s portion ot the Eastern Shore is bounded on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and the state of Delaware to the north. To the south, the southern tip of the Eastern Shore is part of the state of Virginia.
The Eastern Shore is a flat region with much of the land at sea level. The highest point is in Kent County, the northernmost county of the Eastern Shore, and is only 102 feet above sea level. Much of the Eastern Shore is imminently threatened by sea level rise related to climate change, and effects are already being seen on habitat and birdlife.
Water is a dominant feature of the landscape, creating freshwater wetlands and salt marshes, and shaping barrier islands, ocean beaches, and bay complexes. There are also many rivers and streams, almost all slow-moving, with no rapids. Because of the flat land and mild temperatures, the region has excellent farmland, as well as robust livestock and poultry industries.
With its rural nature, the Eastern Shore is a birding mecca. Choose a county below to see a list of birding sites in that county.
According to eBird reports, 425 bird species have been reported in the Eastern Shore Region, compared to 463 species in Maryland as a whole. Among the four regions of the state, the Eastern Shore ranks #1 in the number of species reported.
Choose a county below to see a list of birding sites in that county.
