Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Prince George’s, and St. Mary’s Counties
The Southern Region, part of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, includes five counties – Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Prince George’s, and St. Mary’s – that lie on a large neck of land defined by the Chesapeake Bay to the east and the Potomac River to the west and south.
Another defining feature is the Patuxent River, Maryland’s longest river, which flows from north to south down the middle of the Southern Region. Prince George’s, Charles, and St. Mary’s Counties lie to the west of the Patuxent, while Anne Arundel and Calvert are to the east. Maryland’s portion of the the Western Shore of the Chesapeake Bay includes Anne Arundel, Calvert, and St. Mary’s Counties.
Unlike the Central Region north of it, the Southern Region is similar in topography to the Eastern Shore. This area has been used for farming since colonial times, particularly for growing tobacco, and despite its proximity to Washington, DC and Baltimore, much of the land is still in agricultural use. Many of the historic tobacco plantations are now preserved as public parks or historic sites. Rivers and streams, as well as the Chesapeake Bay, are a dominant feature of the landscape, creating forested wetlands and marshes. Many of the rivers and streams have cut deep ravines into the flat plain; consequently, the topography can be surprisingly hilly, despite being part of the Coastal Plain.
According to eBird reports, 384 bird species have been reported in the Southern Region, compared to 463 species in Maryland as a whole.
Choose a county below to see a list of birding sites in that county.
