Birds of Swan Point

Swan Point is a sanctuary for birds and bird-watching enthusiasts alike. Over 150 species of birds have been sighted and recorded at Swan Point. Located along the shores of the Seekonk River, our estate is an especially popular place for bird-watching during the spring migration. For birds heading to northern nesting grounds, the forested grounds of Swan Point are a haven within an otherwise urbanized landscape.

The Seekonk River, the upper estuary linking the Blackstone River and the Narragansett Bay, hosts unique breeding and migratory birds. Here, birds stop to rest and replenish before continuing on their northward journey. We are confident that you would concur that having the opportunity to witness the birds at Swan Point is a privilege.  As stated by the American Birding Association, “Everyone who enjoys birds and birding must always respect wildlife, its environment and the rights of others.”

According to the Codes of Birding and Photography Ethics it is important to:

• Promote the welfare of the birds and their environment.
• Support the protection of important bird habitat.
• Avoid stressing birds or exposing them to danger, exercise restraint and caution during observation.
• Keep well back from nests and nesting colonies, roosts, display areas, and important feeding sites.
• Before letting others know about the presence of a rare bird, evaluate the potential for disturbance to the bird, its surroundings, and other people in the area. Proceed only if access can be controlled, disturbance minimized, and permission has been obtained from the cemetery.  The sites of rare nesting birds should be divulged only to the proper conservation authorities.
• Stay on roads, trails, and paths where they exist; otherwise keep habitat disturbance to a minimum.

In 1981, Swan Point’s Board of Directors commissioned Charles Wood, a noted Rhode Island ornithologist who was especially fond of Swan Point, to write a book, The Birds of Swan Point.In his first-person account, Mr. Wood describes virtually hundreds of species sighted at Swan Point over the years.