COLUMBUS, Ohio — The newly unveiled Lake Erie Birding Trail is a series of 84 premier birding locations along 312 miles of Lake Erie shoreline. This trail is the result of a partnership between the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife and The Ohio State University’s Ohio Sea Grant Program.

Jim McCormac, Division of Wildlife avian education specialist, spearheaded the effort. The trail is a directory to the most productive and accessible birding sites in the area, he said. Those sites represent more than 30 federal, state, county and local park districts and management agencies.

The best way to learn more is to visit http://lakeerieohiobirding.info McCormac said. The website has maps, lists of amenities, a checklist of bird species found along the lake, identification tips, an events calendar, visitor information, aerial photos and other resources.

Birders can (ironically) get real-time updates by following @LakeErieBirding on Twitter.

The birding trail has seven loops: Ashtabula, Cleveland area, Huron and Lorain, Sandusky Bay, Lake Erie Islands, Western Lake Erie Marshes and Oak Openings, McCormac said. The sites within each loop are similar in habitat type and landscape.

Smaller sites are embedded under the closest primary site. Many of those are just overlooks that provide a good vista of the lake for watching birds and waterfowl.

“This is by far the most diverse area in Ohio for finding maximum numbers and diversity of birds,” McCormac said. “For instance, there have been 421 species of birds seen in Ohio – the total list. Over 400 of them have been found up there, so nothing compares with that.

“In sheer numbers of birds, there is no other place that compares with Lake Erie. It’s a big migrant trap – a funnel point for lots of birds.”

While the website lists what the best things are to see during each season, there really is never a dull moment up there, he said. He has visited every site on the trail, many of them several times, and has been visiting the area for well over 30 years.

“Any season is good; it is just going to change focus on what type of birds you’re going to be looking at,” he said.

One of the primary reasons for designing the trail was to encourage those thousands of birders who come to the area from all over the world to stay a little longer. The planners thought the trail would be a good way to help people find their way around Ohio.

Many visitors go to Magee Marsh; they’ll find the trail and see there are other places nearby. The partners hope the birding trail will encourage ecotourism visitation to the state.

In 2006 there were an estimated 4.3 wildlife watchers in Ohio. Approximately 120,000 out-of-state birders visited the state in 2006, with Lake Erie being the most popular destination. These groups spent more than $1.2 billion in Ohio in 2006 alone. That money was spent on supplies, lodging, gasoline, travel expenses and food.