Fresh Pond, Cambridge
Massachusetts · Northeast
Moderate
April-May, September-October
Free
Open daily, dawn to dusk
About This Location
Fresh Pond, Cambridge is a productive birding destination in Massachusetts, with 240 species recorded on eBird. This lake habitat attracts Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, and Blue Jay among many others. Spring and fall migration bring waves of warblers and shorebirds through the area.
Location
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Notable Species
Live Bird Data
Powered by eBird / Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Notable Sightings
Rare or unusual species spotted nearby in the last 14 days
Eastern Towhee
Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Accipiter striatus
Brown Thrasher
Toxostoma rufum
Eared Grebe
Podiceps nigricollis
Thick-billed Murre
Uria lomvia
Gray Catbird
Dumetella carolinensis
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus varius
Common Eider (Northern)
Somateria mollissima
Brant (Black)
Branta bernicla
Orange-crowned Warbler
Leiothlypis celata
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)
Junco hyemalis
Common x Barrow's Goldeneye (hybrid)
Bucephala clangula x islandica
Pine Warbler
Setophaga pinus
Barrow's Goldeneye
Bucephala islandica
Recent Observations
Species reported at this location in the last 14 days
Mourning Dove
Downy Woodpecker
Blue Jay
House Sparrow
House Finch
Bald Eagle
Canada Goose
Red-bellied Woodpecker
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
American Goldfinch
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Rock Pigeon
Carolina Wren
European Starling
American Robin
Birding Tips
- 1
Scan the water surface methodically for diving ducks, loons, and grebes.
- 2
Check the shoreline and mudflats for shorebirds and wading birds.
- 3
Visit during mid-May for peak warbler migration.
- 4
This urban green space acts as a migrant trap — birds concentrate here during migration, especially after overnight flights.
- 5
A spotting scope is essential here — many waterbirds stay far from shore and are difficult to identify with binoculars alone.
Amenities
Nearby Attractions
- Mount Auburn Cemetery
- Alewife Reservation
- Lusitania Meadow
More in Massachusetts
Mount Auburn Cemetery
Historic Cambridge cemetery renowned as a spring warbler migrant trap.
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
Massachusetts barrier beach refuge vital for shorebirds and Piping Plovers.
Arnold Arboretum
Harvard's 281-acre living tree museum in Boston with 200+ bird species and outstanding warbler migration.