Whitefish Point Bird Observatory

Whitefish Point Bird Observatory sits on the shores of Lake Superior in Chippewa County, Michigan — and despite its name, it studies birds rather than stars, making it one of the more unusual entries in an astronomical observatory listing.

About Whitefish Point Bird Observatory

Whitefish Point Bird Observatory (WPBO) is a non-profit affiliate education and research facility of the Michigan Audubon Society, located adjacent to the Whitefish Point Unit of the Seney National Wildlife Refuge. Rather than telescopes and stargazing, its work centres on tracking the birds that pass through this stretch of the Great Lakes.

Telescopes & research

WPBO documents bird populations of the Great Lakes region through bird banding, data collection and research studies, and is part of the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network. Together with the Michigan Audubon Society, it has recorded over 300 bird species at Whitefish Point, making it a significant site for migration research in North America.

Location & getting there

The observatory sits on the Whitefish Point peninsula in Chippewa County, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the shore of Lake Superior — a narrow spit of land that funnels migrating birds, and, as it happens, offers very dark night skies away from city lights.

Visiting Whitefish Point Bird Observatory

WPBO welcomes visitors interested in its bird monitoring work; check the observatory's official website for current hours and seasonal migration events before planning a trip.

See your named star from here

Whitefish Point Bird Observatory is dedicated to ornithology rather than astronomy, so it has no telescopes for stargazing — but the same remote Lake Superior shoreline that draws migrating birds also means unusually dark, unpolluted night skies once the sun goes down. If you've named a star through Star Register, its coordinates can be found from here using a home telescope or stargazing app. Browse the catalogue or visit our packages to name a star of your own.