The Oxbow

The Oxbow is a great birding location located in Dearborn County in southern Indiana near Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1985, Oxbow Inc. was created by local conservationists in order to purchase the property and protect it from becoming a 700 acre commercial barge shipping center. While this site is ideal for a shipping center since it is located directly on the Ohio River, the site is also an important area for local and migrating wildlife and one of the few undeveloped areas along the Ohio River in this area.

Oxbow Area Map

This site has since become one of the premier birding destinations in the Cincinnati area. While this is a great site to bird year-round, sometimes the river floods the area during the late fall and makes this site an amazing refuge for migratory ducks. Also, in the early fall, hundreds of herons and egrets flock to this site. It is not uncommon to see 50 Great Egrets, 75 Great Blue Herons, 20 Green Herons, and many Black-crowned Night-Herons. River Otters are also sometimes seen in the Oxbow.

This site is always worth a visit when you are in the Cincinnati area and provides many opportunities for both birders and photographers.

Tell us about your experiences at the Oxbow.