In 1997, from April 15 to May 31, waterfowl biologists counted 42,260 waterfowl of 64 species. As the birds come to the flyway over Lake Superior, many stop for a time in the Whitefish Point area to feed and rest. Whitefish Point is a migration focal point and home of the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory. Last land going north, first land coming south, it sees everything going by, and that makes it famous for birds and shipwrecks. The visitor center is located across from the Whitefish Point Lighthouse and Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.
Information is available on the paths around the Point and local bird lists are maintained.
Although the natural features of the point bring many birds, the area is especially known for its raptors and water birds. Birders from all over migrate here in the spring and fall, when the hawks, eagles, goshawks, falcons and owls prepare for or recover from their journey across Superior to the great mouse-hunting areas of the North and South. The Observatory offers scheduled programs and extended hours in the spring during migration. The raptor migration is phenomenal in the spring, and excellent water bird flights can be seen both spring and fall. Whitefish Point is also a spring and fall hot-spot for warblers, sparrows, and other songbirds.