Birding Factoids

388 species
in 46 families

19 of the 246 species 
endemic to 
North America are 
represented here. 
No state endemics
No USA endemics
    Pennsylvania
    Hotspots
 Checklist of Pennsylvania BirdsConservation, Ecology and BiodiversityLocal EventsTours and GuidesRare Bird AlertsSpeciality BirdsMap
...
Pennsylvania Specialities
(Pause your cursor on the photo to see the species name. Click on the birds for more info... )
Ruffed Grouse - Pennsylvania State Bird - Photo copyright Bob Lane
Photo copyright Bob Lane

Gray Catbird - highest breeding density - Photo copyright Don DesJardin
Photo copyright Don DesJardin

Chipping Sparrow - Photo copyright Robert McDonald

Photo copyright Robert McDonald
    Key to Icons....Hawk Mountain Sanctuary - The World's First
      and Best-Known Refuge for Birds of Prey
    Key to Icons....Presque Isle State Park - a 3,200 acre sandy peninsula jutting 
      7 miles into Lake Erie. Located next to the City of Erie, the third largest city in Pennsylvania, Presque Isle offers wholesome recreation and educational opportunities for the individual and the family.  The park is reached by PA Route 832 or via boat. The road system within the park forms a loop approximately 14 miles in length.  There are a minimum of 321 species of birds which have been recorded on Presque Isle. Of these, at least 6 are state or federally endangered and 6 are listed as threatened. See also this site.
    ....Important Bird Areas in Pennsylvania - Pennsylvania Audubon presents
      a list and map of the proposed IBAs in PA.
    ....The National Aviary - Pittsburgh. The National Aviary is home to
      over 600 birds of 200 species representing almost every biome in the world. Many of these species are threatened or endangered in the wild. 
    ....Fall Birding in PA  - Fall in Pennsylvania is one of the best times of
      the year for bird watching. As the weather begins to change, hundreds of species take flight south through the state--an important stop along the Atlantic Flyway. Site provides information on:
      .,...Key to Icons..Presque Isle State Park
      • Erie National Wildlife Refuge
      • John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum
      • Cook Forest and Clear Creek State Parks
      • Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
      • Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
    ....A List of good birding areas in the Lehigh Valley, - from the Lehigh
      Valley Audubon Society. Included are the cities of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton, Pennsylvania.
    ....Birding in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania - 
    ....Birding in Allegheny County - by Ted Floyd. Allegheny County 
      offers an exciting variety of high-quality birding sites. In mid-May it is possible to see more than 100 species in a day in the county. Allegheny County's premier birding locations are Imperial and Frick Park. 
    ....Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania - Sanctuaries - 
      Information is provided on the Todd and Beechewood Sanctuaries.
    ....Birding Hotspots in the Luzerne/Wyoming County Area of Northeast
      Pennsylvania. Includes information on: 
      • Council Cup Scenic Overlook
      • Harveys Lake
      • Kirby Park Natural Area
      • Nescopeck State Park
      • Susquehanna Riverlands/Wetlands Nature Area
      • Seven Tubs Nature Area
    ....Local Birding Hotspots - from the State College Bird Club. There 
      are a number of productive birding sites in the State College area (Centre County area). Passerines, waterfowl, and raptors move through the area in good numbers during the spring and fall migrations.
    ....Habitat Guide to Centre Area Birding - by George Young and
      Harry Henderson. You can locate your own birding hotspots using topographic maps of the Centre area and a bit of back-road exploring.  The key to finding new birding sites on your own is an understanding of the relationships between birds, their favorite habitats, and the landscape features that most frequently harbor the appropriate habitat. 
    ....Green Lake Park - The site is fully covered in the book, Birds of 
      the Leihigh Valley and Vicinity. The park is a great place to look for shorebirds in the fall.
    ....National Wildlife Refuge Index - Pennsylvania - US Fish and Wildlife.
      Includes information on:
      • Erie National Wildlife Refuge
      • Tinicum National Wildlife Refuge
    ....The Nature Conservancy of Pennsylvania - preserve profiles
      including:
      • Bristol Marsh, Bucks County
      • Chrome Serpentine Barrens
      • Florence Shelly Preserve
      • Stuart M. Stein Preserve 

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Conservation, Biodiversity

and Environment

...
    ....Proposal to Install an Inflatable Dam in the Susquehanna River in 
      Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania - Comments by the Greater Wyoming Valley Audubon Society. If an inflatable dam is installed in the Susquehanna River in Wilkes-Barre, the impoundment created, and the increased active recreation that the impoundment may support, are likely to have negative impacts on the wildlife within the River corridor. Inundation of islands and
      shorelines would at least severely limit the amount of, and possibly eliminate, foraging areas for wading birds such as great egrets, great blue herons, and black-crowned night herons. Since many of these areas are also used by waterfowl, breeding ducks would suffer from a lack of
      slowly-moving water in which young ducklings can safely forage. Furthermore, since the resident peregrine falcons may prey on waterfowl (A common name of the peregrine is "duck hawk."), reductions in waterfowl numbers could affect the peregrines' food supply. 
...
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Tours and Guides

See DISCLAIMER
>>>>

birdingpal.com...>> A Birding Pal is not a paid guide, but someone who likes to help out of town visitors. You can become a Birding Pal today! Help someone to enjoy your local birding spots and find a pal to help you when you travel. Click here for Pennsylvania Birding Pals, or join to be a Birding Pal!
    **..Cape May and Hawk Mountain with Victor Emanuel Nature Tours
    • (VENT). Cape May, in New Jersey and Hawk Mountain, in Pennsylvania, are two of the United States' most renowned birding areas. Though sharply different, they both attract splendid autumn concentrations of migrant birds, particularly raptors. Our tour will acquaint us with both places, as well as take in some other nearby hot spots. At Cape May, southbound hawks find themselves in a quandary. They have been moving steadily along the coastline, but here the land ends, and they are surrounded by expanses of water on three sides. This causes a sort of avian traffic jam, and birders are its great beneficiaries.
      • VENT offers nearly 140 tours to over 100 land-based destinations each year and is the largest tour company in the world specializing in birding and natural history.

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Local Birding Events

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Rare Bird Alert

         EagleLink Berks County Bird Report Hotline: (610) 376-6000
         Allentown Hotline: (610) 252-3455 
         Wilkes-Barre Hotline: (717) 825-2473 
         Schuylkill County Hotline: (717) 622-6013 
         Philadelphia Birdline (Delaware Valley, Delmarva Peninsula,
      Southern New Jersey) Hotline: 215/567-BIRD (2473) 
         Central Pennsylvania Hotline: (717) 255-1212 
         Eastern Pennsylvania (Lehigh/Northampton Counties) Hotline:
      610/252-3455 
        Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania Hotline: 412/963-0560 
         Check also Pennsylvania RBA Archives

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North American Specialities

in Pennsylvania

Information derived from Sibley & Monroe checklists in Thayer's Birder's Diary - Version 2.5.
These counts will differ in minor ways from counts based on the ABA classification,
but an international checklist system was required to enable world-wide
country to country comparisons.These speciality birds may be uncommon, or extremely rare
at this location, or may only be present in migration. However, documented sightings of each species
noted below have been made in Pennsylvania. Consult the Breeding Bird Survey or
Christmas Bird Count data on the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center website
to determine the "best" place to see each bird. Species printed in blue are endangered.


North American Endemic Specialities in Pennsylvania - No USA Endemics
___ Bachman's Sparrow
___ Bewick's Wren
___ Black-headed Grosbeak
___ Carolina Chickadee
___ Fish Crow
___ Harris's Sparrow
___ House Finch		 ___ Le Conte's Sparrow
___ Mountain Bluebird
___ Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow
___ Pileated Woodpecker
___ Red-bellied Woodpecker
___ Red-shouldered Hawk		 ___ Ruffed Grouse
___ Say's Phoebe
___ Seaside Sparrow
___ Townsend's Solitaire
___ Tufted Titmouse
___ Whooping Crane

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Links checked December 2, 2000