Summary of the Pennsylvania Seasons
Pennsylvania is a state with beautiful rolling hills, vast grasslands, old forests and scenic mountain views. It is the perfect backdrop for any birdwatcher. We have four distinct seasons for birdwatching, during which bird species fluctuate from season to season.
The locations highlighted in the interactive trail guide offer special rewards all year long. Pennsylvania is noted for its fall raptor migration, when thousands of birds travel south along the Kittatinny Ridge (also known as Blue Mountain), the mountain chain that traverses across eastern and central Pennsylvania from New Jersey to Maryland. In the forests of the Ridge, flocks of warblers can be seen moving to their wintering grounds. Fall is also the time for the elk rut and the associated bugling. Winter brings concentrations of waterfowl and the occasional visiting species of birds such as Snowy Owl. While our black bear population slumbers (Note: bear can be active year round) visitors might find tracks of fox or coyote in the snow. In spring, visitors may find migrating waterfowl and songbirds. The spring raptor migration is also evident, but less spectacular than autumn. Salamanders and frogs are breeding, and shad begin migrating up the Susquehanna River. Summer finds more than 180 species of birds breeding in the Commonwealth. Late summer is a great time to view migratory shorebirds, such as yellowlegs, plovers, and sandpipers. One might also catch a rare glimpse of otter, beaver or mink. Bald Eagles, Wild Turkeys, and Peregrine Falcons can be observed year-round in Pennsylvania.
More detailed information on the Seasonality of Pennsylvania Birds is provided by Daniel Brauning of the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
Status of Pennsylvania's Bird Populations
Our knowledge of the health and status of PA's bird populations is still incomplete. Bird counts collected by volunteers through the Breeding Bird Surveys (BBS) since 1966 provide at least some information on status and trends. In short, these data indicate that almost all grassland and wetland-dependent bird species are declining in PA. In contrast, the status of forest-dependent species is mixed, with about half declining and the other half stable or increasing. Birds faring the best are the so-called "edge specialists"-species that do best where forest and more open habitats come together. Loss and fragmentation of all habitats in the state is the primary threat to bird species; residential/commercial "sprawl" development and roads are some of the most important factors causing this habitat loss and degradation. A total of 32 species are currently on the state's threatened, endangered and species of special concern lists.
