287 documented taxa of class Aves recorded in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania — by iNaturalist research-grade, eBird county records as of 2026-06-18 — with detailed accounts of the most notable, signature, and introduced species.
How this list is sourced. County presence is anchored to
records filtered to Schuylkill County — iNaturalist research-grade
observations (place 1470) and eBird county records.
Observation counts are an effort-biased signal of recording activity as of
2026-06-18, not a census. Biology and identification draw on state
and museum authorities; per-species links go to Wikipedia for cross-reference
only.
Conservation ranks here are relayed from NatureServe / iNaturalist and are not definitive Pennsylvania ranks — confirm against the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program (PNHP) before relying on them.
Detailed accounts
287 of the 287 documented taxa are
profiled in detail below — the most-recorded, signature, introduced, and
notable species. The complete checklist follows.
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis — Anatidae
Native
Description & ID
large goose, brown body, black neck and head with a white "chinstrap." Resident and migratory populations both occur.
Habitat
lakes, ponds, reservoirs, rivers, farm fields, and mowed parkland.
County status
present and abundant; 44 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1] and a year-round eBird presence [S2]. Resident breeder augmented by migrants.
Conservation status
native; secure. (confirm against PNHP)
Notes
has become superabundant as a resident bird on lawns, golf courses, and basins; managed as both game and nuisance species.
Wood duck (Aix sponsa), a drake with a crested iridescent head, white facial stripes, and a red-based bill. Photo: Chuck Homler (FocusOnWildlife.Me) / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Description & ID
ornate cavity-nesting duck; drake iridescent green-crested with bold facial pattern; hen gray-brown with a white eye-teardrop.
Habitat
wooded swamps, beaver ponds, and quiet streams with overhanging cover.
County status
present; 2 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; an uncommon-to-fairly-common breeder [S2].
Conservation status
native; secure; a nest-box conservation success. (confirm against PNHP)
large, heavy duck with bare red facial caruncles; feral birds are variably pied black-and-white.
County status
present; 2 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]. Introduced/feral (domestic stock) [S1]. A hybrid Mallard × Muscovy Duck is also recorded (1 iNaturalist record) [S1].
Conservation status
non-native, domestic; not part of the native fauna. (confirm against PNHP)
small, dark sea goose with a black head, neck, and breast, a small white neck-mark, and a white rear; smaller and dumpier than Canada Goose, with no chinstrap.
Habitat
chiefly coastal; inland birds turn up on open water and fields, usually briefly.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; a rare migrant, mainly in late fall, occasionally appearing on reservoirs or in goose flocks during coastal weather systems.
Conservation status
native; secure. (confirm against PNHP)
Notes
a primarily Atlantic-coast goose; inland records are weather-driven overflights.
long-legged, long-necked duck with a chestnut body, gray face, bright pink-red bill, and a bold white wing-stripe in flight; perches readily and is noisy.
Habitat
ponds, marshes, and flooded fields with cover.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; a vagrant, reflecting this southern species' marked northward range expansion and increasing PA records in recent years.
Conservation status
native; secure and increasing. (confirm against PNHP)
Notes
once exceptional in the Northeast, now a near-annual stray somewhere in PA.
Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), a tom in full strut with a fanned tail and bare blue-and-red head. Photo: Frank Schulenburg / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsWild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), a tom displaying head-on with a symmetric fanned tail. Photo: Paul Danese / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Description & ID
very large, dark, iridescent game bird; males with a bare blue-red head, breast "beard," and fanning tail in display.
Habitat
mature forests with mast (oak/beech), interspersed clearings and farmland.
County status
present and widespread; 16 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; a year-round resident [S2].
Conservation status
native; secure; a managed game species restored statewide in the 20th century [S5]. (confirm against PNHP)
Ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus), showing a small crest and a fanned tail with a dark subterminal band. Photo: GlacierNPS (U.S. National Park Service) / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Description & ID
chunky woodland grouse with a crest, ruffed neck feathers, and a fan tail with a dark subterminal band. Males "drum" with their wings.
Habitat
young, dense second-growth and mixed forest with thick understory.
County status
present; 1 research-grade iNaturalist record [S1]; an uncommon resident, declining regionally [S2].
Conservation status
native; Pennsylvania state bird; populations have fallen sharply due to maturing forests and West Nile virus [S5]. (confirm against PNHP)
Notes
a conservation-priority game bird; benefits from early-successional habitat management.
Ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), an adult cock with a white neck ring and long barred tail. Photo: Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Description & ID
large, long-tailed game bird; cock iridescent with a white neck-ring and red face wattles.
Habitat
farmland, hedgerows, and grassy field edges.
County status
present; 11 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; locally present, partly sustained by stocking [S2][S5]. Introduced from Asia [S1].
Conservation status
non-native; self-sustaining wild populations are limited. (confirm against PNHP)
stocky partridge with bold black flank bars, a black "necklace," and a red bill and legs.
County status
present; 2 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]. Introduced; PA records typically reflect released/stocked birds rather than a wild population [S1].
Conservation status
non-native; not established as a self-sustaining wild bird in PA. (confirm against PNHP)
small, rounded quail with intricate brown, rufous, and white plumage; males with a bold white throat and eyebrow; named for its clear, whistled "bob-WHITE" call.
Habitat
brushy farmland, weedy field edges, and early-successional grassland-shrub mosaics.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; very rare. Pennsylvania's native wild population is considered nearly extirpated, so most county records pertain to released or stocked birds rather than a self-sustaining wild covey.
Conservation status
native; a steeply declining grassland-shrubland game bird and a PA species of conservation concern; wild PA stock effectively gone [S5]. (confirm against PNHP)
Notes
a flagship of declining early-successional habitat across the eastern U.S.
slender, long-necked, long-tailed waterbird with a dagger bill and silver wing-panels; males glossy black; soars on flat wings like a raptor and swims with only the snake-like neck exposed.
Habitat
southern swamps and freshwater wetlands; far north of its normal range here.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; a vagrant. Records reflect rare overshoots of this southeastern species, sometimes among soaring migrants in spring.
Conservation status
native; secure within its southern range. (confirm against PNHP)
Notes
distinguished from cormorants by the pointed bill, long fanned tail, and soaring flight.
Great blue heron (Ardea herodias), a tall blue-gray heron with a yellow dagger bill. Photo: Thomas Wolf (www.foto-tw.de) / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Description & ID
PA's largest heron; tall, blue-gray, with a long neck, dagger bill, and black eyebrow plume. Flies with neck folded.
Habitat
rivers, lakes, marshes, and pond edges; nests colonially in tall trees ("rookeries").
County status
present and common; 20 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; a year-round resident (some withdraw in hard winters) and breeder [S2].
Great egret (Ardea alba), in breeding plumage with long aigrette plumes and a yellow bill. Photo: Frank Schulenburg / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Description & ID
large, all-white heron with a yellow bill and black legs and feet.
Habitat
marshes, pond and lake edges, and slow rivers.
County status
present; 7 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; an uncommon post-breeding visitor and migrant, mainly late summer [S2].
Conservation status
native; secure; recovered after plume-hunting era. (confirm against PNHP)
small, compact white egret with a yellow bill and (in breeding plumage) buff plumes; associates with livestock and fields rather than water.
County status
present; 1 research-grade iNaturalist record [S1]; a rare visitor [S2]. An Old World species that colonized the Americas naturally in the 20th century.
Conservation status
native (self-introduced range expansion); not of concern. (confirm against PNHP)
the smallest North American heron; buff and chestnut with contrasting blackish back and bold buff wing-patches; clambers through reeds rather than wading.
Habitat
dense cattail and emergent marsh with interspersed open water.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; a rare and very local marsh breeder and migrant, exceptionally hard to detect.
Conservation status
native; a PA species of conservation concern tied to large, healthy marshes [S4][S5]. (confirm against PNHP)
medium heron; adults slate-blue with a purplish head and a bicolored bill; immatures all-white (told from egrets by the dull gray-tipped bill and greenish legs), often patchy "calico" while molting.
Habitat
marshes, pond margins, and slow shallow water.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; a rare post-breeding visitor, chiefly late summer.
stocky, gray heron with a black face crossed by bold white cheek-patches and a pale crown; heavier-billed and longer-legged than Black-crowned Night Heron.
Habitat
wooded swamps, wet woods, and pond edges; a crayfish specialist.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; a rare visitor, mainly post-breeding.
Conservation status
native; PA-listed Endangered — among the county's highest-listed wetland birds [S4][S5]. (confirm against PNHP)
Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura), an adult with a bare red head and pale-tipped bill. Photo: Frank Schulenburg / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Description & ID
large, dark soaring bird with a small red (adult) head, silvery flight-feather undersides, and a teetering, dihedral (V-shaped) glide.
Habitat
ubiquitous over ridges, farmland, and roads; roosts communally.
County status
present and abundant; 59 research-grade iNaturalist records — among the most-recorded county birds [S1]; year-round, most numerous in the warm months [S2].
Conservation status
native; secure. (confirm against PNHP)
Notes
finds carrion partly by smell, unusual among birds.
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), in flight carrying a fish, with a dark eye-stripe and white underparts. Photo: Sumeet Moghe / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Description & ID
large fish-eating raptor; white below with a dark eye-stripe, brown above, and crooked wings in flight. Hovers and plunges for fish.
Habitat
lakes, reservoirs, and large rivers with fish; nests on platforms, snags, and structures.
County status
present; 19 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; NatureServe "imperiled" (Pennsylvania) [S1][S9]; a migrant and uncommon nester [S2].
Conservation status
native; a PA conservation success delisted from threatened, though still S-rank "imperiled" as a breeder. (confirm against PNHP)
Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), an adult with a white head and heavy yellow bill. Photo: Martin Falbisoner / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Description & ID
huge raptor; adults unmistakable with a white head and tail and a massive yellow bill; immatures mottled brown and white.
Habitat
rivers, lakes, and reservoirs; nests in large trees near water.
County status
present and increasing; 56 research-grade iNaturalist records — one of the most-recorded raptors [S1]; NatureServe "apparently secure" (Pennsylvania) [S1][S9]; a year-round resident and breeder [S2].
Conservation status
native; recovered dramatically after the DDT era; federally protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. (confirm against PNHP)
Notes
a flagship recovery species; now nests in multiple county watersheds.
Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), showing golden nape hackles and a yellow-based bill. Photo: Quartl / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Description & ID
huge dark eagle with a golden nape; immatures show white wing-patches and a white tail base. Soars on flat or slightly raised wings.
Habitat
migrates along forested ridges; favors remote terrain.
County status
present; 11 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; a regular but uncommon migrant along the ridges, mainly late fall [S2]. The eastern population winters in the central Appalachians.
Conservation status
native; secure continentally but a regional conservation focus; protected federally. (confirm against PNHP)
slim, long-winged, long-tailed hawk with a white rump and an owl-like facial disk; courses low over open ground.
Habitat
marshes, grasslands, reclaimed strip-mine barrens, and large fields.
County status
present; 7 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; PA-listed Threatened (NatureServe S3B,S4N) [S1][S9]; a migrant and uncommon breeder on open lands [S2].
Conservation status
native; Pennsylvania Threatened as a breeder; dependent on large open grassland/wetland habitat. (confirm against PNHP)
Notes
one of the county's higher-priority conservation birds where it breeds on reclaimed anthracite barrens.
Cooper's hawk (Astur cooperii), an adult with a dark cap, red eye, and rufous-barred underparts. Photo: Mykola Swarnyk / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Description & ID
medium accipiter, larger than Sharp-shinned, with a rounded tail tip and a more capped head; adults blue-gray above with rusty barring below.
Habitat
woodlands, suburbs, and edges; hunts birds at feeders.
County status
present and common; 20 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; a year-round resident and migrant [S2].
Conservation status
native; secure; has adapted well to suburban areas. (confirm against PNHP)
large, powerful accipiter; adults gray with a bold white eyebrow and a dark cap; immatures heavily streaked.
Habitat
extensive mature forest; rare and reclusive.
County status
present; 1 research-grade iNaturalist record [S1]; PA-listed Endangered (NatureServe "endangered," Pennsylvania) [S1][S9]; a rare migrant and very rare breeder at the southern edge of its range [S2].
Conservation status
native; Pennsylvania Endangered — the county's highest-listed raptor. (confirm against PNHP)
Notes
a top conservation-priority bird; breeding records warrant PNHP documentation.
Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), a broad-winged buteo showing dark patagial marks and a streaked belly band. Photo: Frank Schulenburg / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Description & ID
PA's most familiar large buteo; broad-winged, with a brick-red tail (adults), a dark belly band, and a pale chest.
Habitat
open country, woodland edges, farmland, and roadsides; hunts from perches.
County status
present and abundant; 61 research-grade iNaturalist records — the most-recorded bird in the county's research-grade set [S1]; a year-round resident, breeder, and migrant [S2].
unmistakable, graceful raptor with crisp black-and-white plumage and a deeply forked black tail; soars and wheels buoyantly, snatching prey on the wing.
Habitat
southern swamps and woodlands; here only as a wandering stray over open country and ridges.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; an exceptional vagrant, reflecting rare spring overshoots of this southeastern kite.
Conservation status
native; secure in its southern range; a notable rarity in PA. (confirm against PNHP)
large buteo with long wings, feathered legs, a dark belly band and dark "wrists," and a white tail base with a dark band; often hovers over open ground.
Habitat
open farmland, grasslands, and reclaimed barrens in winter.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; an uncommon winter visitor from the Arctic, numbers varying year to year, favoring extensive open country.
Conservation status
native; secure. (confirm against PNHP)
Notes
one of the few buteos that habitually hovers while hunting.
American kestrel (Falco sparverius), an adult male with two black facial stripes and a blue-gray wing panel. Photo: Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Description & ID
North America's smallest falcon; rusty back and tail, blue-gray wings (male), and two bold black facial stripes. Hovers over fields.
Habitat
open farmland, meadows, and roadsides; nests in cavities and boxes.
County status
present; 15 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; a year-round resident and breeder, but declining [S2].
Conservation status
native; a regional conservation concern — steep declines tied to loss of grassland/farmland nesting habitat [S5]. (confirm against PNHP)
Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), an adult with a slate-gray hood and thick black malar sideburn. Photo: Sumeet Moghe / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Description & ID
powerful, broad-shouldered falcon with a dark "helmet"; the fastest animal in a stoop.
Habitat
cliffs and (increasingly) bridges and structures; hunts over open areas.
County status
present; 3 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; NatureServe "apparently secure" (United States) [S1][S9]; an uncommon migrant, recovering as a PA breeder [S2].
Conservation status
native; a DDT-era recovery species, removed from the federal list but still PA-monitored. (confirm against PNHP)
chicken-like marsh bird, slate-gray with a brownish back, a white flank-stripe, white undertail, and a bright red frontal shield and yellow-tipped bill.
Habitat
freshwater marshes and pond edges with dense emergent vegetation and open water.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; a rare migrant and very local breeder in suitable marsh, secretive and easily missed.
Conservation status
native; a wetland-dependent species of regional concern as marsh habitat declines. (confirm against PNHP)
small, plump rail with a short yellow bill, gray face and breast, a black face-and-throat patch, and barred flanks; gives a descending whinny and a sharp "ker-wee."
Habitat
freshwater marshes with cattails, sedges, and shallow water.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; an uncommon, secretive migrant and local breeder, far more often heard than seen.
Conservation status
native; a marsh-dependent species of regional conservation concern; the most widespread North American rail. (confirm against PNHP)
the largest North American plover, chunky with a stout black bill; breeding birds have a jet-black face and belly framed in white; nonbreeding birds gray-spangled with black "wingpits" in flight.
Habitat
mudflats, flooded fields, and reclaimed barrens on migration.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; an uncommon migrant, mainly fall, at flooded fields and impoundments.
slim, long-legged sandpiper with a long, slightly drooped bill; feeds with a sewing-machine motion in deeper water; breeding birds rusty-cheeked and barred below.
Habitat
flooded fields, mudflats, and shallow impoundments.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; a rare migrant, mainly fall, at productive wetlands and flooded fields.
chunky, snipe-like shorebird with a very long straight bill probed in a sewing-machine motion; rusty below in breeding plumage; a white wedge up the back in flight.
Habitat
mudflats, flooded fields, and shallow impoundments.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; an uncommon migrant, mainly fall; separated from the rarer Long-billed Dowitcher chiefly by call.
slim, needle-billed shorebird that often swims and spins to stir up food; breeding females boldly patterned (brighter than males, a sex-role reversal).
Habitat
shallow wetlands, flooded fields, and pond margins.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; a rare migrant, mainly in fall, on shallow water.
Conservation status
native; secure; the most terrestrial of the phalaropes. (confirm against PNHP)
small marsh tern; breeding birds with a black head and body and gray wings; nonbreeding birds pale below with a dark ear-patch; buoyant, dipping flight.
Habitat
marshes, reservoirs, and lakes on migration.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; a rare migrant on open water and marsh, mainly late summer and fall.
Conservation status
native; a marsh-nesting tern that has declined sharply; a species of conservation concern. (confirm against PNHP)
small, elegant gull with a striking tricolored upperwing pattern (gray, white, and black triangles), a forked tail, and a black-tipped yellow bill; pelagic.
Habitat
open water; an oceanic migrant only forced inland by weather.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; a vagrant, with inland PA records almost always storm-driven, mainly fall.
Conservation status
native; secure; a high-Arctic breeder and ocean migrant. (confirm against PNHP)
pale, sandy-gray dove, larger and chunkier than Mourning Dove, with a square tail and a thin black half-collar on the hindneck.
Habitat
towns, farmyards, and feeders, often around grain.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; rare and local. Introduced; this Eurasian species spread across North America from Florida and remains scarce and patchy in PA [S2].
Conservation status
non-native; established but uncommon in the region. (confirm against PNHP)
Notes
still scattered and unpredictable at this latitude, unlike its abundance farther south and west.
Eastern screech-owl (Megascops asio), a gray morph with ear tufts and yellow eyes. Photo: Dick Daniels (theworldbirds.org) / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Description & ID
small, ear-tufted owl in red or gray morphs; gives a descending whinny and a soft trill.
Habitat
woodlands, suburbs, orchards, and parks with cavities.
County status
present and common; 28 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; a year-round resident, well-recorded for an owl [S2].
Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus), showing ear tufts, yellow eyes, and a white throat bib. Photo: Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Description & ID
large, powerful owl with prominent ear-tufts, a white throat, and a deep hooting song.
Habitat
forests, woodlots, and farmland; nests early (late winter), often in old hawk nests.
County status
present; 2 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; a widespread year-round resident, under-recorded due to nocturnality [S2].
Conservation status
native; secure; an apex avian predator. (confirm against PNHP)
Barred owl (Strix varia), a round-headed owl with dark eyes and barred upper breast over a streaked belly. Photo: Guywelch2000 / CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Description & ID
large, round-headed owl with dark eyes, vertical belly streaks, and the classic "who-cooks-for-you" call.
Habitat
mature, moist forests and wooded swamps.
County status
present; 3 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; an uncommon year-round resident [S2].
tiny, big-headed owl with a streaked rusty body, white facial "V," and yellow eyes; gives a monotonous tooting song.
Habitat
dense conifers and mixed forest; migrates along ridges.
County status
present; 5 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; a regular but easily-overlooked fall migrant and rare breeder; ridge banding stations detect many [S2].
medium, buffy owl with a pale facial disk, dark eye-patches, and bold dark "wrist" marks; tiny ear-tufts; hunts low over open ground with a buoyant, moth-like flight, often in daylight.
Habitat
large grasslands, marshes, and reclaimed anthracite barrens in winter.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; a rare winter visitor to extensive open country, numbers varying year to year; the county's reclaimed grasslands offer prime habitat.
Conservation status
native; PA-listed Threatened — one of the county's higher-priority open-country birds [S4][S5]. (confirm against PNHP)
Notes
crepuscular hunting over reclaimed barrens makes it a sought-after winter bird.
small hummingbird; adult males bright rufous with a flaming orange-red gorget; females and immatures green-backed with rufous flanks and tail-base — separation from Allen's Hummingbird requires care.
Habitat
gardens and feeders; a western species that strays east in late fall.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; a rare late-fall and early-winter vagrant, typically found at feeders kept up after Ruby-throated Hummingbirds depart.
Conservation status
native (western); the most regular of the western hummingbirds straying to the East. (confirm against PNHP)
Notes
any late-fall hummingbird in PA warrants documentation, as several western species are possible.
Red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus), with an entirely crimson head and large white wing patches. Photo: Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Description & ID
striking woodpecker with an entirely crimson head, black back, and large white wing-patches.
Habitat
open oak woods, savanna, dead-snag groves, and parkland.
County status
present; 7 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; an uncommon and local breeder, declining [S2].
Conservation status
native; a regional conservation concern due to loss of open mast woodland and snags. (confirm against PNHP)
Red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus), a male with a full red crown-to-nape and a barred back. Photo: Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Description & ID
medium woodpecker with a black-and-white barred back, pale face, and a red nape/crown; the namesake belly tinge is subtle.
Habitat
woodlands, suburbs, and feeders.
County status
present and common; 20 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; a year-round resident that has expanded northward [S2].
Northern flicker (Colaptes auratus), the yellow-shafted eastern form with a red nape crescent and spotted underparts. Photo: Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Description & ID
large brown woodpecker that often feeds on the ground (ants); the eastern "Yellow-shafted" form shows yellow wing/tail shafts, a black bib, a red nape crescent, and a white rump in flight.
Habitat
open woodlands, edges, farmland, and suburbs.
County status
present and common; 18 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; a year-round resident and migrant [S2].
a small western Empidonax flycatcher; very rare in the East and identifiable only with care (often by call and structure).
County status
present; 7 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; this count almost certainly reflects a single, well-documented vagrant photographed repeatedly rather than a regular occurrence — a notable county rarity if confirmed [S1][S2].
Conservation status
native (western); secure in its range; an exceptional eastern vagrant. (confirm against PNHP)
Notes
any Empidonax identification at the edge of range warrants scrutiny; this is among the more remarkable iNaturalist county records.
large, big-headed flycatcher with a dark vest enclosing a white breast-stripe and white tufts at the flanks; perches conspicuously on dead snags; sings "quick-three-beers."
Habitat
forest openings, burns, and bogs with tall snags on migration.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; an uncommon migrant, spring and fall, favoring exposed dead-tree perches.
Conservation status
native; a steeply declining boreal-breeding aerial insectivore and a species of conservation concern. (confirm against PNHP)
small vireo with yellow "spectacles," white wing-bars, yellow flanks, and (in adults) a white eye; gives an emphatic, jumbled "chick-per-weeoo-chick" song.
Habitat
dense shrubby thickets, hedgerows, and brushy old fields.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; an uncommon and somewhat local breeder of dense scrub, mainly in the warmer lowlands.
Conservation status
native; secure; a shrubland species expanding in places. (confirm against PNHP)
plain vireo resembling Warbling Vireo but with a yellow-washed throat and breast and a darker eye-line through a pale eyebrow; no wing-bars.
Habitat
deciduous woodland and edges on migration.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; an uncommon migrant, mainly fall, easily overlooked among commoner vireos.
Conservation status
native; secure (boreal breeder). (confirm against PNHP)
Notes
told from Warbling Vireo by yellower underparts and a stronger face pattern; from Red-eyed by smaller size and lack of a bold red eye and black-bordered eyebrow.
Blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata), showing its blue crest, black necklace, and white-spotted blue wings. Photo: Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Description & ID
crested blue, white, and black jay with bold wing-and-tail markings; loud and versatile vocally.
Habitat
woodlands, suburbs, and feeders; a major oak-acorn disperser.
County status
present and abundant; 30 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; a year-round resident with pronounced migratory movements along ridges [S2].
nearly identical to Black-capped Chickadee but smaller, with a crisper bib edge and a faster, four-note song; best separated by voice and range.
Habitat
lower-elevation woodlands and suburbs at the northern edge of its range.
County status
present; 1 research-grade iNaturalist record [S1]; a local resident where the species reaches into the county along its contact zone with Black-capped [S2].
Conservation status
native; secure. (confirm against PNHP)
Notes
identification in the contact zone is genuinely difficult; hybrids occur.
small, warm-brown wren with a bold white eyebrow and black-and-white streaking on the back; cocks its tail; gives a rattling, gurgling song from deep in reeds.
Habitat
cattail and bulrush marshes with standing water.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; an uncommon and local marsh breeder and migrant, restricted to the county's larger emergent wetlands.
Conservation status
native; a wetland-dependent species of regional concern as marsh habitat declines. (confirm against PNHP)
slim, gray thrush with a bold white eye-ring, buff wing-patches, and white outer tail feathers; perches upright and defends winter juniper berry stands.
Habitat
open country with junipers and fruiting trees; a western species.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; a rare winter vagrant, with PA records typically lone birds at fruiting cedars or feeders.
Conservation status
native (western); secure; a notable county rarity. (confirm against PNHP)
the familiar large thrush with a brick-red breast, gray back, and yellow bill; hunts earthworms on lawns.
Habitat
lawns, fields, woodlands, and suburbs; ubiquitous.
County status
present and abundant; 45 research-grade iNaturalist records — among the most-recorded county birds [S1]; a year-round resident (forms large winter fruit-feeding flocks) and breeder [S2].
streaky brown finch; males with a red (sometimes orange/yellow) forehead, throat, and rump.
Habitat
suburbs, towns, and feeders.
County status
present and common; 11 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; a year-round resident [S2]. Native to western North America; the eastern U.S. population (including PA) descends from 1940s pet-trade releases, so it is introduced east of the Rockies.
Conservation status
native species (established eastern population); secure. (confirm against PNHP)
secretive marsh sparrow with an orange-buff face triangle and gray cheek; very rare inland.
County status
present; 1 research-grade iNaturalist record [S1]; NatureServe "vulnerable" (United States) [S1][S9]; a rare migrant in wet, grassy habitat — a notable county record [S2].
Conservation status
native; a marsh-sparrow of conservation concern. (confirm against PNHP)
plump sparrow with a striped crown (white or tan), a crisp white throat, and a yellow lore-spot; whistles "Old-Sam-Peabody."
Habitat
brushy woods, thickets, and feeders.
County status
present and common; 32 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; NatureServe "vulnerable" (Pennsylvania) as a breeder [S1][S9]; an abundant migrant and winter visitor [S2].
Conservation status
native; abundant in winter despite the PA breeding S-rank. (confirm against PNHP)
breeding males boldly black below with a buff nape and white back and rump ("backward tuxedo"); females and fall birds buffy and streaked; males give a bubbling, mechanical song in flight.
Habitat
large hayfields, meadows, and reclaimed grasslands.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; an uncommon and local grassland breeder, dependent on extensive hayfields and reclaimed barrens; a long-distance migrant to South America.
Conservation status
native; a declining grassland species and PA Wildlife Action Plan focal bird; vulnerable to early hay-mowing [S5]. (confirm against PNHP)
Notes
one of the county's signature reclaimed-grassland breeders.
medium blackbird with a pale yellow eye; fall birds rusty-edged; favors wet woods.
Habitat
wooded swamps, flooded woodland, and wet edges on migration.
County status
present; 10 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; NatureServe "apparently secure" (United States) but a steeply declining species; a regular migrant — notably reliable at Union Meadows in late winter/spring [S2].
Conservation status
native; one of the most rapidly declining North American birds — a continental conservation concern. (confirm against PNHP)
sturdy yellow-breasted warbler with white wing-bars and a plain face; a slow musical trill; clings to pine branches.
Habitat
pine and mixed pine-oak woodland.
County status
present; 2 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; NatureServe "vulnerable" (Pennsylvania) [S1][S9]; an uncommon pine-woods breeder and early migrant [S2].
Conservation status
native; tied to mature pine stands. (confirm against PNHP)
gray warbler with a yellow crown and wing-patch and a black-and-white face pattern (black throat and mask in males); buzzy "bee-buzz-buzz" song.
Habitat
shrubby, regenerating clearings, reclaimed barrens, and brushy wetland edges.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; a rare and declining shrubland breeder at the southern edge of its shrinking range, plus a scarce migrant.
Conservation status
native; a PA species of conservation concern and a high-priority continental species; threatened by habitat loss and hybridization with Blue-winged Warbler [S5]. (confirm against PNHP)
Notes
one of the most rapidly declining North American warblers; PA holds globally important populations.
ground-walking warbler much like Louisiana Waterthrush but with a yellowish-tinged eyebrow of even width, finer throat-streaking, and cooler brown upperparts; bobs its tail constantly.
Habitat
wooded swamps, alder thickets, and still-water margins.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; an uncommon migrant, spring and fall, and a rare breeder in still-water wetlands (versus the rushing streams favored by Louisiana Waterthrush).
plump, ground-loving warbler, bright yellow below and olive above, with black "sideburns" framing yellow spectacles; sings a rolling "churry-churry-churry."
Habitat
moist deciduous forest with a dense shrub-and-herb understory.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; an uncommon and local breeder of rich forest understory, mainly in the warmer lowlands and ravines.
Conservation status
native; a forest-understory species of regional conservation interest, sensitive to fragmentation and deer over-browsing. (confirm against PNHP)
small canopy warbler; males sky-blue above and white below with a narrow blue breast-band and white wing-bars; females blue-green above with a pale eyebrow.
Habitat
mature deciduous forest canopy, often on slopes and ridges with large trees.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; a rare and local breeder of extensive mature forest, plus a scarce migrant; easily missed high in the canopy.
Conservation status
native; a PA and continental conservation concern — one of the fastest-declining warblers, tied to large blocks of mature forest [S5]. (confirm against PNHP)
Notes
among the county's highest-priority forest-interior songbirds.
brilliant golden-yellow warbler with a glowing orange-yellow head, blue-gray wings, and a long bill; the only eastern warbler that nests in tree cavities.
Habitat
wooded swamps and flooded bottomland forest with standing water.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; a rare and very local breeder restricted to wooded swamps, plus an occasional migrant.
Conservation status
native; a swamp-forest species of regional conservation concern; uses nest boxes over water. (confirm against PNHP)
the western counterpart of Rose-breasted Grosbeak; males with a black head, orange-cinnamon underparts and collar, and a massive bill; females buffy and streaked.
Habitat
feeders, edges, and open woodland; a western species.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; a rare western vagrant, with PA records typically lone birds at feeders, mainly late fall and winter.
Conservation status
native (western); secure; a notable county rarity. (confirm against PNHP)
Notes
female and immature birds require care to separate from Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
sparrow-like bird recalling a tiny meadowlark; males with a yellow breast, black "V" bib, and rusty shoulder; females plainer with a yellow wash; gives a buzzy "dick-dick-cissel."
Habitat
large grasslands, hayfields, weedy fields, and reclaimed barrens.
County status
eBird-documented [S2]; a rare and erratic grassland breeder and migrant, present in varying numbers year to year at the eastern edge of its core range.
Conservation status
native; a grassland species of regional conservation interest; irruptive and unpredictable in PA. (confirm against PNHP)
stocky sparrow; males with a gray crown, black bib, and chestnut nape; females plain buff-brown.
Habitat
strongly commensal — towns, farms, and buildings.
County status
present and common; 10 research-grade iNaturalist records [S1]; an abundant year-round resident around human structures [S2]. Introduced from Eurasia (1850s) [S1].
Conservation status
non-native and invasive; competes with native cavity nesters (bluebirds, swallows). (confirm against PNHP)
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