Pennsylvania is a birding treasure, where rolling Appalachian ridges, hardwood forests, and river valleys host an abundance of birds through every season. The state is home to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, the world's first refuge for birds of prey, where each autumn thousands of hawks, eagles, and falcons stream past on migration in one of the great wildlife spectacles of the East. Closer to home, brilliant Northern Cardinals, noisy Blue Jays, and tiny Ruby-throated Hummingbirds brighten backyards and gardens across the state. For families, Pennsylvania offers everything from soaring raptors to colorful songbirds.
This guide maps the best spots to find birds in Pennsylvania with kids. Give your young explorer a mission before you go with Nature Explorer Club's Birds of Pennsylvania Activity Book to track every bird your family discovers.
Best Spots for Birding in Pennsylvania
We mapped the best birding locations in Pennsylvania so you can plan your adventure before you go.
- Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Kempton — The world's first refuge for birds of prey, where each fall thousands of migrating hawks, eagles, and falcons stream past the lookouts — one of the great birding spectacles in the East.
- Powder Mill Nature Reserve, Rector — A research and education reserve in the Laurel Highlands with bird banding and forest trails rich in songbirds.
- Ricketts Glen State Park, Benton — A spectacular park of waterfalls and old-growth forest, home to forest songbirds, warblers, and woodpeckers.
- Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square — A world-famous garden whose meadows, woods, and water features draw a wonderful variety of birds amid the flowers.
- John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, Philadelphia — The nation's first urban wildlife refuge, a freshwater tidal marsh alive with herons, waterfowl, and migrating songbirds right near the city.
- French Creek State Park, Elverson — A large forested park with lakes and trails, excellent for woodland birds, waterfowl, and spring migrants.
- Gettysburg National Military Park — Beyond its history, the park's open fields and woodlots host bluebirds, meadowlarks, raptors, and grassland birds.
- Ohiopyle State Park, Ohiopyle — A rugged park in the Laurel Highlands along the Youghiogheny River, with forest birds, warblers, and riverside species.
- Wissahickon Valley Park, Philadelphia — A wooded gorge within the city where families can find woodpeckers, thrushes, and warblers along the creek.
- Yellow Creek State Park, Penn Run — A lake park in western Pennsylvania that's a magnet for migrating waterfowl, loons, and shorebirds.
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Make the Adventure Real The Birds of Pennsylvania Activity Book turns your trip into a hands-on mission for ages 7–12 — with a species tracker, fun facts, drawing pages, games, and puzzles. Shop the Book Get the Full PA Set |
Family Tips for Birding in Pennsylvania
- Visit Hawk Mountain in fall for the raptor migration. From August through December, thousands of hawks, eagles, and falcons pass the lookouts — September and October are peak, and counters help families spot and identify them.
- Walk the boardwalk at John Heinz refuge. The flat marsh trails near Philadelphia put herons, turtles, and waterfowl in easy view — a great first outing.
- Set up a backyard feeder. Cardinals, chickadees, titmice, and goldfinches come readily to feeders, making them perfect for kids to learn their first birds.
- Bring binoculars and the Merlin Bird ID app. Binoculars bring soaring hawks and treetop songbirds into focus, and the free Merlin app names birds from photos and songs in real time.
Frequently Asked Questions: Birds of Pennsylvania with Kids
What is the state bird of Pennsylvania?
The Ruffed Grouse is Pennsylvania's state bird — a plump, chicken-like bird of the forest, famous for the deep "drumming" sound the males make by rapidly beating their wings. It lives in wooded areas across the state and is well camouflaged in brown and gray, often surprising hikers when it bursts from cover.
Where is the best place for birding in Pennsylvania with kids?
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is world-famous for its fall hawk migration and is very family-friendly. For easy wetland birding, the John Heinz refuge in Philadelphia is excellent, and Ricketts Glen and French Creek are wonderful for forest birds.
When is the best time for birding in Pennsylvania?
Fall is spectacular for the hawk migration at Hawk Mountain, peaking in September and October. Spring brings colorful migrating warblers and songbirds, summer brings nesting birds and hummingbirds, and winter fills feeders with cardinals, chickadees, and juncos. There's great birding year-round.
Why do so many hawks fly over Hawk Mountain?
Hawk Mountain sits along a long Appalachian ridge. In fall, rising air currents called updrafts form along the ridge, and migrating hawks, eagles, and falcons ride these currents south to save energy — funneling thousands of raptors past the lookouts. It became the world's first refuge for birds of prey in 1934.
What makes Pennsylvania birding special?
Pennsylvania combines famous raptor migration, rich Appalachian forests, river valleys, and even urban refuges, so families can see soaring eagles, woodland warblers, and colorful backyard birds across the state. Its position on the Atlantic Flyway makes spring and fall migration especially exciting.
Turn Your Pennsylvania Adventure Into a Real Bird Watching Experience
Give your kids a mission before you go. Our Birds of Pennsylvania Activity Book is a nature journal for ages 7 to 12 — with a bird tracker, fun facts about each species, bird category guides, drawing pages, games, and puzzles.
Or get all four Pennsylvania nature books together — the Pennsylvania Nature Explorer Series bundles the Birds, Butterflies, Leaves, and Wildflowers of Pennsylvania activity books.
Also exploring Pennsylvania's nature? Read our family guides to Butterflies of Pennsylvania with Kids, Wildflowers of Pennsylvania with Kids, and Leaves of Pennsylvania with Kids.
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