Birds

A Prairie Warbler, spotted in the Brandywine Valley unit of the park, sings its song loud and proud.

Photo: Mark J Pyle.

The park is a great place for birders, photographers, and nature lovers alike. Bird diversity in the northern unit of the park is strong due to the variety of habitats. To date, 105 species of birds have been identified, however there are probably many more species of birds that have not yet been confirmed! Bird species include migratory birds, which fly over the park during their migration and briefly stop to replenish their energy, songbirds, birds of prey, and waterfowl.

The park contains many acres of forests, open grasslands, wet meadows, hay fields, and pasture lands, which provide homes to birds such as the Eastern bluebird and the Song sparrow. In woody and shrubby habitat, year-round residents such as the Tufted titmouse and White-breasted nuthatch can be found nesting in the cavities of trees. Streams in the park provide habitat to waterfowl such as Mallards and Canada goose. Visitors may also be fortunate enough to see a majestic Great blue heron walking slowly through one of the park’s streams or tributaries, as it hunts for fish!

In the fall, you can hear and see many different species during their migration. For example, many different species of warblers can be observed in the canopy of the forest and open fields, as they feed to reenergize for their journey. Migrating birds of prey that visit the Brandywine Valley include the Broad-winged hawk, Northern harrier, Cooper’s hawk and others.