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Native Gardens and Birding

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PEEC Gardens — With a grant from Constellation Energy, PEEC is in the process of updating our gardens and transitioning the front flower beds into native gardens.  

        


PEEC Bird List — A comprehensive list of different birds you may see in and around PEEC and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

  

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Bird Checklist

The following checklist is designed to serve as an aid in keeping a tally of different avian species observed within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (DWGNRA). The DWGNRA and the Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC) encourage you to observe the birds. The Recreation Area offers many options for birding and we hope that you will take part and enjoy what is out there. Located within the Kittatinny Mountains, this area is home to numerous migrants, from our majestic Bald Eagles to the tiny Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

Spring is a pleasant time to enjoy the massive northern migration of songbirds, with the potential of seeing 20+ species of warbler. Summer is alive with many neo-tropical migrants establishing nests and displaying vibrant colors, from the passionate red of a Scarlet Tanager to the captivating blue of the Indigo Bunting. Fall migration kicks off in August with thousands of migrating raptors flying south for the winter. Winter may be harsh, but the area provides a great chance to see some winter finches which during some years, will only migrate as far south as Northern Pennsylvania.

Birding seasons are broken down into:

Spring Summer Fall Winter
March-May June-July August-October November-February

The following letters found on the list refer to the likelihood of finding the species in its correct habitat during that season. For information on proper habitat, consult a field guide.

C Common You should see this species
U Uncommon You might see this species
R Rare You will seldom see this species

For some productive birding spots, visit the following locations within the park:

  • Freeman Tract Road
  • Raymondskill’s Falls
  • Zimmerman’s Farm
  • Eshback’s Landing
  • Pocono Environmental Education Center
  • Milford Beach
  • Park Service Headquarters
  • Smithfield Beach

* – Denotes a known breeder in the DWGNRA within the previous five years of 2008

Blank species indicate insufficient data.

Bird Name Spring Summer Fall Winter
WATERFOWL
Common Loon C R C U
Red-necked Grebe R   R  
Horned Grebe R   R  
Pied-billed Grebe C U C U
Double-crested Cormorant R   R  
Great Blue Heron* C C C U
Green Heron* C C C  
Great Egret R U R  
Snowy Egret R U R  
Black-crowned Night Heron U U U  
Least Bittern R R R  
American Bittern R   R  
Tundra Swan R   R  
Mute Swan* U U U U
Snow Goose U   U  
Brant R   R  
Canada Goose* C C C C
Wood Duck* U U U R
Green-winged Teal U   U  
Blue-winged Teal U   U  
American Black Duck* C U U U
Mallard* C C C C
Northern Pintail U   U  
American Widgeon U   U  
Gadwall R      
Canvasback R   R  
Redhead R   R  
Ring-necked Duck C   U  
Greater Scaup R   R  
Lesser Scaup R   R  
Long-tailed Duck R   R  
Common Goldeneye U   U C
Bufflehead U   U R
Ruddy Duck R   R  
Hooded Merganser U   U R
Common Merganser* C U C C
HAWKS
Black Vulture U U U  
Turkey Vulture* C C C R
Osprey U R U  
Bald Eagle* C C C C
Golden Eagle R   R  
Northern Harrier U R U  
Sharp-shinned Hawk* U R C U
Cooper’s Hawk* U U C U
Northern Goshawk R R U R
Red-shouldered Hawk* U U C U
Broad-winged Hawk* U C C  
Red-tailed Hawk* C C C C
Rough-legged Hawk U   U U
American Kestrel* C C C C
Merlin R R R  
Peregrine Falcon R R R  
UPLAND
Ruffed Grouse* C C C C
Ring-necked Pheasant (stocked) U U U U
Bobwhite (stocked) U U U U
Wild Turkey* C C C C
Virginia Rail R R R  
Sora R R R  
Common Moorhen R R R  
American Coot U   U R
SHOREBIRDS
Semipalmated Plover R   R  
Killdeer* C C C U
Greater Yellowlegs U   U  
Lesser Yellowlegs U   U  
Solitary Sandpiper U   U  
Spotted Sandpiper* C C C  
Least Sandpiper U   U  
Pectoral Sandpiper U   U  
Wilson’s Snipe C   C  
American Woodcock* C C C R
GULLS
Herring Gull C U C U
Ring-billed Gull C U C R
Bonaparte’s Gull R   R  
Greater Black-backed Gull U   U  
Mourning Dove* C C C C
Rock Pigeon C C C C
Yellow-billed Cuckoo* C C C  
Black-billed Cuckoo* C C C  
OWLS
Barn Owl R R R R
Eastern Screech Owl* C C C C
Great-horned Owl* C C C C
Barred Owl* C C C C
Long-eared Owl U   U R
Short-eared Owl R   R  
Northern Saw-whet Owl U   U  
Common Nighthawk   U    
Whip-poor-will   R    
Chimney Swift*   C    
Ruby-throated Hummingbird*   C U  
Belted Kingfisher* C C C U
WOODPECKERS
Northern Flicker* C C C C
Red-headed Woodpecker* R R R R
Red-bellied Woodpecker* U U U U
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker U R U U
Downy Woodpecker* C C C C
Hairy Woodpecker* C C C C
Pileated Woodpecker* U U U U
FLYCATCHERS
Olive-sided Flycatcher R   R  
Eastern Wood Peewee* C C C  
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher R   R  
Acadian Flycatcher*   U    
Alder Flycatcher R R    
Willow Flycatcher*   U    
Least Flycatcher* U U U  
Eastern Phoebe* C C C  
Great Crested Flycatcher* C C C  
Eastern Kingbird* C C C  
Horned Lark U   R U
SWALLOWS
Tree Swallow* C C C  
Northern Rough-winged Swallow* C C U  
Bank Swallow* C C U  
Barn Swallow* C C U  
Cliff Swallow* U U U  
Purple Martin U U U  
Blue Jay* C C C C
Common Raven R R R R
American Crow* C C C C
Fish Crow* C C C C
Black-capped Chickadee* C C C C
Boreal Chickadee       R
Tufted Titmouse* C C C C
White-breasted Nuthatch* C C C C
Red-breasted Nuthatch* U U U U
Brown Creeper* C U C U
House Wren* C C C  
Carolina Wren* U U U U
Marsh Wren R R R  
Golden-crowned Kinglet C   U C
Ruby-crowned Kinglet C   C  
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher* C U U  
THRUSHES
American Robin* C C C U
Wood Thrush* C C C  
Hermit Thrush C   C  
Swainson’s Thrush U   R  
Gray-cheeked Thrush R   R  
Veery* C C C  
Eastern Bluebird* C C C U
Gray Catbird* C C C R
Northern Mockingbird* C C C C
Brown Thrasher* C C C R
American Pipit U   U  
Cedar Waxwing* C C C U
Northern Shrike R   R R
Loggerhead Shrike R   R R
European Starling* C C C C
White-eyed Vireo R R R  
Yellow-throated Vireo* U U U  
Vireo Blue-headed Vireo* U U U  
Warbling Vireo* U C U  
Red-eyed Vireo* C C C  
Philadelphia Vireo R   R  
WARBLERS
Blue-winged Warbler* C C C  
Golden-winged Warbler* U U U  
Brewster’s Warbler (hybrid) R R R  
Laurence’s Warbler (hybrid) R R R  
Tennessee Warbler C   C  
Orange-crowned Warbler R   R  
Nashville Warbler C U C  
Northern Parula* C U C  
Yellow Warbler* C C C  
Chestnut-sided Warbler* C U C  
Magnolia Warbler C R C  
Cape May Warbler C   C  
Black-throated Blue Warbler* C R C  
Yellow-rumped Warbler C   C R
Black-throated Green Warbler* C U C  
Blackburnian Warbler* C U C  
Yellow-throated Warbler* R R R  
Pine Warbler U R U  
Prairie Warbler* C C C  
Palm Warbler C   C  
Bay-breasted Warbler U   U  
Blackpoll Warbler C   C  
Cerulean Warbler* U U U  
Black and White Warbler* C C U  
American Redstart C C U  
Prothonotary Warbler R R R  
Worm-eating Warbler* U U U  
Ovenbird* C C C  
Northern Waterthrush* U U U  
Louisiana Waterthrush* U U U  
Kentucky Warbler R R R  
Connecticut Warbler R   R  
Mourning Warbler R   R  
Common Yellowthroat* C C C R
Hooded Warbler* U U U  
Wilson’s Warbler U   U  
Canada Warbler U U R  
Yellow-breasted Chat R R R  
Summer Tanager R   R  
Scarlet Tanager* C C C  
Northern Cardinal* C C C C
Rose-breasted Grosbeak* C C C  
Blue Grosbeak R   R  
Indigo Bunting* C C C  
Eastern Towhee* C C C R
SPARROWS
American Tree Sparrow U   U C
Chipping Sparrow* C C C  
Field Sparrow* C C C  
Vesper Sparrow* U U U  
Savannah Sparrow U R U  
Grasshopper Sparrow R R R  
Henslow’s Sparrow R   R  
Fox Sparrow C   C  
Song Sparrow* C C C C
Lincoln’s Sparrow R   R  
White-throated Sparrow C   C C
White-crowned Sparrow U   U R
Dark-eyed Junco C   U C
Lapland Longspur R   R R
Snow Bunting R   R R
Bobolink U U U U  
Red-winged Blackbird* C C C U
Eastern Meadowlark U C U U
Rusty Blackbird U   U R
Common Grackle* C C C R
Brown-headed Cowbird* C C C U
Orchard Oriole U U U  
Baltimore Oriole* C C C  
Pine Grosbeak R     R
Purple Finch C   U C
House Finch* C C C C
Red Crossbill* R     R
White-winged Crossbill R     R
Common Redpoll U     U
Pine Siskin C   U U
American Goldfinch* C C C C
Evening Grosbeak R     R
House Sparrow* C C C C

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