Post Author
Pennsylvania is a state in the United States of America. It is the 5th most popular state in the US. Also, Pennsylvania is the 9th-most densely populated state of the 50 states in the US. The two most popular cities in Pennsylvania’s Area include Philadelphia constituting 1,580,863 people, and Pittsburgh consisting of 302,407 people.
In Pennsylvania, you will be privileged to watch many beautiful species of birds. The checklist specially made for birds of Pennsylvania has a limited number of birds found to date. This checklist includes different types of records in the United States of America. The checklist of birds of Pennsylvania is accepted by the Pennsylvania Ornithological Records Committee, also known as PORC.
A different variety of birds in Pennsylvania is recognized to date; more than nine birds of Pennsylvania have been enlisted in the checklist of birds in Pennsylvania through the professional file of the Pennsylvania Ornithology Records Committee or PORC.
This checklist of birds of Pennsylvania has different types of birds documented in the United States or simply the USA state of Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Ornithological Records Committee or PORC has accepted the record of the list of bird species.
The official checklist of birds of Pennsylvania includes only 435 species of birds as of July 2020. The official list of birds of Pennsylvania consists of two birds that have been extirpated, two and another bird might be known to be extinct, six birds have been introduced to birds of North America, 59 species of bird are classified as casual, and the rest 76 birds are presented to the class of accidental.
An additional bird of nine species is classified as accidental as well as in the class of provisional. The checklist of birds in Pennsylvania is represented in a taxonomy sequence of Middle and North Pennsylvania birds, 7th edition of the checklist through the supplement of 62nd. The checklist in taxonomy sequence was published by the American Ornithological Society, also known as AOS.
The checklist of Pennsylvania birds only consists of the scientific and common names of Pennsylvania birds except for the common name of Pennsylvania bird families from the Clements taxonomy because they are not included in the American Ornithological Society or AOS.
All the types of species in Pennsylvania are unless otherwise noted and occur regularly. These birds are migrants, winter or summer visitors, and permanent residents. Mentioned below are some of the letters used to denote Pennsylvania birds.
(A) means Accidental- Refers to five modern records that are generally fewer as per the Pennsylvania Ornithology Records Committee or PORC.
(C) means Casual- Refers to the increasing or casual vagrant as reported by Pennsylvania Ornithology Records Committee or PORC.
(P) means Provisional- Refers to the Pennsylvania birds accepted by the Pennsylvania Ornithology Records Committee or PORC.
(I) means Introduced- Refers to those Pennsylvania birds that are relocated to North America due to human action.
(X) means Extinct- Refers to those Pennsylvania birds that no longer exist on the Earth.
(Ex) means Extirpated- Refers to those birds in Pennsylvania that have migrated elsewhere and are no longer a resident of Pennsylvania state but are natives of Pennsylvania.
Backyard Birds In Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is a great place for backyard bird watching. Backyard birds of Pennsylvania are very beautiful, and you will see them everywhere in Pennsylvania. Common Backyard birds are year-round residents of Pennsylvania. Some of the common backyard birds in Pennsylvania are
1. White-Throated Sparrow
Scientific name- Zonotrichia albicollis
Size: This White-Throated Sparrow bird measures up to 6.3 – 7.1 inches in length while its wingspan reaches up to 7.9 to 9.1 inches.
Habitat: These common backyard birds of Pennsylvania or White-Throated Sparrow like to hang out in the edges of the forest, the area filled with shrubs, thickets, or dense vegetation. Sometimes these White-Throated Sparrow are also found near aquatic regions.
2. Tufted Titmouse
Scientific name- Baeolophus bicolor
Size: This bird measures up to 5.5 – 6.3 inches from its tip to tail and carries an average wingspan of about 7.9 to 10.2 inches.
Habitat: The Tufted Titmouse prefers deciduous forests but is also a common resident in backyards and parks. This is a beautiful bird, and you must not miss out! Move out and watch for them so that you can leave out some snacks.
3. American Robin
Scientific name- Turdus migratorius
Size: This common backyard bird measures at the height of about 7.9 – 11 inches in length with a wingspan of about 12.2 to 15.8 inches.
Habitat: When these common backyard birds of Pennsylvania aren’t in the woods, they often visit settled areas. Also, they are often spotted in backyards, golf courses, parks, pastures, and everywhere.
4. Downy Woodpecker
Scientific name- Picoides pubescens
Size: This bird measures about 5.5 – 6.7 inches with a wingspan of about 9.8 to 11.8 inches.
Habitat: When not in the deep woods, these little common backyard birds will sometimes show themselves on the ground in the middle of high weeds or dense brush. They love backyard feeders very much, so be prepared when you visit Pennsylvania.
5. Mourning Dove
Scientific name- Zenaida macroura

Size: These common backyard birds measure up to 9.1 – 13.4 inches in length and have wingspans of about 17.7 inches.
Habitat: These common backyard birds are little residential birds of Pennsylvania. Watch for them in your backyard garden, fields, and certainly on telephone poles.
Other Backyard Birds include
-
Grey-cheeked Thrush
Scientific name- Catharus minimus
Size: This bird approximately measures about 6.7 inches in length with a wingspan of about 12.6 to 13.4 inches.
Habitat: This is one of the most common backyard birds to look for. These shy little common backyard birds hideout in the middle of dense vegetation, either at their edge or deep in the woods.
-
Blackpoll Warbler
Scientific name- Setophaga striata
Size: These birds measure about 5.5 inches in length and have wingspans of about 8.3 to 9.1 inches.
Habitat: These common backyard birds love deciduous and evergreen forests but may well travel to feeders if you are well-prepared and lucky.
-
Cedar Waxwing
Scientific name- Bombycilla cedrorum
Size: These birds measure about 5.5 – 6.7 inches in length with wingspans of about 8.7 to 11.8 inches.
Habitat: When these birds aren’t in the woods, they are almost certainly visiting gardens and orchards. They are often seen in human habitation as long as fruit trees are involved.
Bird Feeders
A bird feeder, tray feeder, or bird table are devices placed outside the houses to supply food to feeding birds. The bird tube feeders are of more success than any other devices as they attract birds depending upon the food offered to them and the placement of the birdfeeder or tray or tube feeders.
Different bird species have different preferences of foods, the environment, or the place they want to consume their food. Most bird tube feeders have bird seeds or any other kind of bird food that they can consume. The preferable bird food or seeds supplied in the bird tube feeder or tray feeders are millet, safflower, rapeseed or canola seed, sunflower( oil and shipped), and Niger seed.
Bird feeders are also of more use to the environment around us, such as birdwatching. Also, many people sometimes set webcams that are usually trained on feeders where different bird species often congregate, along with some even living near the bird table or tray feeder.
Types Of Backyard Feeders

Seed tube feeders or tray bird feeders are the most common type of bird feeders that are found. The seed feeders also vary from one another in design, from trays and tubes to hoppers. The mixed seeds or sunflower seeds are popular for use in this type of backyard feeder, and they attract mostly birds such as finches, cardinals, and chickadees.
The black oil sunflower seeds mainly attract bird enthusiasts. Rather than any other type of sunflower seeds, the black oil sunflower seeds over a shell or covering are easier to crack and are comparatively thinner. Also, the Kernel seeds present are relatively larger than white or striped sunflower seeds.
The Black oil sunflower seeds also are mostly used in winter because they contain a large amount of fat. The tiny Guizotia abyssinica are favorites of small finches. These seeds are also known as niger seeds; they are also dispensed by the Finch feeders, specially made with small openings for this purpose. Most of the tray feeders or bird feeders are made or designed to distribute sunflower-sized food.
The seed backyard feeders or tray backyard feeders are tube-like, squirrel-proof, hopper. The manufacturers have organized different mechanisms due to the urge to keep the squirrels away from the birdseed or bird food; these mechanisms help determine squirrels from getting close to the bird feeder.
Also, some bird feeders have weight-sensitive technology that helps detect heavy objects; whenever a heavyweight or object is detected, it shuts the access to the bird food or birdseed or seed ports.
Some other tray feeders are organized to be mounted on the pile side as it is said that the squirrels reach the tray feeder more quickly and easily from the trees than from the poles.
The tube-like squirrel-proof feeder is the simplest type of squirrel-proof feeder as a metal cage surrounds it. These tray feeders also offer protection from aggressive or larger varieties of birds. The tube seed feeders are plastic tubes clear with metal caps or plastics, perches, and bases.
List Of 5 Most Beautiful Birds Of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has more than 400 birds, or about 432 birds, according to the checklist of birds of Pennsylvania. Therefore if you are looking for bird watching sites in the state of Pennsylvania, and if you are a birder, your search ends here because this article is going to provide you with the necessary information about the five most beautiful birds in Pennsylvania where you will find them in different places in Pennsylvania.
Happy Reading!
1. House Finch

The house finch (Scientific name- Haemorhous mexicanus) is a very common bird of Pennsylvania that belongs to the finch family known as Fringillidae. House Finch is one of the native common birds to the western part of North America and has been introduced to many parts of the eastern half of Hawaii and the continental part. This species of House Finch bird and the other “American rosefinches” are introduced in the genus Haemorhous.
Male House finch has a reddish-brown cap with a dark brown body. In contrast, the female finch does not have a dark brown body. Females have grey-brown upperparts and have a dark grey body. Adult House Finch birds are about 12.5 to 15 centimeters that are 5 to 6 inches long, with a wingspan of about 20 to 25 cm that is 8 to 10 inches.
The body mass of House Finch can vary from about 16 to 27 grams, 9⁄16 to 15⁄16 oz, with an average weight of about 21 g or 3⁄4 oz. When measured in standard measurements, the wing chord of House Finch is about 7 to 8.4 cm that is 2+3⁄4 to 3+1⁄4 inch, the tail is about 5.7 to 6.5 cm that is 2+1⁄4 to 2+1⁄2 inch, the culmen of House Finch is about 0.9 to 1.1 cm or 3⁄8 to 7⁄16 inch, and the tarsus is about 1.6 to 1.8 cm that is 5⁄8 to 11⁄16 inch.
Habitat
These birds are the permanent resident birds of Pennsylvania throughout their range. Their breeding habitat is mainly in the suburban areas and urban areas across North America and many semi-open regions in the west, from the southern part of Canada to one of the Mexican states of Oaxaca.
Some of the northern and eastern birds migrate to the Southern part during a different season. The population in the region of central Chiapas can be descended from the escaped birds that are caged. Analyses of nest records generally come from the House Finches set in California while voyaging for more than a century which is reported to date. They found that the egg‐laying occurred significantly and very prominently when warmer springs started.
2. Northern Cardinal
The northern cardinal (Scientific name- Cardinalis cardinalis) is a bird placed in the genus Cardinalis. It is also known as the redbird colloquially, red cardinal, common cardinal, or just cardinal. Cardinal was the name which was known before 1985). Northern cardinal can be found in southeastern Canada, through the eastern part of the United States, extending from Maine to Minnesota and directly to Texas, and southern region through Mexico, Guatemala Belize.
The bird species of Northern cardinal habitat includes wetlands, shrublands, gardens, and woodlands. The northern cardinal is also a newly introduced species in some locations such as Hawaii and Bermuda. The adult Cardinalis male has a brilliant crimson red color, including a black cap face mask over their eyes that extends up to the upper part of their chest.
The color fades away and becomes darker on the black wings and back. This is the reason the Northern cardinal is also known as red-winged blackbirds. The female red-winged blackbirds are fawn. They are mostly covered with a greyish-brown tone of red, with a slight reddish-brown tint on their black wings, the tail feathers, and the crest. The black cap faces a black mask of the female grey to black, which is less defined than the male.
3. Downy Woodpecker
The adult downy woodpecker is the smallest bird among all the birds of Pennsylvania of North America’s famous woodpeckers; Apart from the downy woodpecker, there are many other smaller species than Downy woodpecker elsewhere in the world.
The total length ranges from about 14 to 18 cm in height that is about 5.5 to 7.1 inches, and the wingspan measure about 25 to 31 cm that is 9.8 to 12.2 inches. Body mass ranges from about 20 to 33 g or 0.71 to 1.16 oz. According to the Standard measurements, some of the measures are as follows:
The wing chord is about 8.5–10 cm that is 3.3–3.9 inches. The tail is about 4–6 cm that is 1.6–2.4 inches. The bill is about 1–1.8 cm, which is 0.39–0.71 inches, and the tarsus is about 1.1–1.7 cm, which is 0.43–0.67 inches.
The downy woodpecker is mainly black on the upper parts and wings, also called black-capped chickadee, including a white back, belly, and throat white spotting on their wings. There is one white bar above their eye and one on the below.
They have a very small black tail, including white dark-eyed junco feathers barred with black. Adult males have a red color patch on the back of the head, whereas juvenile birds showcase a red color cap.
4. Red-Bellied Woodpecker
The red-bellied woodpecker (Scientific name- Melanerpes carolinus) is a medium-sized woodpecker belonging to the family known as Picidae. Red-bellied woodpecker breeds mainly in the eastern part of the United States of America, ranging as far to the south as Florida and as far to the north as Canada.
The common name of a Red-bellied woodpecker is somehow misleading because the most prominent red part of their plumage is located on their head. However, the red-headed woodpecker is another species closely related to the Red-bellied woodpecker but looks quite different from the latter.
5. Blue Jay

The Blue jay (Eastern bluebird scientific name- Cyanocitta cristata) is a passerine bird belonging to the Corvidae family. Blue Jay is native to the eastern part of North America and mostly lives in the central and east parts of The United States. The eastern population of Blue Jay may be migratory sometimes. Resident populations of Blue Jay are found in Canada, Newfoundland, and many other places.
The breeding populations of this small bird are found across the southern parts of Canada. Blue Jay breeds in both coniferous and deciduous forests and is one of Pennsylvania’s most common birds in residential areas. They are predominantly blue and are commonly known as eastern bluebirds, with a white chest, a blue crest, and underparts. This eastern bluebird has blue wings with hints of blue-grey colors.
Birds in Pennsylvania are of different kinds. Some of them are bright yellow, dark grey, and dark in color. Some other birds of Pennsylvania include
- Dark-eyed junco
- House finches
- Grey catbird( Gray Catbird Scientific name- Dumetella carolinensis)
- Mourning doves
- Hairy woodpecker
- European starling
- Winter birds
- Chubby grey birds
- American robin
- White-breasted nuthatch
- Wood thrush
- Tufted titmouse
- American goldfinch
- Rose-breasted grosbeak
- Chipping sparrow
Other than these Pennsylvania birds, some famous birds are the Blue Jays, Chipping Sparrow, European Starlings, Black-Capped Chickadees, Gray Catbirds, American Goldfinch, White-Breasted Nuthatch, Mourning Dove, and many other small birds.
Pennsylvania has many migratory small birds as well. Some are Blue Jays, some have black wings, some are common birds like a mourning dove, and some are feeder birds, which are small birds like Hairy Woodpecker.
You will also be able to see winter birds having grey wings, and some are about the size of a hummingbird, American Robin having a long tail, House Sparrows, Gray Catbirds having white throat, are about the same size as hummingbird feeders. Migratory birds move in large flocks such as rose-breasted grosbeak, black-capped chickadees, house sparrows, and many smaller birds.
The birds of Pennsylvania are very beautiful and have different breeding grounds. All such birds are different depending on their size, height, and many such features. People from all over the world visit Pennsylvania to watch these beautiful birds of Pennsylvania of various kinds. Birds of Pennsylvania are unique in their size and other features. Therefore the unique colors in them make them much more attractive than any other bird.
Due to their uniqueness that attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world, you must visit Pennsylvania and look for different types of birds of Pennsylvania.
There are many birds of Pennsylvania that are listed in the checklist of Pennsylvania. There are many bird feeding stations for invasive species such as black-capped chickadee, gray catbirds, mourning doves, and many other birds. So birders grab our necessary pieces of stuff and food for the birds of Pennsylvania and enjoy your day with such beautiful and colorful birds of Pennsylvania to the fullest.