Birds

Birds Found at Mill Grove

Dozens of species of birds can be found at the Mill Grove nature santuary.

Use the following guide to determine the type of bird you'll hopefully see and the best time of year to look for that bird. 

SEASON

s-Spring (March-May)

S-Summer (June-August)

F-Fall (September-November)

W-Winter (December-February)

* Nesting has occurred on the property

RELATIVE ABUNDANCE

C-common  = Likely to be seen or heard in suitable habitat.

U-uncommon = Present, but not certain to be seen.

O-occasional = Seen only a few times during a season.

R-rare = Seen but once or at intervals of 2-5 years.
 

GEESE and DUCKS

s

S

F

W

Snow Goose

R

*Canada Goose 

C

C

C

C

Mute Swan 

R

*Wood Duck

U

O

U

Gadwall

R

R

American Wigeon 

R

R

American Black Duck 

U

U

U

*Mallard 

C

C

C

C

Blue-winged Teal 

R

R

Northern Shoveler 

R

Northern Pintail 

R

R

Canvasback 

R

R

Greater Scaup

R

Bufflehead

R

R

O

Common Goldeneye 

R

R

R

Hooded Merganser 

R

R

Common Merganser

U

UPLAND GAME BIRDS

*Ring-necked Pheasant 

R

R

R

R

Wild Turkey

O

O

O

O

Northern Bobwhite 

R

R

R

LOONS, GREBES and CORMORANTS

Common Loon 

O

R

R

Pied-billed Grebe  

O

R

Horned Grebe 

R

R

Double-crested Cormorant

O

U

HERONS

American Bittern

R

Great Blue Heron 

U

U

U

U

Great Egret   

O

O

Little Blue Heron 

R

R

*Green Heron 

U

U

O

Black-crowned Night-Heron 

R

R

VULTURES

Black Vulture

O

O

O

O

Turkey Vulture 

C

C

C

O

HAWKS and FALCONS

Osprey

O

O

Bald Eagle

O

O

O

O

Northern Harrier

R

O

Sharp-shinned Hawk 

U

U

U

U

Cooper's Hawk

U

U

U

U

Northern Goshawk

R

s

S

F

W

Red-shouldered Hawk 

O

O

R

*Broad-winged Hawk 

O

O

O

Red-tailed Hawk 

O

O

U

Golden Eagle

R

*American Kestrel 

U

U

U

O

Merlin

R

Peregrine Falcon 

R

R

RAILS and COOTS

American Coot 

R

R

PLOVERS and SANDPIPERS

Killdeer

O

O

Spotted Sandpiper 

O

O

O

Solitary Sandpiper 

R

R

R

Greater Yellowlegs 

O

O

Least Sandpiper

R

Wilson's Snipe

R

American Woodcock 

R

R

GULLS and TERNS

Laughing Gull

R

Ring-billed Gull 

O

O

Herring Gull 

O

O

O

PIGEONS and DOVES

Rock Pigeon

C

C

C

C

*Mourning Dove 

C

C

C

C

CUCKOOS

*Yellow-billed Cuckoo 

U

U

U

Black-billed Cuckoo 

U

U

OWLS

Barn Owl 

R

R

R

R

*Eastern Screech-Owl 

U

U

U

U

*Great Horned Owl 

U

U

U

U

Barred Owl

R

Short-eared Owl

R

NIGHTJARS

Common Nighthawk 

O

O

Whip-poor-will 

R

R

SWIFTS and HUMMINGBIRDS

*Chimney Swift 

C

C

C

*Ruby-throated Hummingbird 

U

U

R

KINGFISHERS

Belted Kingfisher 

O

O

O

O

WOODPECKERS

Red-headed Woodpecker 

R

R

*Red-bellied Woodpecker 

C

C

C

C

s

S

F

W

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

O

O

*Downy Woodpecker 

C

C

C

C

*Hairy Woodpecker 

U

U

U

U

*Northern Flicker 

C

C

C

O

Pileated Woodpecker

R

R

R

R

FLYCATCHERS

Eastern Wood-Pewee 

O

U

O

Willow Flycatcher

O

O

Least Flycatcher 

R

R

*Eastern Phoebe 

C

C

C

R

*Great Crested Flycatcher 

C

U

C

Eastern Kingbird

U

U

U

VIREOS

*White-eyed Vireo

O

R

O

Yellow-throated Vireo

R

R

Blue-headed Vireo

O

O

*Warbling Vireo

O

O

O

Philadelphia Vireo

R

R

*Red-eyed Vireo

C

C

C

JAYS and CROWS

*Blue Jay 

C

C

C

C

*American  Crow 

C

C

C

C

Fish Crow

O

O

O

O

LARKS

Horned Lark 

R

SWALLOWS  

Purple Martin 

R

R

*Tree Swallow 

C

C

U

N. Rough-winged Swallow 

C

C

O

Bank Swallow

C

Cliff Swallow 

R

R

*Barn Swallow 

C

C

O

CHICKADEES and TITMICE

*Carolina Chickadee 

C

C

C

C

Black-capped Chickadee

O

U

*Tufted Titmouse

C

C

C

C

NUTHATCHES

Red-breasted Nuthatch

R

R

R

*White-breasted Nuthatch

C

C

C

C

CREEPERS and WRENS

*Brown Creeper 

O

R

O

U

*Carolina Wren 

C

C

C

C

*House Wren

C

C

O

Winter Wren

R

O

KINGLETS and GNATCATCHERS

s

S

F

W

Golden-crowned Kinglet

C

C

U

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

C

C

O

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

R

O

THRUSHES and MIMICS

*Eastern Bluebird

U

C

U

U

*Veery

O

O

Gray-cheeked Thrush

R

R

O

Swainson's Thrush

O

O

Hermit Thrush

O

O

O

*Wood Thrush

C

C

C

*American Robin

C

C

C

U

*Gray Catbird

C

C

C

*Northern Mockingbird

C

C

C

C

*Brown Thrasher

O

O

O

STARLINGS

*European Starling

C

C

C

C

PIPITS and WAXWINGS

American Pipit

R

*Cedar Waxwing

O

O

O

WOOD WARBLERS

Blue-winged Warbler

O

O

Golden-winged Warbler

R

R

Tennessee Warbler

R

R

Nashville Warbler

O

O

Northern Parula

C

C

Yellow Warbler

C

C

C

Chestnut-sided Warbler

C

U

Magnolia Warbler

O

O

Cape May Warbler

R

R

Black-throated Blue Warbler

O

O

Yellow-rumped Warbler

C

C

U

Black-throated Green Warbler

C

C

Blackburnian Warbler

R

O

Pine Warbler

U

U

Prairie Warbler

R

R

Palm Warbler

U

U

Bay-breasted Warbler

R

R

Blackpoll Warbler

U

U

Black-and-white Warbler

C

C

American Redstart

C

C

Prothonotary Warbler

R

Worm-eating Warbler

R

R

*Ovenbird

C

U

U

Northern Waterthrush

R

R

s

S

F

W

Louisiana Waterthrush

O

O

*Kentucky Warbler

R

R

*Common Yellowthroat

C

U

C

Hooded Warbler

O

O

Wilson’s Warbler

R

R

Canada Warbler

O

O

Yellow-breasted Chat

R

R

TANAGERS and SPARROWS

Summer Tanager

R

*Scarlet Tanager

C

U

C

*Eastern Towhee

C

C

U

O

American Tree Sparrow

O

*Chipping Sparrow

U

C

U

R

*Field Sparrow

C

C

C

O

Vesper Sparrow

R

Fox Sparrow

U

U

R

*Song Sparrow

C

C

C

C

Swamp Sparrow

R

R

White-throated Sparrow

C

C

C

Harris's Sparrow

R

White-crowned Sparrow

O

O

R

Dark-eyed Junco

U

U

C

CARDINALS and ALLIES

*Northern Cardinal

C

C

C

C

*Rose-breasted Grosbeak

C

R

C

Blue Grosbeak

R

*Indigo Bunting

O

U

O

Dickcissel

R

BLACKBIRDS and FINCHES

Bobolink

R

R

*Red-winged Blackbird

C

U

C

O

*Eastern Meadowlark

R

Rusty Blackbird

R

R

*Common Grackle

C

C

C

O

*Brown-headed Cowbird

C

C

C

O

*Orchard Oriole

U

U

U

*Baltimore Oriole

C

C

O

Purple Finch

O

O

O

*House Finch

C

C

C

C

White-winged Crossbill

R

Common Redpoll

R

Pine Siskin

O

*American Goldfinch

C

C

C

C

Evening Grosbeak

R

*House Sparrow

U

U

U

U

Bird List: JOHN JAMES AUDUBON CENTER AT MILL GROVE


John James Audubon Center in Montgomery County, PA, was established in 1951 by the County Commissioners as an historic site and wildlife preserve.  In 1989, John James Audubon Center was designated as a National Historic Landmark by the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service. 

The old stone farmhouse on the east bank of the Perkiomen Creek is surrounded by approximately 214 acres of steep forested slopes, open meadows, and mowed lawns.  A tributary to the Schuylkill River, the Perkiomen Creek forms part of the Delaware Valley flyway through which a diversity of birds migrate twice each year.  In addition, about sixty species of birds have been found nesting on the property.

While 190 species of birds have been observed at the John James Audubon Center since 1953, several species have been seen here only once and may never appear again.  However, there is always the chance for recurrence or the establishment of a new record.  This list was last updated in 2008. 

 

Created and edited by Elizabeth DeCelles,Joe Hudson, and Brian Byrnes

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