See hundreds of bird species right in the city

At a recent sustainability event, a friend mentioned how she recently got into birding. Beyond the search for the next great fowl, she raved about the variety of people she met and parks she frequented.

So, do you want to get started birding?

You can go into a park and look for birds, but picking up on a few tools will help your journey.

For one, get your hands on a field guide like Birds of Pennsylvania by Stan Tekiela. This will help you identify birds by color and help distinguish between look-alikes. There are also apps like iBird Pro Guide to Birds.

Get binoculars to see the birds more closely. The Free Library of Philadelphia also has Birding Backpacks for borrow, including a guide, park maps and binoculars.

Where to go birding in Philly

1. John Heinz at Tinicum National Wildlife Refuge features migrant waterfowl, shorebirds, herons and songbirds.

2. Tacony Creek Park offers over 100 species, including great blue herons and red-tailed hawks.

3. Wissahickon Valley Park: See robins, cardinals, blue jays, hawks and more.

4. Pennypack Park: Although the Mandarine duck has departed from this park, you can still spot red-bellied woodpeckers, mourning doves, catbirds, owls (I spotted a baby great-horned owl here!), and more.

5. Morris Arboretum: The American Goldfinch, Baltimore Oriole and others can be found in this Northwest Philly escape.

6. Awbury Arbotreum: Not only can you spot many birds here, but Awbury is also celebrating 2022 as the Year of Birds with birding hikes, workshops, and more activities.

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Julie Hancher is Editor-in-Chief of Green Philly, sharing her expertise of all things sustainable in the city of brotherly love. She enjoys long walks in the park with local beer and greening her travels, cooking & cat, Sir Floofus Drake. View all posts by Julie Hancher