What is it that makes bird-watching so special and so popular?
For local birder Caitlin Sherman, the excitement is in finding “absolute jewels” of birds in places you’d never expect.
“We had a snowy owl hanging out in the middle of Independence Mall this winter,” she said. “Just having this extremely wild animal here with us, and knowing that it’s there is just an incredible experience.”
Philly is also on a major north-south migration route – with many birds passing through the region from the last week of April through the first three weeks of May.This means birders will be able to see species such as songbirds and tree swallows that don’t reside here year round.
There are many bird-watching groups and events in the city with varying activity levels and focuses both in the metropolitan area and in the suburbs. With such a wealth of options to get involved, you might wonder about how to get started.
If you’re looking to find out more on birding throughout the city, start with these recommendations from The Academy of Natural Science’s Andrew Kleiner, the Academy’s director of community science, and John Eskate, the Academy’s volunteer and civic engagement senior manager.
Birding as an entrance point
Eskate suggests bird-watching can be a good way to get outside and explore.
“Birding is such a popular entrance point into appreciating nature,” he said.
One advantage is familiarity. People may be surprised with how much they’ve already learned about birds, said Feminist Bird Club Philly’s co-leader, Dylan O’Donoghue.
“People know a lot more about birds than maybe they think that they do,” she said. “Just through the way that we’re exposed to birds in movies and TV and in books.”
According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, there are 436 species of wild birds throughout the state. In Philly, several bird-watching groups exist to make it a fun social activity.
“A lot of these clubs have just done such a fabulous job of creating a space for people to find themselves welcomed and belonging outdoors in green spaces where they may not have otherwise felt comfortable,” Eskate said. “So together, they are able to encounter nature and birds, and I think that their success in drawing a lot of people to their events has just been remarkable.”
Eskate and Kleiner recommend researching groups to find the right fit for you. Many cater toward specific groups, or emphasize things such as accessibility.
For example, Greenberg’s Philly Queer Birders group was created in 2021 as a way to provide a post-pandemic activity and to support inclusive spaces.
“It’s important for people to have an affinity space or a space that is specifically and explicitly welcoming of queer people,” they said.
Greenberg has a background in biology and ornithology (a branch of zoology specific to the study of birds). They explained their club also encourages people to get outside – which is one of the “best parts” of birding.
“I find myself getting outside with no mission or destination in mind kind of hard, so birding really gets me outside with intention and purpose,” they said.
Another group, Feminist Bird Club Philly, also welcomes all members, and touches on activism, said O’Donoghue.
“We look at and think about the intersection of environmental and social justice and connecting people to the natural world through birding,” she said.
Co-founder Caitlin Sherman said Feminist Bird Club Philly focuses on being “collaborative” – both in partnerships and through club meetings.
“We’re trying to use our platform to help spread awareness to other groups doing really important work around the environmental challenges that Philadelphians face,” she said.
Another hallmark of the Feminist Bird Club Philly’s meetings is encouraging comfort and conversation at meetings, O’Donoghue said.
“Sometimes, we’re just facilitating,” she said. “And a lot of times, other people are pointing out and ID’ing birds and taking the lead in different ways. And we love to see that. It’s really cool to see people feeling their own sense of ownership within the group. Because, like, it’s really a collaborative and collective bird group that we’re trying to have here.”
Many Philly area groups have similar values — including emphasis on accessibility and inclusivity.
The Pennsylvania Center for Adapted Sports’ Adapted Birding group holds birding events and field trips on accessible trails so those with mobility needs can partake in birding and learn more about nature in the area.
In Color Birding offers an “entry point to birding for BIPOC communities in and around Greater Philadelphia.” The group aims to provide safe, inclusive spaces for birding practices and access to green space.
Greenberg explained there are many ways to get involved as a beginner, whether it’s attending a group or flying solo.
“So I always recommend if you’re not ready to pay for binoculars, go out with one of the groups I mentioned,” they said. “Or if you’re feeling like you want to go on your own, the library at many of their locations has free birding backpacks that you can check out, and they have good binoculars in them that if you had to buy on your own, would cost good money.”
Eskate said that having accessible spaces for all people to enjoy natural activities is important for both the environment and humans.
“I think the Academy stands to learn a lot about the ways in which we can make the natural world accessible to people, because that’s our mission: To help people to be inspired by the natural world and to appreciate and care for it, and to take responsibility for the natural world,” he explained. “So these clubs are doing it, and I think that they’re drawing a lot of people outdoors and in green spaces.”
The Academy has also offered various clubs for those interested in birding, bugs, fungi and other similar topics.
Variety and simplicity in birding and nature
Part of experiencing nature and learning to enjoy birding is looking for it wherever you are.
“So it’s just like starting to think about what you can encounter in your backyard is a really magical, unlocking experience,” Eskate said.
Kleiner explained he values these local experiences, as they are just as important as traveling is to experiencing nature.
“What I care about passionately as the director of community science is deconstructing the idea that you have to go on a plane to Yellowstone to experience nature,” he said. “What we’re saying is you can walk out in your backyard in South Philly and experience nature right here.”
Greenberg emphasizes birding can be as simple as just walking around in nature.
“[I would recommend] checking out your local neighborhood parks,” they said. “I mean, this time of year, any green space is going to have some interesting birds if you look up.”
Parks like Pennypack, Wissahickon and Fairmount are “excellent spots” for birding. Different areas around the city, though, host unique birds.
For example, Pennypack on the Delaware park has an active bald eagle nest, and also hosts ducks, gulls and cormorants. Birders can also view birds like peregrine falcons at City Hall, or see waterfowl or herons on Manayunk’s Venice Island, on the Schuylkill River. BirdPhilly.org lists events and bird walks at these locations.
Many local nature institutions and websites offer resources on how to identify birds. The National Audubon Society provides an Audubon Bird Guide app that helps you to identify birds. Merlin Bird ID, from Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology, also allows users to identify birds through sounds, photos or a series of filtered questions.
With these resources, O’Donoghue emphasizes birding does not have to be complicated. She explained it is one of those hobbies that can be done many places, in many ways.
“You can bird anywhere, and there are birds everywhere, so taking those moments, and turning them into moments where you’re thinking about birds and sort of reflecting on them,” she said. “And you can bird in your local park. It doesn’t have to be like this huge trip to a far-away place.”
She said there is also a lot more to birding than just looking with binoculars.
Sherman said that seeing and hearing birds, even without being able to identify them, is part of the magic. She explained these kind of observations are encouraged during club meetings.
“We really encourage people to, if they see a bird, shout it out, especially if you don’t know what bird it is,” she said. “And we can all try to figure it out together, because that’s one of the really fun parts, like figuring out the puzzle.”
O’Donoghue explains getting together to see birds can be a captivating moment. She referenced a bird sighting at a recent event as one of the “coolest moments.”
“It was sort of like this surround sound of this totally silly bird that was just zooming over us,” she said. “And there was a group of us and we were just all frozen, and it came back down and everyone was ecstatic. We got so excited even if we didn’t see it. We just heard this bird, but the environment of that, it just takes you away from all of the wildness.”
Beyond that, O’Donoghue said joining a birding group or participating in a birding walk can be a welcome break from normal life.
“Birding is just a moment to take a break from the world, and from work and from things,” she said.
How can I join?
For many surrounding clubs and organizations, Kleiner explained, there are many events available.
“When you take any Saturday and Sunday and you look up these organizations, there’s always an event, there’s always somewhere you can go, always someone to meet, always something to learn,” Kleiner said. “You can go birding or you can go walk on plants. You can do a creek cleanup. You can get involved in community outreach. The amount of opportunities for ecological engagement are nearly endless.”
The Academy often posts events it is hosting or promoting on its Instagram.
Philly Queer Birders usually offers several opportunities a month for interested participants to get involved. You can join the email list on their website, follow their social media, or use their Google Calendar to stay up to date.
Greenberg emphasized there are also many ways to explore birding on your own between these times, as well – through birding backpacks at the library, or just stepping outside.
For Feminist Birding Club, upcoming events are shared on their Linktree, their social media, or by signing up for their newsletter (also on Linktree).
Sherman emphasizes that everyone can benefit from a little birding – and the learning that comes with it.
“We try to say this at the start of our events: nobody knows everything, but together, we all know more,” she said.