Annotated Checklist of the Birds of the Stroud Preserve, West Chester, Pennsylvania.

 

This is very much a work in progress and subject to a lot of change at any time. I will update it as needed. This list is largely based on my observations beginning in March of 2012 and the information provided on the preserve checklist. This list varies a greatly from the list posted on the preserve website, as I have observed 43 new species and revised the seasonal status for a number of birds. It should be noted that some of the waterbirds on the preserve list are unlikely to be seen in the future since the large artificial farm pond was drained and converted to a vegetated wetland.

Bold letters indicates that the species is new to the preserve list.

N – signifies that I have observed evidence that they are nesting such as carrying nesting material or constructing a nest or cavity, carrying food or fecal sacks or the presence of fledgelings or nest.

PN – signifies probable nesting, where I have observed adults carrying nesting materials, courtship displays, copulation or a singing male on territory on multiple days in appropriate habitat.  

n – noted as nesting on the preserve checklist but not by me.

 

The seasonal and abundance descriptions are intended to give you a general over all impression of their occurrence throughout the year at the preserve and is not intended to be a precise measure in anyway. Some species that are noted as "rare" or "uncommon" at the preserve, may be abundant a few miles away (i.e., Herring Gull or Killdeer). For rare and unusual birds I have given the dates and a few other notes when appropriate. For a more precise account of the birds of the Delaware Valley consult the DVOC Checklist.

Abundant – lots of birds in the right habitat in the right season.

Common– not quite as many as above, but likely to be seen in in the right habitat in the right season

Uncommon– present, may not be seen in the right habitat in the right season.

Occasional– Only seen once or twice in a season.

Rare– Only one or two records. Not expected at the preserve or rare on a regional bases. 

 

 

Last updated 31 December 2022

 

Total Species: 180

 

  •  Common Loon – Occasional flyover in migration. Usually single birds, but sometimes groups up to five.

  • Pied-billed Grebe – Occasional winter visitor (unlikely now with the removal of the farm pond).

  • Double-crested Cormorant - Occasional flyover, sometimes in large flocks of several hundred birds.

  • Great Blue Heron – Common resident in wet fields, along the Brandywine or as flyover.

  • Great Egret – Rare spring and summer visitor.

  • Snowy Egret – Rare visitor. One seen 6 September 2014.

  • Green Heron – Common migrant and summer visitor. Seen in wet fields and along the Brandywine and sometimes perching in trees at upland locations.

  • Glossy Ibis – Rare for Chester County anytime of year. Two birds observed flying up from the fields on the southwest side of the preserve on 13 May 2012.

  • Black Vulture – Common to abundant resident.

  • Turkey Vulture – Common to abundant resident.

  • Snow Goose – Uncommon migrant and winter visitor, mostly as a flyover, sometimes in great numbers. Sometimes seen in large numbers, a flock of over 2000 flew over on 14 December 2012.

  • Canada Goose – N, Common to abundant resident. Large flocks numbering in the thousands are sometimes seen as a flyover.

  • Cackling Goose – Rare winter visitor. One observed with flock of Canada Geese on 25 and 26 October 2012 and 2 on 9 January 2013.

  • Mute Swan – Formerly occasional winter visitor (unlikely now with the removal of the farm pond).

  • Tundra Swan – Rare winter visitor. One seen with Canada Geese on 15 January 2013.

  • Wood Duck – n, Common migrant and summer resident. Usually along the Brandywine or as a flyover.

  • American Black Duck – Occasional migrant and winter visitor.

  • Mallard – n, Common resident. Usually along the Brandywine or as a flyover. Some winter flocks can number over 80 birds. 

  • Gadwall – Rare visitor.

  • Northern Pintail  – Rare migrant and winter visitor as a flyover. 

  • Green-winged Teal – Rare migrant. 8 seen on Brandywine on 25 October 2012.

  • Canvasback – Rare visitor.

  • Ring-necked Duck – Occasional in winter and spring (unlikely now with the removal of the farm pond).

  • Common Goldeneye – Rare visitor.

  • Hooded Merganser – Occasional winter visitor (unlikely now with the removal of the farm pond).

  • Common Merganser – Common winter visitor.

  • Ruddy Duck – Occasional migrant (unlikely now with the removal of the farm pond).

  • Osprey – Uncommon migrant. Rare in winter, one seen 10 December 2012.

  • Bald Eagle – Common resident and migrant. There is a nest site down stream along the Brandywine. The Stroud Preserve is well within its home range. Adults and immature birds are often seen hunting along the Brandywine or soaring overhead. In fall migration as many as 10 birds can be seen in a day over head. 

  • Northern Harrier – Occasional migrant and winter visitor.

  • Sharp-shinned Hawk – Common resident, decreasing in the winter. 

  • Cooper's Hawk – PN, Common resident. A pair frequently seen in spring of 2012 over the woods along the Brandywine or the southeastern corner of the preserve engaged in courtship flight display. Decreasing in the winter.  

  • Northern Goshawk – Rare migrant. One immature seen near the old farm pond on 11 October 2012.

  • Red-shouldered Hawk – Occasional year round visitor.

  • Broad-winged Hawk – Occasional flyover. Usually high overhead. A flight of approximately 4000 birds were seen high over the preserve on 16 September 2012.

  • Red-tailed Hawk – N, Common overhead or perched in trees anywhere on the preserve.

  • Golden Eagle – Rare fall migrant. Juveniles seen over the preserve on 16 September 2012 and 11 October 2012.

  • American Kestrel – Common summer resident and migrant in and around fields and open areas of the preserve.

  • Merlin – Rare winter visitor and occasional migrant.

  • Peregrine Falcon – Rare visitor. One adult seen high above the preserve on 5 March 2013. 

  • Ring-necked Pheasant – Formerly occasional in spring, now rare. One observed on 9 April 2013. 

  • Wild Turkey – Uncommon resident.

  • Northern Bobwhite – Formerly occasional in summer. None have been recorded in the preserve in 2012 or 2013. 

  • American Coot – Rare visitor.

  • Killdeer –uncommon resident.

  • Lesser Yellowlegs - Rare migrant.

  • Solitary Sandpiper – Uncommon migrant.

  • Spotted Sandpiper – Occasional spring and summer visitor.

  • Least Sandpiper – Rare spring visitor. 5 adults seen on 18 May 2014 in the bed of the old farm pond.

  • Pectoral Sandpiper – Rare fall visitor.

  • Wilson's Snipe – Uncommon migrant and winter visitor.

  • Ring-billed Gull – Uncommon visitor. Sometimes passes over in large flocks of over 1000 individuals.

  • Herring Gull – Uncommon visitor.

  • Common Tern – Rare in spring.

  • Rock Dove – Uncommon visitor year round. 

  • Mourning Dove – N, Very common resident. Winter flocks can number over 300.

  • Black-billed Cuckoo – N, Uncommon migrant and summer resident.

  • Yellow-billed Cuckoo – Occasional migrant.

  • Eastern Screech-Owl – Probably common resident. Most often found in the stands of trees on the northwest side of the preserve.

  • Great Horned Owl – N. Occasional resident.

  • Barred Owl – N, Common resident. A pair fledged at least one bird in the woodlands along the Brandywine in the southeast corner of the preserve in 2012.

  • Common Nighthawk – Occasional migrant.

  • Chimney Swift – Common migrant and summer resident.

  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird – Common spring migrant and summer resident.

  • Belted Kingfisher – n, Common resident.

  • Red-bellied Woodpecker – N, Common resident.

  • Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Common winter visitor and migrant.

  • Downy Woodpecker – N, Common resident.

  • Hairy Woodpecker – N, Common resident.

  • Northern Flicker – N, Common resident.

  • Pileated Woodpecker – Occasional visitor to larger stands of trees.

  • Eastern Wood-Pewee – n, Common in woodlands.

  • Acadian Flycatcher – Common migrant and summer resident.

  • Yellow-bellied Flycatcher – Rare migrant.

  • Willow Flycatcher – n, Common migrant and summer resident.

  • Least Flycatcher – Uncommon migrant.

  • Eastern Phoebe – N, Rare in winter, common migrant and summer resident.

  • Great Crested Flycatcher – N, Uncommon migrant and summer resident in more mature woodlands and long the Brandywine.

  • Eastern Kingbird – N, Common summer resident.

  • White-eyed Vireo – N, Common summer resident.

  • Yellow-throated Vireo – N, Common migrant and summer resident.

  • Blue-headed Vireo – Uncommon migrant and summer resident.

  • Warbling Vireo – N, Common summer resident

  • Philadelphia Vireo – Rare migrant.

  • Red-eyed Vireo – N, Common summer resident

  • Blue Jay – N, Common resident.

  • Common Raven – Rare visitor.

  • American Crow – N, Common resident.

  • Fish Crow – Uncommon visitor in spring and fall, common in winter. 

  • Purple Martin – Rare visitor. An adult male seen on 1 May 2013.  

  • Tree Swallow – N, Abundant migrant and summer resident.

  • Northern Rough-winged Swallow – N, Abundant migrant and summer resident.

  • Bank Swallow – Uncommon migrant.

  • Cliff Swallow – Uncommon migrant.

  • Barn Swallow – N, Abundant summer resident.

  • Horned Lark – Uncommon migrant and winter visitor.

  • Carolina Chickadee – N, Common resident.

  • Black-capped Chickadee – Rare winter visitor. One on 25 October and 4 December 2012.

  • Tufted Titmouse – N, Common resident.

  • Red-breasted Nuthatch – Uncommon migrant and winter visitor.

  • White-breasted Nuthatch – N, Common resident.

  • Brown Creeper – Common migrant and winter visitor.

  • Carolina Wren – N, Common resident.

  • House Wren – N, Common summer resident.

  • Winter Wren – Uncommon winter visitor. Rare in spring. 

  • Marsh Wren – Common spring migrant.

  • Golden-crowned Kinglet – Common in winter and migrant.

  • Ruby-crowned Kinglet – Common migrant.

  • Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – N, Common summer resident.

  • Eastern Bluebird – N, Common to abundant resident.

  • Veery – Common migrant and summer resident.

  • Swainson’s Thrush – Uncommon migrant.

  • Hermit Thrush – Occasional in winter, common migrant.

  • Wood Thrush – N, Common spring migrant and summer resident.

  • American Robin – N, Common resident.

  • Gray Catbird – N, Abundant spring migrant and summer resident.

  • Northern Mockingbird – N, Common resident.

  • Brown Thrasher – N, Common summer resident and migrant. Rare in winter.

  • European Starling – N, Common resident.

  • American Pipit – Uncommon winter visitor. Flocks sometimes numbering over 100 birds.

  • Cedar Waxwing – N, Common summer resident and migrant. Uncommon in Winter.

  • Blue-winged Warbler – PN, Common migrant. Multiple males on territory spring 2012.

  • Tennessee Warbler – Uncommon fall migrant.

  • Orange-crowned Warbler – Uncommon migrant.

  • Nashville Warbler – Occasional migrant.

  • Northern Parula – Common migrant and summer resident.

  • Yellow Warbler – N, Common migrant and summer resident.

  • Chestnut-sided Warbler – Common migrant.

  • Magnolia Warbler – Common migrant.

  • Black-throated Blue Warbler – Common migrant.

  • Yellow-rumped Warbler – Abundant migrant.

  • Black-thraoted Green Warbler – Common migrant.

  • Blackburnian Warbler – Uncommon migrant.

  • Yellow-throated Warbler – Uncommon spring migrant.  

  • Pine Warbler – Occasional migrant.

  • Prairie Warbler – Common migrant.

  • Palm Warbler – Common migrant.

  • Bay-breasted Warbler – Common fall migrant.

  • Blackpoll Warbler – Common migrant.

  • Black-and-white Warbler – Common migrant.

  • American Redstart – Common migrant.

  • Ovenbird – Common migrant and summer resident.

  • Northern Waterthrush – Common migrant.

  • Louisiana Waterthrush – Uncommon spring migrant.

  • Kentucky Warbler – Rare summer visitor.

  • Common Yellowthroat – N, Abundant migrant and summer resident.

  • Wilson’s Warlber – Rare fall migrant.

  • Canada Warbler – Common migrant.

  • Hooded Warbler – Rare migrant and summer visitor.

  • Scarlet Tanager – Common migrant and summer resident.

  • Eastern Towhee – N, Common resident, decreasing in winter.

  • American Tree Sparrow – Common winter visitor and migrant.

  • Chipping Sparrow – n, Common migrant and summer resident, occasional in winter.

  • Field Sparrow – N, Common summer resident and migrant. Uncommon in winter.

  • Grasshopper Sparrow – Rare visitor.

  • Savannah Sparrow – Common migrant, uncommon in summer and winter.

  • Fox Sparrow – Common winter visitor and migrant.

  • Song Sparrow – N, Abundant resident.

  • Lincoln's Sparrow – Common to abundant fall migrant. Rare in the Delaware Valley in spring. One seen on 4 May 2012.

  • Swamp Sparrow – N, Common resident.

  • White-throated Sparrow – Abundant migrant and winter resident.

  • White-crowned Sparrow – Common migrant and rare winter visitor.

  • Dark-eyed Junco – Common migrant and abundant winter visitor.

  • Northern Cardinal – N, Abundant resident.

  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak – Common migrant.

  • Blue Grosbeak – Uncommon summer resident.

  • Indigo Bunting – N, Common migrant and summer resident.

  • Dickcissel  – Rare visitor. At least 8 birds were present on 8 October 2013 foraging in the vegetation of the old farm pond. 

  • Bobolink – N, Abundant migrant an summer resident.

  • Red-winged Blackbird – N, Abundant resident.

  • Eastern Meadowlark – PN, Uncommon spring migrant, rare in summer.

  • Rusty Blackbird – Uncommon spring migrant and rare winter visitor. One observed on 4 December 2012.

  • Common Grackle – n, Common resident. Winter flocks can reach number in excess of 20,000 birds. 

  • Brown-headed Cowbird – N, Common migrant and summer.

  • Orchard Oriole – N, Common migrant and summer resident.

  • Baltimore Oriole – N, Common migrant and summer resident.

  • Purple Finch – Occasional to abundant in migration and winter. Irruptive.

  • House Finch – n, Common resident.

  • Red Crossbill  – Rare visitor. One seen on 23 April 2013. 

  • Pine Siskin – Occasional to abundant in migration and winter, absent some years. Irruptive.

  • American Goldfinch - N, Common to abundant resident.

  • House Sparrow – Rare visitor. Only one record for 2012 and 2013, a single male observed 8 October 2012. Probably more common when horses were kept on the property.