**PENNSYLVANIA**

![](media/image1.jpeg){width="5.749305555555556in"
height="2.5708333333333333in"}

> Fig. 1. Bird monitoring regions in Pennsylvania.

**Bird monitoring region 141: Pennsylvania-Lower Great Lakes/St.
Lawrence Plain**

This region covers BCR 13, Lower Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Plain, in
Pennsylvania. Approximately 42 aquatic species occur at least commonly,
at some time of year, in the region (Table 1); 8 designated sites and 3
matrix strata have been identified (Fig. 2, Table 2).

![](media/image2.jpeg){width="4.688888888888889in"
height="3.588888888888889in"}

Fig. 2*.* Designated sites and matrix strata in bird monitoring region
141.

> Table 1. Aquatic species that occur commonly in bird monitoring region
> 141 (M=migration, B=breeding season, W=winter).

  ------------------------- ------------- ---------------------------- -------------
  **Species**               **Seasons**   **Species**                  **Seasons**

  Pied-billed Grebe         MB            Hooded Merganser             MB

  Horned Grebe              MW            Common Merganser             MW

  Least Bittern             B             Red-breasted Merganser       MW

  Great Blue Heron          MB            Virginia Rail                MB

  Green Heron               B             Sora                         MB

  Canada Goose              MBW           Common Moorhen               MB

  Tundra Swan               M             American Coot                M

  Wood Duck                 MB            Killdeer                     MB

  American Wigeon           M             Least Sandpiper              M

  American Black Duck       MBW           Dunlin                       M

  Mallard                   MBW           Common Snipe                 MB

  Blue-winged Teal          M             American Woodcock            MB

  Northern Pintail          M             Bonaparte's Gull             M

  Green-winged Teal         M             Ring-billed Gull             M

  Canvasback                MW            Herring Gull                 M

  Redhead                   MW            Common Tern                  M

  Ring-necked Duck          M             Tree Swallow                 MB

  Greater Scaup             MW            Marsh Wren                   MB

  Lesser Scaup              MW            Prothonotary Warbler         B

  Bufflehead                M             Swamp Sparrow                MB

  Common Goldeneye          MW            Red-winged Blackbird         MB
  ------------------------- ------------- ---------------------------- -------------

# Stratum 1: Designated Sites

Table 2*.* Designated sites in bird monitoring region 141.

+---+------------------------+---+----+------+-------+---------------+
| * | ##  Site Name          | * | *  | **Im | **    | **Comments**  |
| * |                        | * | *L | port | Impor |               |
| S |                        | L | on | ance | tance |               |
| i |                        | a | g. | to   | to    |               |
| t |                        | t | ** | s    | migr  |               |
| e |                        | . |    | ecre | ating |               |
| I |                        | * |    | tive | sh    |               |
| D |                        | * |    | mars | orebi |               |
| * |                        |   |    | hbir | rds** |               |
| * |                        |   |    | ds** |       |               |
+---+------------------------+---+----+------+-------+---------------+
| 1 | Barrows Heronry &      | 4 | -8 | Not  | Not   | I             |
|   | Edward Brucker         | 1 | 0. |      |       | BA-Identified |
|   |                        | . | 42 |      |       |               |
|   | Sanctuary              | 3 |    |      |       |               |
|   |                        | 7 |    |      |       |               |
+---+------------------------+---+----+------+-------+---------------+
| 2 | Conneaut Marsh/Geneva  | 4 | -8 | H    | High  | I             |
|   | Marsh                  | 1 | 0. | igh  |       | BA-Identified |
|   |                        | . | 19 |      |       |               |
|   |                        | 5 |    |      |       |               |
|   |                        | 5 |    |      |       |               |
+---+------------------------+---+----+------+-------+---------------+
| 3 | Cussewago Bottom       | 4 | -8 |      | Not   | I             |
|   |                        | 1 | 0. |      |       | BA-Identified |
|   |                        | . | 23 |      |       |               |
|   |                        | 7 |    |      |       |               |
|   |                        | 5 |    |      |       |               |
+---+------------------------+---+----+------+-------+---------------+
| 4 | Erie NWR               | 4 | -7 |      | High  | I             |
|   |                        | 1 | 9. |      |       | BA-Identified |
|   |                        | . | 97 |      |       |               |
|   |                        | 6 |    |      |       |               |
|   |                        | 2 |    |      |       |               |
+---+------------------------+---+----+------+-------+---------------+
| 5 | Pensy, Black, & Celery | 4 | -8 |      | Not   | I             |
|   | Swamps -- SGL          | 1 | 0. |      |       | BA-Identified |
|   |                        | . | 18 |      |       |               |
|   | 151 & 284              | 1 |    |      |       |               |
|   |                        | 0 |    |      |       |               |
+---+------------------------+---+----+------+-------+---------------+
| 6 | Presque Isle State     | 4 | -8 | H    | High  | ISS Site,     |
|   | Park                   | 2 | 0. | igh  |       | I             |
|   |                        | . | 08 |      |       | BA-Identified |
|   |                        | 1 |    |      |       |               |
|   |                        | 5 |    |      |       |               |
+---+------------------------+---+----+------+-------+---------------+
| 7 | Pymatuning/Heartstown  | 4 | -8 | H    | High  | I             |
|   | complex                | 1 | 0. | igh  |       | BA-Identified |
|   |                        | . | 46 |      |       |               |
|   |                        | 5 |    |      |       |               |
|   |                        | 0 |    |      |       |               |
+---+------------------------+---+----+------+-------+---------------+
| 8 | Shenango Reservoir     | 4 | -8 | Not  | High  | I             |
|   |                        | 1 | 0. |      |       | BA-Identified |
|   |                        | . | 43 |      |       |               |
|   |                        | 2 |    |      |       |               |
|   |                        | 8 |    |      |       |               |
+---+------------------------+---+----+------+-------+---------------+

*Stratum 2: Emergent Wetland (matrix stratum)*

A number of smaller wetland complexes are found in this region which, in
aggregate, support a substantial number of wetland birds and some wading
birds.

*Stratum 3: Heron Colonies (matrix stratum)*

This region supports a number of Great Blue Heron colonies. None are as
large as the Barrows colony, but they range to over 100 active nests.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission maintains a list of active sites, and
surveys these about every five years.

*Stratum 4: Lakes and Larger Ponds (matrix stratum)*

This glaciated region supports many natural and man-made lakes, ponds,
and impoundments in addition to the designated sites which support
concentrations of waterfowl during migration.

***Source***: The species list was based on a checklist from 1 site with
revisions by Dan Brauning of the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The best
sources are: Stull, Stull, and McWilliams, 1985, Birds of Erie County
Pennsylvania; and McWilliams and Brauning, 2000, The Birds of
Pennsylvania.

**Bird monitoring region 142: Pennsylvania-Appalachian Mountains**

This region covers BCR 28, Appalachian Mountains, in Pennsylvania.
Approximately 43 aquatic species occur at least commonly, at some time
of year, in the region (Table 3); 10 designated sites and 3 matrix
strata have been identified (Fig. 3, Table 4).

![](media/image3.jpeg){width="5.135416666666667in"
height="3.0881944444444445in"}

Fig. 3*.* Designated sites and matrix strata in bird monitoring region
142.

> Table 3. Aquatic species that occur commonly in bird monitoring region
> 142 (M=migration, B=breeding season, W=winter).

  ------------------------- ------------- ---------------------------- -------------
  **Species**               **Seasons**   **Species**                  **Seasons**

  Pied-billed Grebe         M             Black-bellied Plover         M

  Double-crested Cormorant  M             American Golden-Plover       M

  Least Bittern             B             Semipalmated Plover          M

  American Bittern          M             Killdeer                     MB

  Black-crowned Night-Heron MB            Greater Yellowlegs           M

  Green Heron               MB            Solitary Sandpiper           M

  Little Blue Heron         M             Spotted Sandpiper            MB

  Great Egret               MB            Semipalmated Sandpiper       M

  Great Blue Heron          MBW           Pectoral Sandpiper           M

  Tundra Swan               M             Common Snipe                 MB

  Canada Goose              MBW           American Woodcock            MB

  Wood Duck                 MB            Laughing Gull                M

  Mallard                   MBW           Ring-billed Gull             MW

  American Black Duck       MBW           Herring Gull                 MW

  Green-winged Teal         MW            Great Black-backed Gull      MW

  Northern Pintail          MW            Forster\'s Tern              M

  Northern Shoveler         M             Tree Swallow                 MB

  Blue-winged Teal          MB            Marsh Wren                   MB

  Greater Scaup             M             Louisiana Waterthrush        B

  Ruddy Duck                MW            Swamp Sparrow                MBW

  Northern Harrier          MW            Red-winged Blackbird         MBW

  American Coot             M                                          
  ------------------------- ------------- ---------------------------- -------------

# 

# Stratum 1: Designated Sites

Table 4*.* Designated sites in bird monitoring region 142.

  -------- ------------------------ ---------- ----------- -------------- -------------- ----------------
  **Site   **Site Name**            **Lat.**   **Long.**   **Importance   **Importance   **Comments**
  ID**                                                     to secretive   to migrating   
                                                           marshbirds**   shorebirds**   

  1        Akeley Swamp - SGL 282   41.98      -79.13                     Not            IBA-Identified

  2        Bald Eagle State Park    41.04      -77.63                                    

  3        Black Moshannon SP and   40.92      -78.08                                    IBA
           SF                                                                            

  4        Blue Marsh Lake          40.38      -76.05      Not            High           IBA-Identified

  5        Lake Ontelaunee          40.45      -76.92                     High           IBA-Identified

  6        Lake Somerset            40.03      -79.05                                    IBA

  7        Marsh Creek Wetlands -   41.75      -77.33      High                          IBA
           \"The Muck\"                                                                  

  8        Moraine State Park       40.95      -80.09                                    IBA-Identified

  9        Sheets Island            40.29      -76.92                     High           IBA-Identified
           Archipelago (Wade                                                             
           Island)                                                                       

  10       Shohola Waterfowl        41.38      -75.00                                    IBA-Identified
           Management Area                                                               
  -------- ------------------------ ---------- ----------- -------------- -------------- ----------------

*Stratum 2: Emergent Wetland (matrix stratum)*

A number of smaller wetland complexes are found in this region,
particularly in the northeastern glaciated region, which in aggregate,
support a substantial number of wetland birds.

*Stratum 3: Heron Colonies (matrix stratum)*

This region supports a number of Great Blue Heron colonies and a few
Black-crowned Night-Heron colonies. Some of these range to over 75
active nests. The Pennsylvania Game Commission maintains a list of
active sites, and surveys these about every five years.

*Stratum 4: Lakes and Larger Ponds (matrix stratum)*

Scattered throughout this region are found many natural and man-made
lakes, ponds, and impoundments in addition to the designated sites which
support concentrations of waterfowl during migration.

***Source***: The species list was based on a checklist from 1 site in
BMR 143 with revisions by Dan Brauning of the Pennsylvania Game
Commission. The best source is: McWilliams and Brauning, 2000, The Birds
of Pennsylvania.

**Bird monitoring region 143: Pennsylvania-Piedmont**

This region covers BCR 29, Piedmont, in Pennsylvania. Approximately 48
aquatic species occur at least commonly, at some time of year, in the
region (Table 5); 13 designated sites and 2 matrix strata have been
identified (Fig. 4, Table 6).

![](media/image4.jpeg){width="5.261111111111111in"
height="2.9854166666666666in"}

Fig. 4*.* Designated sites and matrix strata in bird monitoring region
143.

> Table 5. Aquatic species that occur commonly in bird monitoring region
> 143 (M=migration, B=breeding season, W=winter).

  ------------------------- ------------- ---------------------------- -------------
  **Species**               **Seasons**   **Species**                  **Seasons**

  Pied-billed Grebe         M             American Golden-Plover       M

  Double-crested Cormorant  M             Semipalmated Plover          M

  Least Bittern             B             Killdeer                     MB

  American Bittern          M             Greater Yellowlegs           M

  Black-crowned Night-Heron MB            Solitary Sandpiper           M

  Yellow-crowned            B             Spotted Sandpiper            MB
  Night-Heron                                                          

  Green Heron               MB            Semipalmated Sandpiper       M

  Little Blue Heron         MB            Least Sandpiper              M

  Snowy Egret               MB            Pectoral Sandpiper           M

  Great Egret               MB            Dunlin                       M

  Great Blue Heron          MBW           Common Snipe                 MB

  Canada Goose              MBW           American Woodcock            MB

  Wood Duck                 MB            Laughing Gull                M

  Mallard                   MBW           Bonaparte's Gull             M

  American Black Duck       MBW           Ring-billed Gull             MW

  Green-winged Teal         MW            Herring Gull                 M

  Northern Pintail          MW            Lesser Black-backed Gull     M

  Northern Shoveler         M             Great Black-backed Gull      MW

  Blue-winged Teal          MB            Common Tern                  M

  Greater Scaup             M             Forster\'s Tern              M

  Ruddy Duck                MW            Tree Swallow                 MB

  Northern Harrier          MW            Marsh Wren                   MB

  American Coot             M             Swamp Sparrow                MBW

  Black-bellied Plover      M             Red-winged Blackbird         MBW
  ------------------------- ------------- ---------------------------- -------------

# Stratum 1: Designated Sites

Table 6*.* Designated sites in bird monitoring region 143.

+---+------------------------+----+----+-------+--------+-------------+
| * | **Site Name**          | ** | *  | **    | **Impo | *           |
| * |                        | La | *L | Impor | rtance | *Comments** |
| S |                        | t. | on | tance | to     |             |
| i |                        | ** | g. | to    | mig    |             |
| t |                        |    | ** | secr  | rating |             |
| e |                        |    |    | etive | shoreb |             |
| I |                        |    |    | ma    | irds** |             |
| D |                        |    |    | rshbi |        |             |
| * |                        |    |    | rds** |        |             |
| * |                        |    |    |       |        |             |
+---+------------------------+----+----+-------+--------+-------------+
| 1 | Codorus State Park     | 3  | -7 |       | Not    | IBA         |
|   |                        | 9. | 6. |       |        | -Identified |
|   |                        | 80 | 87 |       |        |             |
+---+------------------------+----+----+-------+--------+-------------+
| 2 | Conejohela Flats       | 3  | -7 |       | High   | IBA         |
|   |                        | 9. | 6. |       |        | -Identified |
|   |                        | 98 | 48 |       |        |             |
+---+------------------------+----+----+-------+--------+-------------+
| 3 | Conowingo              | 3  | -7 |       |        | IBA         |
|   | Reservoir/Muddy Run    | 9. | 6. |       |        | -Identified |
|   |                        | 82 | 28 |       |        |             |
+---+------------------------+----+----+-------+--------+-------------+
| 4 | Creek Road Area        | 4  | -7 | Not   | Not    | IBA         |
|   |                        | 0. | 6. |       |        | -Identified |
|   |                        | 12 | 25 |       |        |             |
+---+------------------------+----+----+-------+--------+-------------+
| 5 | Glen Morgan Lake       | 4  | -7 |       | Not    | IBA         |
|   |                        | 0. | 5. |       |        | -Identified |
|   |                        | 15 | 87 |       |        |             |
+---+------------------------+----+----+-------+--------+-------------+
| 6 | Great Marsh            | 4  | -7 |       | Not    | IBA         |
|   |                        | 0. | 5. |       |        | -Identified |
|   |                        | 10 | 73 |       |        |             |
+---+------------------------+----+----+-------+--------+-------------+
| 7 | Green Lane Reservoir   | 4  | -7 |       | High   | IBA         |
|   |                        | 0. | 5. |       |        | -Identified |
|   |                        | 37 | 50 |       |        |             |
+---+------------------------+----+----+-------+--------+-------------+
| 8 | John Heinz at Tinicum  | 3  | -7 | High  | High   | IBA         |
|   | NWR and Mud            | 9. | 5. |       |        | -Identified |
|   |                        | 87 | 28 |       |        |             |
|   | Island                 |    |    |       |        |             |
+---+------------------------+----+----+-------+--------+-------------+
| 9 | Middle Creek Wildlife  | 4  | -7 |       |        | IBA         |
|   | Management Area        | 0. | 6. |       |        | -Identified |
|   |                        | 27 | 24 |       |        |             |
+---+------------------------+----+----+-------+--------+-------------+
| 1 | Nockamixon State Park  | 4  | -7 | Not   |        |             |
| 0 |                        | 0. | 5. |       |        |             |
|   |                        | 46 | 23 |       |        |             |
+---+------------------------+----+----+-------+--------+-------------+
| 1 | Octoraro Reservoir     | 3  | -7 |       | High   | IBA         |
| 1 |                        | 9. | 6. |       |        | -Identified |
|   |                        | 80 | 05 |       |        |             |
+---+------------------------+----+----+-------+--------+-------------+
| 1 | Peace Valley Park      | 4  | -7 |       | Not    | IBA         |
| 2 |                        | 0. | 5. |       |        | -Identified |
|   |                        | 32 | 18 |       |        |             |
+---+------------------------+----+----+-------+--------+-------------+
| 1 | Quakertown Swamp SGL   | 4  | -7 |       | Not    | IBA         |
| 3 | 139                    | 0. | 5. |       |        | -Identified |
|   |                        | 40 | 32 |       |        |             |
+---+------------------------+----+----+-------+--------+-------------+

*Stratum 2: Heron Colonies (matrix stratum)*

This region supports a number of Great Blue Heron colonies and a few
Black-crowned Night-Heron colonies. Some of these range to over 50
active nests. The Pennsylvania Game Commission maintains a list of
active sites, and surveys these about every five years.

*Stratum 3: Lakes and Larger Ponds (matrix stratum)*

Scattered throughout this region are found many natural and man-made
lakes, ponds, and impoundments in addition to the designated sites which
support concentrations of waterfowl during migration.

***Source***: The species list was based on a checklist from 1 site with
revisions by Dan Brauning of the Pennsylvania Game Commission. In
addition, several county-based guides provide good reference to local
bird conditions, including: Schweinsberg's Birds of the Central
Susquehanna Valley; Uhrich, 1997, A Century of Bird Life in Berks
County, Pennsylvania; and Kitson, 1998, Birds of Bucks County.