Birds of the Susquehanna

The Susquehanna is one of Pennsylvania's premier eagle-watching corridors. Pairs nest in large sycamores and cottonwoods along the banks and are highly visible year-round, especially near the shad and herring runs in April.

April marks the height of osprey return migration along the Susquehanna. These spectacular fish-hunters hover 30–100 feet above the water before plunging feet-first to snatch a shad or bass.

The signature bird of the Susquehanna shallows. Great Blue Herons stand motionless in riffles and backwaters, striking at fish with lightning speed. Rookery Island near Washington Boro historically hosted hundreds of nesting pairs.

In late February and early March, the Conejohela Flats area (just south of Marietta) hosts thousands of Tundra Swans staging for their Arctic migration. By early April stragglers and small groups still move through.

These sleek, fish-eating diving ducks are winter and early-spring regulars on the Susquehanna. Males display an iridescent green head and red serrated bill; females sport a rusty-red crested head. Watch for them diving in swift current.

North America's smallest diving duck, the Bufflehead winters and spring-stages on the Susquehanna. Males are striking in black-and-white with an iridescent head patch. They dive rapidly and are quick to flush.

A fixture of the Susquehanna shoreline year-round. In April, resident pairs are establishing territories and nest sites along grassy river banks. Large flocks of migrants continue pushing north through the region.

Cormorants have increased dramatically on the Susquehanna in recent decades. They perch on rocks and channel markers with wings spread to dry — a prehistoric-looking posture. Groups fish cooperatively in the main channel.

The most common gull on the Susquehanna. Ring-bills are opportunists that follow shad-fishing boats, scavenge along banks, and loaf on sandbars and parking lots. The bold black ring around the yellow bill is the key field mark.

A year-round resident of the Susquehanna, the Belted Kingfisher patrols its riverside territory with loud rattling calls. It perches on snags above the water, then dives headlong to catch small fish.

One of the first swallows to return in spring, Tree Swallows swarm over the Susquehanna's surface snapping up emerging insects. Their iridescent blue-green backs flash in the sunlight.

Among the most strikingly beautiful North American ducks, Wood Ducks favor wooded backwater sloughs along the Susquehanna. The male's rainbow plumage and squealing flight call are unmistakable.

The familiar dabbling duck of every riverside park and boat launch. Mallards are year-round residents whose numbers swell with migrants in spring and fall. Pairs engage in head-pumping courtship displays in early spring.

Tall and snow-white, Great Egrets wade deliberately through the shallows hunting fish and frogs. They return to the Susquehanna each spring and often share foraging areas with Great Blue Herons.

The most conspicuous shorebird along the Susquehanna, the Killdeer nests on gravel bars and open shores. Its namesake kill-deer call rings across the flats, and its broken-wing distraction display is one of nature's best bluffs.

The teetering bobbing motion of the Spotted Sandpiper is immediately recognizable. It nests along the Susquehanna's stony banks, picking invertebrates from the water's edge with its orange-based bill.

Graceful and buoyant, Common Terns pass through during spring migration and occasionally nest on Susquehanna islands. They plunge-dive for fish with precision far greater than the gulls they sometimes travel with.

The most widespread buteo in North America, the Red-tailed Hawk soars on broad wings over river ridges and farmland edges bordering the Susquehanna. Its brick-red tail glows in sunlight when banking.

Crows are intelligent and vocal year-round residents of the river valley. They forage along shorelines, mob raptors, and roost communally in riparian woodlands. Their loud caw is the constant soundtrack of the Susquehanna corridor.

One of the most abundant and musically gifted birds of the Susquehanna's weedy edge habitat. Song Sparrows pump their striped tails in flight and deliver rich, varied songs from shrubs at the water's edge throughout the day.

Males arrive along the Susquehanna in late February, staking out cattail and shrub territories with their liquid conk-la-ree song. By April the marshes and weedy shorelines are packed with nesting pairs.

A large, brownish woodpecker equally at home on the ground, the Northern Flicker forages for ants in grassy areas along the Susquehanna's banks. Its bright yellow underwings flash spectacularly in flight.

One of the earliest spring migrants to return, the Eastern Phoebe arrives on the Susquehanna by late February or early March. It nests under bridges and in rock ledges along the river, constantly pumping its tail while perched.

Sleek and masked, Cedar Waxwings travel in tight flocks along the Susquehanna, descending on fruiting trees and berry-bearing shrubs. They are present in some numbers year-round but are most conspicuous in spring and fall.

Small and secretive, the Green Heron haunts the brushy margins of the Susquehanna where overhanging vegetation meets calm backwaters. It occasionally drops bait — a leaf or small object — onto the water to attract fish.