On this page you will find a list of birds that will most commonly be found at the garden.
Northern Cardinals are very common in the Pittsburgh area. They do not migrate, so they live here year-round. They eat insects, seeds, and small fruits making them omnivores. Their favorite food are sunflower seeds. The grow to about 7-9 inches long and weigh an average of 1.6 oz. Fun Fact! This song bird can make over 25 sounds!
Both House and Song Sparrows are common in the area. House Sparrows have more solid colors while Song Sparrows are more speckled with color. House Sparrows stay year-round and Song Sparrows migrate south for winter. Both are very small animals, growing to about 4-8 inches long and weighing 0.8-1.4 oz. Their diet consists of small insects, grain, seed, and grasses. Fun Fact! House Sparrows mate for life.
The Mourning Dove, otherwise known as a turtle dove, is one of the most common birds found in Pittsburgh. They migrate south for winter, going as far as Mexico. These birds usually only eat seeds, grain, and grass, but will occasionally eat a berry or snail. They grow to about 12 inches long and weigh 4.5 oz. Fun Fact! Baby mourning doves, fledglings, live on the ground for about 3 days before flying.
The Blue Jay is another amazing bird common to the area. Although most Blue Jays stay in one place over the winter, some do migrate in the winter months. Blue Jays are omnivores, eating various types of nuts, grains, seeds, berries, and the occasional beetle. These birds typically grow to 9-12 inches long, weighing in at 2.5-3.5 oz. Fun Fact! These birds, along with other animals, have been known to eat humming bird eggs and babies as treats.
The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird is one of the smallest birds that you could see in the garden. These Hummingbirds arrive in Southwestern Pennsylvania in late April to May from their southern winter homes. A Ruby-Throated Hummingbird will eat half it’s weight in bugs and nectar each day. These adorable birds grow to 3-5 inches long and weighing less than an ounce. Fun Fact! Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards.
The Old World Oriole, otherwise known as the Baltimore Oriole, is one of the brightest birds in the area. These birds migrate to Mexico and South America for the fall, but come up to Eastern and Central North America for breeding season. Orioles eat berries and other fruit, invertebrates, and the occasional vertebrates. They grow to about 7-12 inches and weigh between 2-5 ounces. Fun Fact! The Oriole gets it’s name from the Latin word “aureolus”, meaning “golden”.
The American Robin is one of the most common and beloved birds of the area. These birds travel to Mexico and South America during winter, and fly back up north as far as Alaska during breeding season. These Robins eat insects, berries, and earthworms. Adults grow to anywhere between 7.9 inches and 11 inches. They typically weigh 2.7-3 oz. Fun Fact! American Robins are a symbol of good luck, happiness, and rebirth!
The Downy Woodpecker is one of the many woodpeckers that call this area home. These birds don’t migrate great distances, just into valleys from the mountains. These woodpeckers mostly munch on insects like beetles, ants, caterpillars, and more. They will not shy away from seeds and berries if the opportunity arises. They only grow to about 14-18 centimeters and weigh only 0.74-0.99 oz. Fun Fact! Downy woodpeckers have special feathers around their nostrils; these feathers keep the birds from breathing in wood chips.
Although they look very similar, the Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers are different. Hairy woodpeckers are also mostly permanent residents. They also mostly eat insects. These birds grow to 9.8 inches long and weigh 1.5-3.5 oz. Fun Fact! They build entrances to their nest on the bottom, which makes it difficult for invaders to attack.
American Goldfinches are in the group of most colorful birds in the area! These birds migration is fairly irregular. They stay north were areas have abundant food sources, otherwise moving as far as Mexico. Their diet mostly consists of seeds, buds, bark, maple sap, and a few insects. They grow to 4.3-5.5 inches long and weigh only 0.7 oz. Fun Fact! Although this bird prefers to nest in trees, during winter they will make burrows underneath the snow!
The House Finch is a beautiful bird that calls our area home. While they tend to be permanent residents out West, these birds travel South from their Eastern homes for winter. They eat almost exclusively plant material, including buds, seeds, and fruit. Adults are 5-6 inches long and weigh 0.75 oz. Fun Fact! House Finches have the most vegetarian diet out of any North American bird!
The American Crow is one of the most prominent birds in the area. These Crows are typically residents in Pittsburgh, but can migrate South for winter. They eat almost anything they can find, but some of their favorites include insects, spiders, snails, earthworms, frogs, small snakes, shellfish, carrion, eggs and the young of other birds, garbage, seeds, grain, and fruit. Adults grow to about 16-21 inches long and weigh in at about 11-21 oz. Fun Fact! Crows will have funerals for their deceased.
The White-Breasted Nuthatch is a common and beautiful bird that you could catch a glimpse of in the garden. These birds are permanent residents in their homes, not typically migrating. They eat mostly insects and spiders during summer, then switch to seeds in winter. They can grow to about 5.1-5.5 inches long and weigh from 0.6 to 1.1 oz. Fun Fact! They are known as the “upside down” bird, it’s often observed creeping headfirst down tree trunks while searching cracks and crevices for insects.
These birds have a beautiful feather pattern! Red-Winged Blackbirds will migrate South for winter during late August through October. They eat mostly insects like beetles and grasshoppers during the summer, but their usual diet consists of grasses, weeds, seeds, and waste grain. They grow to 6.6-9.4 inches and weigh 1.1-2.7 oz. Fun Fact! They are highly polygamous species, with one male having up to 15 different females making nests in his territory.
The European Starling showcases a beautiful feather pattern. These birds usually migrate South for the winter, typically to Southern states or Mexico. They eat mostly insects when available to them, their favorites being beetles, grasshoppers, flies, and caterpillars. They also eat spiders, snails, berries, seeds, and occasionally flower nectar. They grow to about 8.5 inches and weigh 3.5 oz. Fun Fact! Although these birds are beautiful, they are invasive to our area.
The Brown-Headed Cowbird’s pattern may be simple, but they are amazing birds! They are known as short-distance migrators, staying inside North America for migration. They eat mostly seeds and insects like grasshoppers and beetles. They grow to 6-8 inches long and weigh 1.5 oz. Fun Fact! These birds are nest parasites, meaning they lay their eggs in other birds’ nests in hopes they will raise them, which they typically do.
House Wrens are a small and adorable bird you have a chance of seeing at the garden! The House Wren migrates South for winter, typically to Mexico and the Southern states. Their diet includes mostly insects like beetles, flies, grasshoppers, and moths. Adults get to about 4.3-5.2 inches long and weigh 0.35 to 0.42 oz. Fun Fact! They have one of the largest vocal ranges of any songbird in the New World!
The Rock Dove, otherwise known as a Pigeon, is very commonly found in the Pittsburgh area. These Doves do not migrate. When they aren’t in cities, they feed on mostly seeds, berries, acorns, and a few earthworms. In cities they typically eat whatever they can get their beaks into. They grow to about 11-13 inches long and weigh 8.4-13 oz. Fun Fact! These birds were used as messenger pigeons during the First and Second World Wars.
This beautiful bird is one of the most common to the area! These birds do not migrate. Their diet consists of seeds, berries, and insects. They grow to about 4-6 inches and weigh 0.39 oz. Fun Fact! These birds are known for burring their food until a they need a snack!
This bird is one of the many you could see flying around the garden! These birds are residents, so they do not migrate. The Tufted Titmouse diet consists of mostly seeds and insects, some including caterpillars, beetles, wasps, bees, and more. They grow to about 5.5-6.3 inches in length and weigh only 0.6-0.9 oz. Fun Fact! These birds are highly intelligent and are known for perching upside down to look for bugs on the under side of branches.
The Common Grackle is very common around the Pittsburgh area. Some Grackles are residents in Southern states such as Florida and Texas, but the ones that live in the North will migrate South for winter. They will mostly eat living things, like beetles, grubs, grasshoppers, spiders, minnows, frogs, lizards, and small rodents. They will also eat seeds. Adult Grackles will grow to 11-13 inches and weigh 2.6-5 oz. Fun Fact! The Common Grackle often allows ants to crawl over its body so that they may secrete formic acid, which is thought to kill parasites, a practice called anting.
The Pileated Woodpecker is one of the many woodpeckers in the area. These birds live year-round in their homes. Their primary diet is mostly carpenter ants, other ants, termites, beetle larvae, flies, and cockroaches. Adults will grow to 16-19 inches long and weigh 7.9- 14.1 oz. Fun Fact! The Pileated Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in North America!
The Red-Bellied Woodpecker is very common in this area. These birds are not strictly migratory, although some will wander North in the fall and stay throughout the winter months. Over half of their diet comes from plant material during some seasons like nuts and seeds, but they will also eat tree frogs, sap, eggs of small birds, and some smaller fish. Adults grow to 9-10.5 inches long and weigh 2-3.2 oz. Fun Fact! The Red-Bellied Woodpecker can stick it’s tongue out almost 2 inches past it’s beak!
The Eastern Bluebird is one of the most beautiful birds that you could see in the garden. The Northern population of these birds are all migratory, but the ones that live in the South are residents. They eat many berries in winter, but also eat many bugs such as beetles, crickets, earthworms. These Bluebirds will grow to about 6.3-8.3 inches long and weigh 0.95-1.2 oz. Fun Fact! The Eastern Bluebird is apart of lots of Native American legends; it acts as a symbol of love, hope, and renewal.
These are one of the many types of sparrow you could see in the garden. The chipping Sparrows we see in Pittsburgh are migratory and fly down South for winter. They are omnivores, eating insects like leafhoppers, caterpillars, and beetles. These birds will also eat many seeds and grasses in the fall and winter months. Adults can grow up to 5.9 inches in length and weigh 0.6 oz. Fun Fact! Chipping Sparrows may molt the feathers of their face and throat up to six times in one year!
The Dark-Eyed Juncos are one of the more dark colored birds that could be seen in the garden. Juncos that live in the Appalachian Mountains are year-round residents. They will eat seeds and some berries in winter, but during the summer Dark-eyed Juncos eat insects like grasshoppers, caterpillars, and true bugs. Adults of this species grow up to 6.9 inches long and weigh up to an ounce. Fun Fact! These Juncos are known to breed with White-Throated Sparrows!
The Pine Siskin is a very interesting bird you have a shot at seeing at the garden. These birds are sporadic migrators, but live in the Pittsburgh area during non-breeding seasons and move up to Canada and Alaska to breed in the spring. They eat lots of vegetables, seeds of trees, buds, nectar, caterpillars, and aphids. Adults are quite small, growing up to 5.5 inches in length and weigh up to 0.6 oz. Fun Fact! These birds must defend their nests during egg season from other birds of the same species.
This bird is one of the most beautiful that live in the area. The Rose-Breasted Grosbeak lives up in the Northern parts of the US to Eastern Canada during spring, and fly down to Central and South America for winter. Their diet consists of mostly seeds, berries and insects throughout all seasons. They also will eat buds of flowers, nectar, and more. Adults can be up 8.7 inches long and weigh from 1.2 to 2.3 oz. Fun Fact! The male rose-breasted grosbeak is sometimes called the “cutthroat bird” due to the bright scarlet patch along its throat and chest.
This Sparrow is just one of the many you could fin in the area. They live in the Pittsburgh area during winter and migrate up to Alaska and Artic Canada for spring. They eat mostly grass and weed seeds, berries, and buds. The adults of this species can grow up to 6.3 inches long and weigh just an ounce. Fun Fact! White-crowned Sparrows can run on a treadmill at a pace of about one-third of a mile an hour without tiring out.
The White-Throated Sparrow is just another amazing sparrow you can find at the garden. These birds live in Canada during spring and live in the US during winter months. During their breeding season they eat mostly ants, flies, spiders, millipedes, and snails. Their winter diet is mostly seeds, weeds, and berries. Adult White-Throated Sparrows can grow up to 7.5 inches in length and weigh up to 1.13 oz. Fun Fact! These birds have two voice boxes called syrinxes!
The Gray Catbird is just another very interesting bird you can find around the area! These birds live in PA during the summer to breed, then fly South to Eastern parts of Mexico and the Cuban islands. They eat mostly berries and insects all year, including grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars. The adult Gray Catbird grows up to 9 inches and weigh 1.2 ounces. Fun Fact! They can have a repertoire of up to 100 different syllables and their songs can last up to 10 minutes!
The Northern Mocking bird is a beautiful sight to see in the garden! These birds are year-round residents in most of the US, including PA. Their summer diet is mostly insects, while their winter and fall diet is mostly seeds and berries. They grow up to 10.2 inches long and weigh up to 2 ounces. Fun Fact! A male Northern Mocking bird may learn up to 200 songs in it’s lifetime.
The Red-Breasted Nuthatch is a very beautiful bird that lives in the area! These birds live here during the winter months, but travel North during spring to breed. They eat mostly insects and seeds, especially seeds from conifers. An adult may grow up to 4.5 inches in length and weigh up to 0.35 oz. Fun Fact! Red-breasted Nuthatches sometimes steal nest-lining material from the nests of other birds.
The Carolina Wren is a beautiful and year-long resident of the Pittsburgh area! They eat mostly seeds, berries, and insects like crickets, beetles, and caterpillars. They may also feed on the occasional frog or small lizard. Adult Carolina Wrens may grow up to 5.5 inches long and weigh 0.81 ounces. Fun Fact! Males make several nests, from which the female chooses one in which to lay her eggs.
The Common Raven is a very prominent bird in the US and can be found around the garden. Though they do not migrate, breeding Ravens do relocate for nesting every year. These birds will eat anything from small mammals, eggs, and berries. An adult Raven grows to about 26 inches and weighs up to 53 ounces. Fun Fact! Ravens have been known to use tools to obtain food and aid in defending their territories.
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