By Tawnya Panizzi, TribLive (5/28/2026)
Bird enthusiasts can flock to Buffalo Township or Fox Chapel to track warblers, hawks and ruby-throated hummingbirds as they migrate south in the coming weeks.
The Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania is hosting several fall migration bird hikes in advance of the first-ever Fall Migration Celebration in September.
“Avian migration is one of the most extraordinary natural events in the world,” said Chris Bason, executive director of Audubon, headquartered at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve in Fox Chapel.
“While spring migration is often the focus of many birding celebrations, Western Pennsylvania is an exceptional place to experience fall migration as millions of birds pass through the region each autumn.”
More than 350 species of birds migrate in North America each year, with millions of individual birds making the journey between breeding grounds in the north and wintering areas in the tropics.
Some birds, like tiny hummingbirds, fly more than 700 miles across the Gulf of Mexico each year.
Audubon will host naturalist-led hikes to view the birds in action. They are scheduled for Aug. 30 at Buffalo Creek Nature Park, a 6-acre site adjacent to the Buffalo-Freeport Community Trail; Sept. 5 at Beechwood Farms and Sept. 6 at Succop Nature Park, a 50-acre former farm estate in Penn Township. The cost is $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers.
On Sept. 19, a celebration will mark World Migratory Bird Day with a free, family-friendly event for all ages at Beechwood Farms. The day highlights the importance of protecting bird habitats and reducing threats such as habitat loss and collisions.
Activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. include guided bird walks, guest speakers and local conservation partners who will talk about window strike prevention, bird-friendly coffee and local habitat conservation efforts.
Festival-goers also will get to meet with Audubon’s raptor ambassadors and learn ways to help migrating birds in their own backyard.
“The celebration is designed to introduce the public to the incredible world of avian migration and showcase why Western Pennsylvania is such an important stopover,” Bason said. “The event will also highlight why conserving the habitats these birds rely on during their journey is so important.”
