By Mary Ann Thomas, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 12/3/25
That nasally caw that sounds like a sick American crow is likely a fish crow. While many think there is only one crow species in Western Pennsylvania, the times have changed. The smaller fish crow, which looks like an American crow, has become more abundant year-round, and the Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count has documented that and other trends. The fish crow is among at least eight bird species seen increasingly in the winter by a small army of volunteer bird watchers who will be counting them in the region later this month.
The 126th annual Christmas Bird Count, the nation’s longest-running community science bird project, is looking for volunteers. You don’t have to be an expert birder and can even stay inside your cozy home to count the visitors at the bird feeders. Four Audubon Christmas Bird Counts are scheduled for the region: Buffalo Creek Valley, Dec. 20; Mon Valley, Dec. 21; Pittsburgh, Dec. 27, and South Butler, Dec. 28.
“Beginning birders don’t need to be concerned that they can’t identify everything,” said Gabrielle Hughes, an environmental educator at the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania’s headquarters at Beechwood Farms in Fox Chapel. Whether it’s the bird count or field trips with the Audubon Society, the Three Rivers Birding Club, or other groups, it’s the best way to learn, Hughes said.
The Merlin bird identification app will only get you so far. “Tools like Merlin are helpful for learning bird identification, although they shouldn’t be used exclusively to determine a bird species,” she said. In fact, whether a bird species is present during the winter is another factor to weigh when identifying birds.
Sure, certain species arrive in the winter and show up at our feeders, like the slate-colored junco, white-throated sparrow and red-breasted nuthatch. The pine siskin, other finches and the red-breasted nuthatch make surprise appearances during some winters when they push south looking for food. Some species are found in the region more regularly in the winter because they decided to stick around all year or their distribution range is expanding in the state, Hughes said.
These are birds many people might not expect to see, but, according to Christmas Bird Count results, they are surely here. Those species include the chipping sparrow, a reliable summer resident that frequents parks, suburban yards and fields. “If you reported a chipping sparrow on a bird count some 20 years ago, the count leaders would have requested documentation,” Hughes said.
Typically migrating south for the winter, more chipping sparrows are staying, which causes consternation for some birders – the chipping sparrow’s plumage closely resembles the American tree sparrow, which is here only in the winter. Other conspicuous summer birds that spend the colder months here include the Northern mockingbird and Eastern towhee. Milder winter temperatures or increased habitat could be at play for some individuals of those two species to stay, Hughes said.
The turkey vulture was typically migratory. Its spring return is still heralded on Hinckley Buzzard Sunday in March in Hinckley, Ohio. “You wouldn’t see the turkey vulture on bird counts decades ago, but they are seen regularly, and their winter distribution range seems to be expanding,” Hughes said. The common raven, larger than our crows and also differentiated by its ragged throat feathers, has become more common in the region. “For them, it’s not necessarily a northward expansion, but they are more frequently seen in urban and suburban areas,” she said.
Some familiar species, such as the American robin and Eastern bluebird, are more common in the winter than in years past. “We’re seeing larger populations likely due to the changing climate and milder winters,” Hughes said. Both species, which are related, change their diet from insects and other invertebrates in the summer to fruit in the winter. Robins show up in large numbers, scouring fruiting trees and vines, including poison ivy, for berries. Another bird that is not on everyone’s radar during the colder months is the hermit thrush, a dainty brown-backed thrush with a spotted white breast and a distinctive red tail.
“It’s an interesting winter bird people are not familiar with,” Hughes said. It’s not one that will show up at your feeder, but it can be found in woodland areas and thickets. 12/8/25, 9:25 AM 8 bird species are showing up more often for winter in the Pittsburgh area |
While the hermit thrush is a reliable good find during the Christmas Bird Count, the other birds counted in the survey can be quite ordinary. But that is the point. Birds seen frequently and counted are cardinals, chickadees, blue jays and American crows. Hughes calls the common species “just-a-birds.” “Even counting common birds gives a better picture of their habitat, and changes to their population could be due to habitat, climate and other factors,” she said. Recent studies have documented some population decline in common birds. The Christmas count and other surveys document those changes and inform land management decisions. The public can help birds directly in their backyards with native plants that provide food and shelter for local birds.
“In the winter, you can really see the benefit of fruiting native trees and shrubs such as holly, crab apple, Virginia creeper and others,” Hughes said. To participate and learn more about the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, visit Audubon’s website, aswp.org, to find a count area near you and contact information.
