Birds of Longwood Tour

Join experienced guides on a quest to discover Longwood's feathery inhabitants. The birding tours last approximately 2–3 hours.

During morning tours, enjoy guided walks featuring birds commonly seen in the Brandywine Valley. See below for a list of categories by date.

Outdoor clothing, good walking shoes/boots and binoculars are recommended. Tours meet in the Lobby of the Visitors Center.

Free with Gardens admission. Space is limited.

January

Winter Birds - Enjoy a beautiful winter stroll through the Gardens looking at wintering sparrows, nuthatches, woodpeckers & finches.  Last winter we saw White-winged Crossbill!

February

Waterfowl and Winter Birds - Spring migration is already beginning for waterfowl and a couple of other species. We will look for those, along with the usual wintering species.

March

Waterfowl - Waterfowl migration should be in full force now. We will search the wetlands for Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Wigeon, Pintail and a variety of ducks. We may see Coot, Grebes, and who knows what else!

April

Early Spring Warblers - Spring is beginning in earnest now. Plants will be budding, frogs peeping, and birds will be heading north! Sparrows, a few early warblers, ducks, and finches will be moving through. It is a great time for a rarity to show up!

May

Big Day at Longwood—Height of Spring Migration -  As part of International Migratory Bird Count, our experienced guide Larry will be at Longwood all day—counting birds. During the day, he will conduct a 3-hour walk, searching for warblers, vireos, flycatchers, shorebirds and whatever else drops in! The Bald Cypress are often teaming with warblers!

June

Breeding Birds - Breeding is well underway now at Longwood. We will search for species that regularly breed here, as well as those that do from time to time, like Marsh Wren and Blue Grosbeak.

July

Summer Birds and Herons - There should be lots of action at the Gardens now—breeders will have young to feed, and southbound migration has begun for shorebirds. We should see several species on the mudflats. In addition, Herons & Egrets will be around, having wandered from their breeding grounds.

August

Herons, Egrets & Shorebirds - The mudflats should hold several species of shorebirds, as well as Herons & Egrets. This is an exciting time at Longwood with many unusual sightings in past years—including Marsh Wren, Bittern and Sora.

September

Fall Migration - During this bird walk we will be looking for warblers, vireos, flycatchers and all the other resident and migrating species coming through. We expect to see over 100 species during the event.

October

Hawk Watch & Fall Migrants - Hawk migration is a thrilling thing to watch. In past years we have seen Bald Eagles on a regular basis, as well as Harriers, Cooper's Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawks, and many other species. You never know what might fly over. Wear a hat and sunscreen!

November

Waterfowl & Sparrows - A variety of waterfowl will be on the ponds including Wood Duck, Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck, and Green-winged Teal. We may also see Coot and a Grebe and who knows what else. In the woods, Sapsucker should be seen.

December

Early Winter Birds - Winter is a wondrous time at Longwood—for plants & birds. Our regular finches, sparrows, and woodpeckers are enhanced by northern visitors from afar. We sometimes see Pine Siskin, Purple Finch, Red-breasted Nuthatch and once-in-awhile something better. Last year there was White-winged Crossbills and a Pine Grosbeak!