Find Nature In Pennsylvania

Additional Wildlife of Pennsylvania

To flesh out your understanding of the region’s natural history, here is a breakdown of the specific taxa you can expect to encounter in the Keystone State.

Birds (Avifauna)

Pennsylvania is globally famous for Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, the world’s first refuge for birds of prey. Situated on the Kittatinny Ridge, it is a premier location to observe the autumn migration of thousands of raptors, including Broad-winged Hawks, Golden Eagles, and Bald Eagles, utilizing the thermal currents. The state bird, the Ruffed Grouse, is an icon of the young forest habitat; males are known for their “drumming” display, where they beat their wings against the air to create a low-frequency thumping sound to attract mates.

Mammals

The most significant conservation success story in the state is the Rocky Mountain Elk. Reintroduced to the north-central wild lands after being extirpated, the herd now numbers over 1,000 animals, creating a unique opportunity to view massive ungulates in an eastern woodland setting. The Allegheny Woodrat, a threatened species, clings to survival in rocky talus slopes and caves, distinct from the common Norway rat by its hairy tail and hoarding behavior. Black Bears in Pennsylvania are noted for their size and rapid growth rates, thanks to the immense productivity of the oak-hickory mast crops.

Insects

Pennsylvania’s state insect is the Pennsylvania Firefly (Photuris pennsylvanica), a nod to the high diversity of bioluminescent beetles found in the Allegheny National Forest, which hosts an annual festival dedicated to their mating displays. A unique conservation focus is the Regal Fritillary butterfly. The Fort Indiantown Gap National Guard training center hosts the only viable population of this species in the eastern United States, a rare instance where military disturbance of the soil maintains the early-successional habitat the butterfly requires.

Plants

The Mountain Laurel is the state flower, turning the understory of the acidic oak forests into a sea of white and pink blossoms in late spring. The Eastern Hemlock, the state tree, is the keystone species of the cool ravines and stream valleys, shading the water to maintain trout habitats. Sadly, it is currently under siege by the invasive Woolly Adelgid. In the serpentine barrens, you will find the Serpentine Aster, a plant found almost nowhere else on earth, adapted to the extreme mineral content of the soil.

Fungi

The dominance of oak forests makes Pennsylvania a prime location for Hen of the Woods (Grifola frondosa), a massive, ruffled polypore that grows at the base of old oaks and is highly prized for its culinary value. The Eastern Cauliflower Mushroom (Sparassis spathulata) is another distinct species found here, resembling a pile of egg noodles growing from the forest floor. The wet summers in the Poconos often trigger blooms of distinct, brightly colored Waxcap mushrooms (Hygrocybe species).

Pennsylvania Biodiversity Profile

Pennsylvania is ecologically defined by its name, literally “Penn’s Woods,” and serves as the keystone connecting the Atlantic seaboard to the Midwest. The state’s biological layout is dominated by the Ridge and Valley Province, a massive geological formation of folded mountains that creates a series of long, parallel ridges running southwest to northeast. These ridges function as a “superhighway” for migratory species, funneling birds and bats along the updrafts created by the topography. Between these ridges lie fertile limestone valleys, which, while heavily agricultural, support unique spring creeks renowned for their cold-water biodiversity.

To the north and west lies the Allegheny Plateau, a rugged, dissected highland that hosts the state’s deepest wilderness areas. This region, often referred to as the “PA Wilds,” contains vast tracts of northern hardwood and mixed oak forests. It creates a dark-sky refuge and a contiguous habitat block sufficient to support reintroduced megafauna that have vanished from much of the East Coast. The sheer density of this forest canopy plays a critical role in regional carbon sequestration and water filtration for the millions of people downstream.

The hydrology of the state is equally critical, anchored by the Susquehanna River. As one of the oldest river systems in the world, it drains the vast majority of the state and provides 50% of the freshwater entering the Chesapeake Bay. The health of the Susquehanna is directly linked to the health of the nation’s largest estuary. In the northwest corner, the state touches Lake Erie, providing a small but vital littoral zone that supports coastal wetland species and serves as a major staging ground for waterfowl.

Finally, Pennsylvania hosts unique, geologically driven habitats like the Serpentine Barrens in the southeast. These areas sit atop toxic, nutrient-poor serpentine rock that prevents the growth of typical forests. Instead, they support a prairie-like ecosystem of warm-season grasses and rare, endemic plants that have evolved specifically to tolerate the heavy metals in the soil.