Nearby
Within 15 minutes of the Penn campus by SEPTA.
BioPond
(Photo by Michelle Lin)
433 S. University Avenue
Part of the James G. Kaskey Memorial Park, the BioPond is located right in Penn’s campus. It is free and open all day, year-round, and is the home to hundreds of plant species.
Some of its residents include turtles, bullfrogs, and of course, Penn’s squirrels.
You may see a variety of species, including American robins, goldfinches, ovenbirds, Northern cardinals, and white-throated sparrows.
The Woodlands
4000 Woodland Avenue
Not much farther south is The Woodlands, once the estate of William Hamilton. Local investors preserved and transformed the land into a cemetery after 1840, and it still hosts an impressive diversity of trees today.
Dark-eyed juncos are commonly seen throughout the site, as well as nuthatches, tufted titmice, and birds of prey.
Bartram’s Garden
5400 Lindbergh Boulevard
Bartram’s Garden is easily accessible by the (previously Route 36) from the station near The Woodlands. It is located by the Schuylkill River and features a mix of wooded areas and open fields.
Its resident honeybees are active during the warmer seasons. Mallards, geese, and swallows may be found by the water, and woodpeckers, song sparrows, ravens, and crows may be found above land.
Within Philadelphia
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum
(Photo by Michelle Lin)
8601 Lindbergh Boulevard
John Heinz is a protected habitat with immense biodiversity. It contains woodlands, a creek, and a freshwater tidal marsh where herons, swallows, geese, and swans can be found. It is also home for blackbirds, warblers, and much more. Additionally, deer and a variety of plant and fungal growth can be found along its trails.
Wissahickon Valley Park
120 W. Northwestern Avenue
Located in West Philadelphia, Friends of the Wissahickon (FOW) maintains this sizable 2000-acre park. It is a wonderful area for outdoors activities like fishing, hiking, and you guessed it, birding.
While it may be a long trip from campus, FOW features many videos of the Wissahickon on their website.
Honorable Mentions
Frankford Transportation Center
5223 Frankford Avenue
While not necessarily a natural or scenic spot, Frankford Terminal hosts a huge pigeon colony. They can often be seen flying together in circles or performing displays for their mates.