The Birding Club of Delaware County (BCDC) in southeastern Pennsylvania is dedicated to appreciating and protecting wild birds in our region. For more than 25 years, BCDC has engaged in birding, conservation, and community. We come together to enjoy field trips, learn from program speakers, and discover and document the amazing avian diversity of Delaware County, PA and beyond.
BCDC activities include the Common Nighthawk Watch, Rose Tree Park Hawkwatch, Glenolden Christmas Bird Count, bluebird nestbox monitoring, coordinating the Pennsylvania Bird Atlas 3 county efforts, and more.
We support community science, conservation, and engaging the next generation in enjoyable, ethical birding. We welcome ALL birders to connect and get involved, regardless of experience, background, or identity.
BCDC is a vibrant local resource for birds and birders, and we support other organizations that advance avian interests and conservation. We are an all-volunteer organization with no paid staff. Our activities are free and open to all. We welcome member support if you are financially able to do so.
We invite you to join BCDC in the field, online, or in spirit – we look forward to connecting!
BCDC published an update to the Birds of Delaware County Pennsylvania in fall 2024.
The Birding Club of Delaware County (BCDC) published the original Birds of Delaware County Pennsylvania in 1999, edited by Nick Pulcinella, with illustrations, maps and design by Jim Lockyear. The reference was, at that time, a comprehensive guide to avian activity in the county, including birding locations with descriptions and maps, and a listing of all 317 recorded bird species in Delaware County with occurrence dates and frequency charts. This publication is no longer in print, but efforts are underway to create a digital version.
Nick Pulcinella recently completed Additions to the Birds of Delaware County detailing 31 additional species documented since then. The current Delaware County Bird List as of June 2024 stands at 346 species. Click on the link to view this PDF document.
We extend gratitude and appreciation to Nick Pulcinella for compiling this valuable information about birdlife of Delaware County, and to all who contributed information and photos. We look forward to future updates reflecting efforts of the vibrant birding community.
BCDC mourns the passing of Doris McGovern on December 28, 2025
We are sad to announce that Doris McGovern passed away on December 28, 2025 after a period of declining health while mourning her husband Patrick McGovern’s death four months ago. Doris accomplished much over her long, wide-reaching career, and her impact on the birding community is immeasurable. She served as president of the Birding Club of Delaware County (BCDC) 2012-2014, was a longtime, active Hawk Watcher at Rose Tree Park, and inspired countless birders who learned from her deep trove of knowledge. Doris was a certified master bird bander and was instrumental in the launch of the banding station at Willistown Conservation Trust’s Rushton Woods Preserve where she handled songbirds as well as Northern Saw-whet Owls. She studied and banded Purple Martins in Glen Mills and lent her banding credentials to many other locations. Doris was active at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge for decades as a volunteer bird walk leader, as well as overseeing surveys there for the Delaware County/Glenolden Christmas Bird Count, Philadelphia Mid-Winter Census, and the now-defunct PA Migratory Bird Count. She was a regional coordinator for the 2nd PA Breeding Bird Atlas and served as the Philadelphia county eBird reviewer for many years. Doris’s legacy was long, and she will be missed by many friends.
BCDC honors the memory of Tom Reeves.
Longtime BCDC member Tom Reeves passed away on December 24, 2024, at age 93. A lifelong birder, Tom was a friend, teacher, mentor and inspiration to countless people in the birding community. Ever-upbeat and welcoming to new birders, Tom was “my first bird walk leader” to many of us. Tom began volunteering as a guide at Tyler Arboretum, Media, in 1980 and led weekly bird walks there for more than 35 years. His enthusiasm, knowledge and kindness earned him a large and devoted following on those walks. Even after he stopped serving as a leader he continued to participate in the weekly bird walks whenever he could. Tom was also a longtime volunteer bird walk leader at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, board member of Valley Forge Audubon Society, and leader for numerous Christmas Bird Counts and surveys. Tom was not only a birder, but a highly knowledgeable naturalist. He generously shared about birds, plants, trees, and all things in nature, always with a smile and good humor. Tom’s impact and legacy are great, and he’ll be much missed.
BCDC joins Tom’s family, friends from Tyler Arboretum, and the birding community in honoring Tom Reeves through a memorial bench at Tyler Arboretum. In spring 2025 we collected donations for this purpose, and are deeply grateful to all who contributed. In October 2025, BCDC and Tyler Arboretum invited all to a Tom Reeves memorial bird walk, where we took a few minutes around his bench to remember and celebrate the man who connected with countless people.
Photo below of Tom Reeves (center, with ballcap) leading a bird walk at Tyler Arboretum, 2008, by Sarah Boucas-Neto
