Bethlehem, PA Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)

Section 941.02(c) of Article 941, the City's parks ordinance, is titled 'Wild Animals, Birds, Protective Species, Etc.' and its first paragraph, Section 941.02(c)(1), makes it unlawful for any person in a Bethlehem park to hunt, molest, harm, frighten, kill, trap, chase, tease, shoot or throw projectiles at any animal, reptile or bird. The same subsection separately bars anyone from removing or possessing the young of any wild animal, or the eggs, nest or young of any reptile or bird. The only carve-out is for authorized USDA animal control representatives or City of Bethlehem employees acting in that capacity.

The rule sits alongside Section 941.02(c)(2)'s ban on feeding park wildlife and Section 941.05(c)'s prohibition on discharging air rifles, spring guns, bow and arrows or slings capable of harming wildlife inside a park or aimed into one from outside its boundaries, cross-referencing Article 725's general ban on discharging firearms. Article 941 applies to every park, pond, trail and green space the City owns or leases for park, recreation, gardening or open-space purposes, as defined in Section 941.01, so it covers South Mountain, Monocacy and Saucon Parks along with smaller neighborhood parks and the South Bethlehem Greenway.

Enforcement runs through Section 941.09, which lets the Director, City park employees and police diligently enforce the article and eject any person violating it directly from the park.