9781684582785
Distributed for Brandeis University Press
Birdwatching in New York City and on Long Island
New edition
A new, updated edition of a beloved guide helps birders spot and identify the hundreds of species that inhabit America’s largest metropolitan area.
Over five hundred species of birds can be seen in New York City’s five boroughs and on Long Island, one of the most densely populated and urbanized regions in North America, which also happens to be situated directly on the Atlantic Flyway. In this fragmented environment where resources are scarce, birds congregate in small spaces—Central Park alone attracts over 225 species of birds (not to mention birders from around the world who flock to the park during spring and fall migration). Beyond Central Park, the five boroughs and Long Island boast numerous wildlife refuges of extraordinary scenic beauty where resident and migratory birds inhabit forests, wetlands, grasslands, and beaches. These places present a unique opportunity to see a wide array of songbirds, endangered nesting shorebirds, raptors, and an unprecedented number and variety of waterfowl.
The fully updated edition of this easy-to-use guide provides year-round information for both popular birding sites as well as those off the beaten path. Precise directions to the best viewing locations within the region’s diverse habitats enable birdwatchers to explore urban and wild birding hot spots. Including the latest information on the seasonal status and distribution of more than four hundred species, and featuring thirty-nine maps and over fifty photographs, this full-color guide offers information essential to locals and visitors alike. This is the go-to book for both longtime birders and those exploring the area for the first time.
Over five hundred species of birds can be seen in New York City’s five boroughs and on Long Island, one of the most densely populated and urbanized regions in North America, which also happens to be situated directly on the Atlantic Flyway. In this fragmented environment where resources are scarce, birds congregate in small spaces—Central Park alone attracts over 225 species of birds (not to mention birders from around the world who flock to the park during spring and fall migration). Beyond Central Park, the five boroughs and Long Island boast numerous wildlife refuges of extraordinary scenic beauty where resident and migratory birds inhabit forests, wetlands, grasslands, and beaches. These places present a unique opportunity to see a wide array of songbirds, endangered nesting shorebirds, raptors, and an unprecedented number and variety of waterfowl.
The fully updated edition of this easy-to-use guide provides year-round information for both popular birding sites as well as those off the beaten path. Precise directions to the best viewing locations within the region’s diverse habitats enable birdwatchers to explore urban and wild birding hot spots. Including the latest information on the seasonal status and distribution of more than four hundred species, and featuring thirty-nine maps and over fifty photographs, this full-color guide offers information essential to locals and visitors alike. This is the go-to book for both longtime birders and those exploring the area for the first time.
320 pages | 57 color plates; 42 maps; 22 tables | 6 x 9 | © 2025
Biological Sciences: Conservation, Ecology
Reviews
Table of Contents
The Bronx
Key Sites
Pelham Bay Park
New York Botanical Garden
Van Cortlandt Park
Other Places to Find Birds in the Bronx
Woodlawn Cemetery*
Wave Hill*
Riverdale Park / Raoul Wallenberg Forest Preserve
Spuyten Duyvil Shorefront Park
Crotona Park
Ferry Point Park
North Brother and South Brother Islands
Brooklyn
Key Sites
Prospect Park
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Green-Wood Cemetery
Brooklyn Bridge Park
Shirley Chisholm State Park
Coastal Brooklyn Winter Waterfowl Viewing
Brooklyn Bridge Park*
Bush Terminal Piers Park*
Brooklyn Army Terminal Pier 4
Owls Head Park and American Veterans Memorial Pier
Gravesend Bay*
Calvert Vaux Park*
Coney Island Creek*
Coney Island Creek Park
Coney Island Pier (Pat Auletta Steeplechase Pier)
Plumb Beach*
Floyd Bennett Field
Dead Horse Bay and Dead Horse Point
Salt Marsh Nature Center at Marine Park
Canarsie Pier*
Canarsie Park
Fresh Creek Nature Preserve
Hendrix Creek* and Betts Creek (also known as Old Mill Creek or Spring Creek)
Other Places to Find Birds in Brooklyn
Bush Terminal Piers Park*
Owls Head Park and American Veterans Memorial Pier
Calvert Vaux Park*
Plumb Beach*
Four Sparrow Marsh
Manhattan
Key Sites
Central Park
Inwood Hill Park
Fort Tryon Park
Sherman Creek and Swindler Cove
Randall’s Island
Governors Island
The Battery
Other Places to Find Birds in Manhattan
Bryant Park*
Madison Square Park
Union Square Park
Washington Square Park
Morningside Park
Riverside Park and “the Drip”
Hudson River Greenway Biking
The High Line
Carl Schurz Park and the East River
Peter Detmold Park
Nassau County
Key Sites
Jones Beach State Park
John F. Kennedy Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary and Tobay Beach
Point Lookout
Nickerson Beach
Cow Meadow Park and Preserve
Marine Nature Study Area, also known as Oceanside
Hempstead Lake State Park
Peter J. Schmitt Massapequa Preserve and Tackapausha Museum and Preserve
South Shore Winter Freshwater Birding
Grant Park*
Lofts Pond Park
Milburn Pond
Cow Meadow Park and Preserve*
Cammanns Pond Park*
Mill Pond Park and Twin Lakes Preserve, including Wantagh Pond and Seaman Pond
Peter J. Schmitt Massapequa Preserve and Tackapausha Museum and Preserve
The North Shore
Muttontown Preserve
Sands Point Preserve
Other Places to Find Birds on Nassau County’s North Shore
Whitney Pond Park
Leeds Pond Preserve
Hempstead Harbor Shoreline Trail
William Cullen Bryant Preserve
Garvies Point Preserve
Welwyn Preserve
Stehli Beach Preserve and Charles E. Ransom Beach
Centre Island Beach*
Bailey Arboretum
Shu Swamp (Charles T. Church Nature Sanctuary)*
Upper and Lower Francis Ponds
Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park
Mill Pond in Oyster Bay
Sagamore Hill
Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center
St. John’s Pond Preserve
Uplands Farm Sanctuary
Queens
Key Sites
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Big Egg Marsh (Broad Channel American Park) and Sunset Cove Park
Jacob Riis Park and Fort Tilden
Breezy Point
Forest Park
Queens Botanical Garden
Alley Pond Park and Oakland Lake
Other Places to Find Birds in Queens
Fort Totten and Little Bay Parks
Hermon A. MacNeil Park
World’s Fair Marina*
Kissena Park and Corridor
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Willow Lake
Highland Park and Ridgewood Reservoir
Cemetery of the Evergreens
Baisley Pond Park*
Idlewild, Brookville, and North Woodmere Parks
Springfield Park
Edgemere Landfill (Rockaway Community Park)
Rockaway Beach Endangered Species Nesting Area *
Staten Island
Key Sites
Clove Lakes Park
High Rock Park and Conservation Center and Paulo’s Peak (formerly Moses Mountain)
Miller Field, Midland Beach, and South Beach
Great Kills Park
Blue Heron Park Preserve
Wolfe’s Pond Park and Acme Pond
Lemon Creek Park
Mount Loretto Unique Area and North Mount Loretto State Forest
Long Pond Park
Conference House Park
Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve
Willowbrook Park
Goethals Pond Complex, including Bridge Creek, Old Place Creek Park, and Goethals Pond
Snug Harbor and Allison Pond Park
Other Places to Find Birds on Staten Island
Silver Lake Park
Fort Wadsworth*
Reed’s Basket Willow Swamp*
LaTourette Park
Paulo’s Peak (formerly Moses Mountain)
Moravian Cemetery
Oakwood Beach*
King Fisher Park
Brookfield Park
Freshkills Park* and William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge
Tottenville Train Station
In Case You Were Wondering
Mariner’s Marsh Park
Harbor Herons Complex—Shooters and Prall’s Islands
Staten Island Ferry
Suffolk County
Western Suffolk
Robert Moses State Park (Key Site)
Captree State Park and Gilgo Beach
Sunken Forest at Sailors Haven and Watch Hill
Smith Point County Park
Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge
Terrell River County Park
Quogue Wildlife Refuge
Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve (Key Site)
Target Rock National Wildlife Refuge
Tung Ting Pond and Mill Pond
Sunken Meadow State Park (Key Site)
Blydenburgh Park
David Weld Sanctuary
Connetquot River State Park (Key Site)
Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park
Heckscher State Park
Central Suffolk County, including the Grasslands
Wading River Marsh Preserve*
Wildwood State Park
Hulse Landing Road*
EPCAL (Key Site)
Calverton Ponds Preserve* and Preston’s Pond*
“The Buffalo Farm”
Golden Triangle Sod Farms in Riverhead*
The South Fork and Shelter Island
Shinnecock Bay and Inlet (Key Site)
Dune Road (Key Site)
Cupsogue Beach County Park (Key Site)
Mecox Bay*
Sagaponack (or Sagg) Pond
Smith Corner Preserve (Sagg Bridge)
Poxabogue County Park and Sagg Swamp Preserve
Shorts Pond
Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge
Lovelady Park
Mashomack Preserve on Shelter Island (Key Site)
The North Fork
Orient Point County Park (Key Site)
Plum Island
Orient Beach State Park*
Truman’s Beach
Orient Harbor
Ruth Oliva Preserve at Dam Pond
Inlet Pond County Park
Moore’s Woods
Arshamomaque Preserve
Arshamomaque Pond Preserve (Paul Stoutenburgh Preserve)*
Cedar Beach County Park
Goldsmith’s Inlet Park*
Nassau Point of Little Hog Neck
Downs Farm Preserve
Marratooka Lake Park (Marratooka Pond)
Husing Pond Preserve
Laurel Lake
Montauk Peninsula
Montauk Point State Park and Camp Hero State Park (Key Site)
Shadmoor State Park and Ditch Plains
Hither Hills State Park
Hook Pond*
Key Sites
Pelham Bay Park
New York Botanical Garden
Van Cortlandt Park
Other Places to Find Birds in the Bronx
Woodlawn Cemetery*
Wave Hill*
Riverdale Park / Raoul Wallenberg Forest Preserve
Spuyten Duyvil Shorefront Park
Crotona Park
Ferry Point Park
North Brother and South Brother Islands
Brooklyn
Key Sites
Prospect Park
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Green-Wood Cemetery
Brooklyn Bridge Park
Shirley Chisholm State Park
Coastal Brooklyn Winter Waterfowl Viewing
Brooklyn Bridge Park*
Bush Terminal Piers Park*
Brooklyn Army Terminal Pier 4
Owls Head Park and American Veterans Memorial Pier
Gravesend Bay*
Calvert Vaux Park*
Coney Island Creek*
Coney Island Creek Park
Coney Island Pier (Pat Auletta Steeplechase Pier)
Plumb Beach*
Floyd Bennett Field
Dead Horse Bay and Dead Horse Point
Salt Marsh Nature Center at Marine Park
Canarsie Pier*
Canarsie Park
Fresh Creek Nature Preserve
Hendrix Creek* and Betts Creek (also known as Old Mill Creek or Spring Creek)
Other Places to Find Birds in Brooklyn
Bush Terminal Piers Park*
Owls Head Park and American Veterans Memorial Pier
Calvert Vaux Park*
Plumb Beach*
Four Sparrow Marsh
Manhattan
Key Sites
Central Park
Inwood Hill Park
Fort Tryon Park
Sherman Creek and Swindler Cove
Randall’s Island
Governors Island
The Battery
Other Places to Find Birds in Manhattan
Bryant Park*
Madison Square Park
Union Square Park
Washington Square Park
Morningside Park
Riverside Park and “the Drip”
Hudson River Greenway Biking
The High Line
Carl Schurz Park and the East River
Peter Detmold Park
Nassau County
Key Sites
Jones Beach State Park
John F. Kennedy Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary and Tobay Beach
Point Lookout
Nickerson Beach
Cow Meadow Park and Preserve
Marine Nature Study Area, also known as Oceanside
Hempstead Lake State Park
Peter J. Schmitt Massapequa Preserve and Tackapausha Museum and Preserve
South Shore Winter Freshwater Birding
Grant Park*
Lofts Pond Park
Milburn Pond
Cow Meadow Park and Preserve*
Cammanns Pond Park*
Mill Pond Park and Twin Lakes Preserve, including Wantagh Pond and Seaman Pond
Peter J. Schmitt Massapequa Preserve and Tackapausha Museum and Preserve
The North Shore
Muttontown Preserve
Sands Point Preserve
Other Places to Find Birds on Nassau County’s North Shore
Whitney Pond Park
Leeds Pond Preserve
Hempstead Harbor Shoreline Trail
William Cullen Bryant Preserve
Garvies Point Preserve
Welwyn Preserve
Stehli Beach Preserve and Charles E. Ransom Beach
Centre Island Beach*
Bailey Arboretum
Shu Swamp (Charles T. Church Nature Sanctuary)*
Upper and Lower Francis Ponds
Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park
Mill Pond in Oyster Bay
Sagamore Hill
Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center
St. John’s Pond Preserve
Uplands Farm Sanctuary
Queens
Key Sites
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Big Egg Marsh (Broad Channel American Park) and Sunset Cove Park
Jacob Riis Park and Fort Tilden
Breezy Point
Forest Park
Queens Botanical Garden
Alley Pond Park and Oakland Lake
Other Places to Find Birds in Queens
Fort Totten and Little Bay Parks
Hermon A. MacNeil Park
World’s Fair Marina*
Kissena Park and Corridor
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Willow Lake
Highland Park and Ridgewood Reservoir
Cemetery of the Evergreens
Baisley Pond Park*
Idlewild, Brookville, and North Woodmere Parks
Springfield Park
Edgemere Landfill (Rockaway Community Park)
Rockaway Beach Endangered Species Nesting Area *
Staten Island
Key Sites
Clove Lakes Park
High Rock Park and Conservation Center and Paulo’s Peak (formerly Moses Mountain)
Miller Field, Midland Beach, and South Beach
Great Kills Park
Blue Heron Park Preserve
Wolfe’s Pond Park and Acme Pond
Lemon Creek Park
Mount Loretto Unique Area and North Mount Loretto State Forest
Long Pond Park
Conference House Park
Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve
Willowbrook Park
Goethals Pond Complex, including Bridge Creek, Old Place Creek Park, and Goethals Pond
Snug Harbor and Allison Pond Park
Other Places to Find Birds on Staten Island
Silver Lake Park
Fort Wadsworth*
Reed’s Basket Willow Swamp*
LaTourette Park
Paulo’s Peak (formerly Moses Mountain)
Moravian Cemetery
Oakwood Beach*
King Fisher Park
Brookfield Park
Freshkills Park* and William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge
Tottenville Train Station
In Case You Were Wondering
Mariner’s Marsh Park
Harbor Herons Complex—Shooters and Prall’s Islands
Staten Island Ferry
Suffolk County
Western Suffolk
Robert Moses State Park (Key Site)
Captree State Park and Gilgo Beach
Sunken Forest at Sailors Haven and Watch Hill
Smith Point County Park
Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge
Terrell River County Park
Quogue Wildlife Refuge
Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve (Key Site)
Target Rock National Wildlife Refuge
Tung Ting Pond and Mill Pond
Sunken Meadow State Park (Key Site)
Blydenburgh Park
David Weld Sanctuary
Connetquot River State Park (Key Site)
Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park
Heckscher State Park
Central Suffolk County, including the Grasslands
Wading River Marsh Preserve*
Wildwood State Park
Hulse Landing Road*
EPCAL (Key Site)
Calverton Ponds Preserve* and Preston’s Pond*
“The Buffalo Farm”
Golden Triangle Sod Farms in Riverhead*
The South Fork and Shelter Island
Shinnecock Bay and Inlet (Key Site)
Dune Road (Key Site)
Cupsogue Beach County Park (Key Site)
Mecox Bay*
Sagaponack (or Sagg) Pond
Smith Corner Preserve (Sagg Bridge)
Poxabogue County Park and Sagg Swamp Preserve
Shorts Pond
Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge
Lovelady Park
Mashomack Preserve on Shelter Island (Key Site)
The North Fork
Orient Point County Park (Key Site)
Plum Island
Orient Beach State Park*
Truman’s Beach
Orient Harbor
Ruth Oliva Preserve at Dam Pond
Inlet Pond County Park
Moore’s Woods
Arshamomaque Preserve
Arshamomaque Pond Preserve (Paul Stoutenburgh Preserve)*
Cedar Beach County Park
Goldsmith’s Inlet Park*
Nassau Point of Little Hog Neck
Downs Farm Preserve
Marratooka Lake Park (Marratooka Pond)
Husing Pond Preserve
Laurel Lake
Montauk Peninsula
Montauk Point State Park and Camp Hero State Park (Key Site)
Shadmoor State Park and Ditch Plains
Hither Hills State Park
Hook Pond*