Birding in New York

The top birding locations in New York include Central Park, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, Prospect Park, Van Cortlandt Park, Forest Park, Jones Beach State Park, Sterling Forest State Park, Inwood Hill Park, Fort Tilden, Pelham Bay Park, Alley Pond Park, Amherst State Park, Arshamomaque Preserve, Ashokan Reservoir, Audubon Community Nature Center, Ausable Marsh Wildlife Management Area, Bashakill State Wildlife Management Area, Batavia Wastewater Treatment Plant, Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park, Bear Creek Harbor, Ontario, Beaver Island State Park, Beaver Lake Nature Center, Beaver Meadow Audubon Center, Beechwood State Park, Belmont Lake State Park, Blydenburgh Park, Bob & Betty Cummings Memorial Park, Boland Pond, Boyer Creek Farm, Caroline, Braddock Bay - East Spit, Braddock Bay - Salmon Creek, Braddock Bay Park - Hawk Watch, Breezy Point Tip, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brown Road, Wolcott, Buckhorn Island State Park, Bush Terminal Piers Park, Calvert Vaux Park (Dreier-Offerman Park), Canarsie Beach Park, Captree Island, Catharine Creek Wildlife Management Area - Rock Cabin Road, Caumsett State Park, Cedar Beach, general area, Cedar Beach, Town of Brookhaven, Cedar Point County Park, Central Park, Central Park - North End (N of 97th Saint Transverse), Charles Memorial Park, Chimney Bluffs State Park, Clove Lakes Park, Conewango Swamp Wildlife Management Area, Coney Island Creek Park, Conference House Park, Connetquot River State Park, Cornell University - Beebe Lake, Cow Meadow Park and Preserve, Crab Meadow Beach, Croton Point Park, Crown Point State Historic Site, Cupsogue Beach County Park, Deer Creek Marsh Wildlife Management Area - Lake Trail, Depot Road Park & Marsh, Derby Hill Hawk Watch - North Lookout, Ditch Bank Road, overall, Dorchester Park, Dryden Lake, Dunkirk Harbor, Edgemere Drive, Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary & Rye Playland (incl. Playland Lake), El Dorado Beach Preserve, Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge, Esopus Meadows Lighthouse Park, Fair Haven Beach State Park, Fire Island - Lighthouse & Trails, Fire Island - Watch Hill, Fishers Island, Five Rivers EEC, Flax Pond, Old Field, Flushing Meadows Corona Park - Meadow Lake, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, Forest Park, Fort Niagara State Park, Fort Tilden, Fort Totten Park, Fort Wadsworth, Frank Melville Memorial Park and Mill Pond, Gardiner County Park, Gilgo Beach, Golden Hill State Park, Governors Island (N.Y. County), Grand Island, Great Gull Island, Great Kills Park, Great Kills Park - Crookes Point, Great Vly Wildlife Management Area - West Camp Road, Green Lakes State Park, Hallock State Park Preserve, Hamlin Beach State Park, Hamlin Beach State Park - Parking Lot No. 4 (Primary Lakewatch site), Heckscher State Park, East Islip, Hempstead Lake State Park, High Acres Nature Area, Hile School Road wetland, Dryden, Hog Hole (Allan H. Treman State Marine Park), Hook Pond, Indian Creek Nature Center - Trails, Inwood Hill Park, Irondequoit Bay outlet: pier, beach and boat ramp, Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge - Cayuga Overlook, Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge - Headquarters, Jacob Riis Park, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Jamesville Beach County Park, JFK Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary, Jones Beach State Park, Jones Beach State Park - Coast Guard Station, Jones Beach State Park - West End, Kensico Reservoir (Kensico & Rye Lakes), Kingston Point, Kissena Park, Krull County Park, Lake Shore Marshes Wildlife Management Area - Broadway Road (Scotts Bluff), Lakeside Beach State Park, Lakeview Wildlife Management Area, LaSalle's Landing Park, Lido Beach Passive Nature Area, Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, Long Point State Park (Cayuga Lake), Long Pond - Northrup Creek, Marshlands Conservancy, Mashomack Preserve, Massapequa Preserve, Mecox Inlet, Mendon Ponds Park - Quaker Pond Trail, Miller Field, Monkey Run - South, Montauk Point, Montauk Point State Park, Montezuma - Carncross Road, Montezuma - Howland Island, Montezuma Audubon Center, Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge - Towpath Road, Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge - Van Dyne Spoor Road, Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge - Visitor Center area, Mount Loretto Unique Area, Myers Point, Niagara Falls State Park - Goat Island, Noblewood Park, North Fork Preserve, Oak Beach, Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area, Oceanside Marine Nature Study Area, Oneida Shores County Park, Onondaga Lake Park - Marshy Spits Area, Onondaga Lake Park - West Shore Trail, Lakeview Point, Ontario Beach and Charlotte Pier, Orient Beach State Park, Orient Point County Park, Oswego Harbor, Owasco Lake inlet area, Pelham Bay Park, Perch River Wildlife Management Area - Vaadi Road, Piermont Pier, Plumb Beach, Point Breeze, Point Peninsula Bird Conservation Area, Prospect Park - Prospect Lake, Prospect Point, Randalls Island, Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve, River Road marshes and RR tracks, Robert Moses State Park, Rockefeller State Park Preserve, Rockland Lake State Park, Sagaponack Pond, Salt Marsh Nature Center at Marine Park, Sandy Island Beach State Park, Sandy Pond Outlet, Sapsucker Woods, Selkirk Shores State Park, Seneca Lake State Park, Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge, Sherburne railroad grade marsh, Shinnecock Inlet, Shirley Chisholm State Park (Fountain Avenue Landfill), Six and a Half Station Road Sanctuary, Smith Point County Park, Sodus Point beach and channel area, Southards Pond Park, Sterling Nature Center, Stevenson Road Game Farm and Compost, Stewart Park, Sturgeon Point (Beach, Marina and Trails), Sunken Meadow State Park, Sunset Bay Park, Terrell River County Park, The Landing, Dobbs Ferry, Three Mile Bay Wildlife Management Area, Three Rivers Wildlife Management Area, Tifft Nature Preserve, Tillman Road Wildlife Management Area, Timber Point Golf Course - East Marina, Times Beach Nature Preserve, Tivoli Bays Wildlife Management Area - Cruger Island Road, Tomhannock Reservoir, Turning Point Park, Twin Cedars Environmental Area (DEC pond), Avon, Unity Island - North End, Upper Lisle County Park, Van Cortlandt Park, Verona Beach State Park, Vischer Ferry Nature & Historic Preserve, Vosburgh Swamp Wildlife Management Area, Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge - Liberty Marsh, Webster Park, Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge, Wilson Hill Wildlife Management Area, Wilson-Tuscarora State Park, Wolfe's Pond Park, Woodlawn Beach State Park, Woodman Pond. Each offers unique habitats and species.

The best seasons for birding in New York are Spring and Fall and Winter. Spring migration brings diverse species through the area. Winter offers opportunities for cold-weather specialties and waterfowl.

Notable species in New York include Blackburnian Warbler, Wood Thrush, Red-tailed Hawk, Mandarin Duck, Great Horned Owl, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Bufflehead, and more. The state supports urban park, forest, wetland, marsh, coastal, lake, grassland, dune, mountain, river/riparian habitats.