Fort Tilden
New York · Northeast
Easy
April-May, September-October
Free
Dawn to dusk daily
About This Location
Fort Tilden is a former military installation on the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens, now part of Gateway National Recreation Area. The park's coastal dunes, maritime shrubland, and remnant battery structures create diverse microhabitats that attract migrant songbirds, shorebirds, and raptors.
Spring migration brings waves of warblers and sparrows to the dense shrubby vegetation, while the beach hosts nesting Piping Plovers, Least Terns, and American Oystercatchers. The park's position at the western end of the Rockaway Peninsula makes it an excellent hawk watch site during both spring and fall migration. Over 300 species have been recorded in the greater Jamaica Bay/Rockaway complex.
Location
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Notable Species
Live Bird Data
Powered by eBird / Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Notable Sightings
Rare or unusual species spotted nearby in the last 14 days
Northern Waterthrush
Parkesia noveboracensis
Mourning Warbler x Common Yellowthroat (hybrid)
Geothlypis philadelphia x trichas
White-throated Sparrow
Zonotrichia albicollis
Acadian Flycatcher
Empidonax virescens
Mourning Warbler
Geothlypis philadelphia
Bufflehead
Bucephala albeola
Pied-billed Grebe
Podilymbus podiceps
Veery
Catharus fuscescens
Lincoln's Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii
Bicknell's Thrush
Catharus bicknelli
Magnolia Warbler
Setophaga magnolia
Cape May Warbler
Setophaga tigrina
Recent Observations
Species reported at this location in the last 14 days
Canada Goose
Mallard
Mourning Dove
Laughing Gull
American Herring Gull
Forster's Tern
Double-crested Cormorant
Osprey
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
American Redstart
Rock Pigeon
Chimney Swift
Killdeer
Birding Tips
- 1
The community gardens and overgrown battery areas are the best migrant traps for songbirds
- 2
Stay off marked nesting areas on the beach — Piping Plovers and Least Terns nest here in spring
- 3
Combine with a visit to nearby Jamaica Bay NWR for a full day of diverse coastal birding
- 4
Visit during spring migration (April-May) for the greatest species diversity
- 5
Fall migration (September-October) brings waves of southbound warblers and raptors
Amenities
Nearby Attractions
- Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
- Riis Beach
- Breezy Point
More in New York
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Manhattan's surprising migrant trap with 280+ species in the heart of NYC.
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
NYC's premier shorebird and waterfowl refuge with 330+ species recorded.
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Finger Lakes wetland refuge with massive waterfowl concentrations during migration.
New York Birding Guide
Complete guide to birding in New York →