Inwood Hill Park
New York · Northeast
Moderate
April-May
Free
6:00 AM – 1:00 AM daily
About This Location
Inwood Hill Park is home to the last remaining natural forest and salt marsh in Manhattan. This 196-acre park at the northern tip of the island contains old-growth tulip trees, ridgetop forest, and tidal mudflats along the Harlem River and Hudson River. Over 200 species have been recorded here, making it one of Manhattan's most important birding sites.
The park's mature forest canopy is a magnet for spring migrants — warblers, vireos, thrushes, and tanagers pour through from late April to late May. The forest floor hosts breeding Ovenbirds and the understory attracts skulking species like Connecticut and Mourning Warblers during peak migration. The salt marsh and mudflats along the Harlem River Ship Canal attract herons, shorebirds, and wintering waterfowl.
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
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serrator
Black Scoter
Melanitta americana
Monk Parakeet
Myiopsitta monachus
Little Blue Heron
Egretta caerulea
Forster's Tern
Sterna forsteri
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Dendrocygna autumnalis
Recent Observations
Species reported at this location in the last 14 days
Canada Goose
Mallard
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
American Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Black-crowned Night Heron
Green Heron
Great Blue Heron
Osprey
Downy Woodpecker
Peregrine Falcon
Eastern Kingbird
Tufted Titmouse
Barn Swallow
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Gray Catbird
Birding Tips
- 1
The ridgetop trail through the old-growth forest is the best spring warbler route
- 2
Check the salt marsh at low tide for herons and shorebirds
- 3
Visit at dawn during mid-May for peak warbler diversity — fewer crowds than Central Park
- 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
- The Cloisters Museum
- Fort Tryon Park
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