Jones Beach State Park
New York · Northeast
Easy
November-March
$10 per vehicle (seasonal)
Dawn to dusk daily
About This Location
Jones Beach State Park on Long Island's south shore barrier island is one of the premier coastal birding sites in the New York metropolitan area. The park's 6.5 miles of ocean beach, tidal marshes, dune habitat, and the nearby Coast Guard station attract an impressive diversity of shorebirds, terns, gulls, and raptors throughout the year.
The West End of Jones Beach is legendary among birders for wintering Snowy Owls and concentrations of sea ducks including Long-tailed Duck and all three scoter species. During fall migration, the dune crossings and bayberry thickets can hold impressive numbers of sparrows, warblers, and raptors. The Theodore Roosevelt Nature Center provides educational programs and easy birding access.
Location
Loading map...
Notable Species
Live Bird Data
Powered by eBird / Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Notable Sightings
Purple Finch
Haemorhous purpureus
Ring-necked Pheasant
Phasianus colchicus
Snow Goose
Anser caerulescens
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus varius
Purple Finch
Haemorhous purpureus
Eastern Phoebe
Sayornis phoebe
Harlequin Duck
Histrionicus histrionicus
Trumpeter Swan
Cygnus buccinator
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostra
Snow Goose
Anser caerulescens
Harlequin Duck
Histrionicus histrionicus
Pine Grosbeak
Pinicola enucleator
Common x Barrow's Goldeneye (hybrid)
Bucephala clangula x islandica
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelope
Glaucous-winged Gull
Larus glaucescens
Glaucous-winged Gull
Larus glaucescens
American Wigeon
Mareca americana
Purple Sandpiper
Calidris maritima
Greater Scaup
Aythya marila
Barrow's Goldeneye
Bucephala islandica
Birding Tips
- 1
The West End is best for wintering Snowy Owls and sea ducks from November through March
- 2
Check the Coast Guard station jetty for Purple Sandpipers and Harlequin Ducks in winter
- 3
Bring a spotting scope for scanning offshore rafts of sea ducks and loons
Amenities
Nearby Attractions
- Theodore Roosevelt Nature Center
- Long Beach Boardwalk
More in New York
Central Park
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.
Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge
Finger Lakes wetland refuge with massive waterfowl concentrations during migration.