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
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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
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Empidonax flaviventris
American Avocet
Recurvirostra americana
Eared Grebe
Podiceps nigricollis
Boat-tailed Grackle
Quiscalus major
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serrator
Purple Martin
Progne subis
Hudsonian Whimbrel
Numenius hudsonicus
Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon nilotica
Recent Observations
Species reported at this location in the last 14 days
Northern Flicker
Canada Goose
Mallard
Mourning Dove
Eastern Kingbird
Blue Jay
Fish Crow
Barn Swallow
Gray Catbird
Gadwall
Semipalmated Plover
Least Sandpiper
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
American Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Forster's Tern
Glossy Ibis
Snowy Egret
Great Egret
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
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Complete guide to birding in New York →