Pelham Bay Park
New York · Northeast
Easy
April-May, October-November
Free
6:00 AM – 1:00 AM daily
About This Location
Pelham Bay Park is the largest park in New York City at 2,772 acres — more than three times the size of Central Park. Located in the northeast Bronx where Long Island Sound meets the mainland, the park encompasses forest, meadow, tidal marsh, rocky shoreline, and two golf courses that provide grassland habitat.
The Hunter Island section features old-growth forest with massive oaks that attract migrant warblers and breeding woodland species. The Kazimiroff Nature Trail winds through a maritime forest. The park's extensive shoreline along Long Island Sound attracts shorebirds, waterfowl, and occasional pelagic species visible from Orchard Beach. Thomas Pell Wildlife Sanctuary protects tidal marsh habitat where Clapper Rails and Saltmarsh Sparrows breed.
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
Prothonotary Warbler
Protonotaria citrea
Lesser Yellowlegs
Tringa flavipes
Glaucous Gull
Larus hyperboreus
Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Hooded Merganser
Lophodytes cucullatus
Bank Swallow
Riparia riparia
Recent Observations
Species reported at this location in the last 14 days
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
American Herring Gull
Osprey
Blue Jay
European Starling
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Northern Cardinal
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
White-breasted Nuthatch
Birding Tips
- 1
Hunter Island's old-growth forest is the best area for spring warblers and breeding forest birds
- 2
Check the Thomas Pell Wildlife Sanctuary marsh for rails and Saltmarsh Sparrows
- 3
Scan Long Island Sound from Orchard Beach in winter for loons, grebes, and sea ducks
- 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
- Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum
- City Island
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New York Birding Guide
Complete guide to birding in New York →