Central Park

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I have a Central Park Birding site on PhilJeffrey.net and this is a stripped down version of that.

Contents

General Information

Maps

Locations Within the Park

Below, from south to north, I've listed the most interesting birding locations in the park:

  • 59th Street Pond - at the south-east corner of the park (see map), is mostly notable for an array of tame ducks througout the year (sometimes with wilder ones during the fall and winter) and a good vantage point for spotting the local Peregrines that often perch on the GM building. The pond also borders the south side of Hallett Sanctuary, which is generally more productive. Some years the Central Park Zoo runs feeders that can be seen from a vantage point on the east side of the park drive across from the north end of the pond.
  • Hallett Nature Sanctuary - a small four acre wooded preserve at the north edge of the 59th Street Pond (see map), fenced off and so not walkable. It attracts a variety of migrant birds but birding is restricted to the perimeter, much to the benefit of the habitat (mostly native species).
  • Strawberry Fields - a good place to find migrant passerines in the early morning. It is located on the western edge of the Lake, best accessed from W72nd Street and Central Park West (see map). Best known to the general public for the Strawberry Fields Memorial, for birders the mature canopy and lawns just to the north of the memorial are of greater interest. All of the common passerine migrants can be found there, together with rarer ones like Cerulean Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler and Blue Grosbeak putting in a appearance in recent years. In early December 2004 Strawberry Fields hosted an adult female Rufous Hummingbird for a few days. In September 2005 a Connecticut Warbler spent nearly a week there and at the adjacent lake shore.
  • The Lake - (see map for location). In early winter, when places like Turtle Pond are sometimes frozen over, the outflow of the Gill usually keeps a small thawed patch open and can concentrate overwintering ducks like Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal (uncommon) and Wood Duck (uncommon). More common are American Black Duck and Mallards. In spring and fall a few migrant shorebirds are found along the shores. Green Herons breed in the north-west corner of the Lake (the Upper Lobe), while Great Egret and Black-crowned Night Herons visit here strictly to feed. The area around Hernshead (aka the Ladies Pavilion) can be productive for warblers that feed in the nearby willows, and provides a good overlook of the lake.
  • Cherry Hill - rising from the southern shore of the Lake (see map), Cherry Hill is composed mainly of tall trees with minimal understory that attract mainly tree-top species during spring and fall migrations. Warbling Vireos sometimes breed here, Long-eared Owls have sometimes roosted here in the small of groves of pines.
  • The Ramble - located between the east and west park drives, bordered on the south by the Lake and on the north by the 79th Street traverse, the Ramble is perhaps the pre-eminent birding location in Central Park (see map). The trees are fairly dense here, there is some understory, and the running water along the Gill and around Azalea Pond is also a great attraction. The north shore of the lake attracts herons and passing shorebirds. The Ramble can attract a hundred or more birders at the height of spring migration and the vast majority of migrant sightings within the park are in this area. I have my own page devoted to the Ramble and locations within it. Most of the birding that I do within the park is at this location.
  • Turtle Pond and Belvedere Castle. Turtle Pond lies on the northern edge of the Ramble, overlooked by Delacorte Theater and Belvedere Castle http://www.kelley-graphics.com/centralpark/cpmidview/sec3mdvw.html (see map)]. The trees around the pond, especially on the south side, can be very productive for migrant passerines, while the pond itself attracts some ducks, cormorants, swallows and even one or two migrant shorebirds. The area at the east end of the point near the statue of King Jagiello (aka the "Polish Statue") can also be good for passerines. Turtle Pond was regularly visited by a small number of Black Skimmers in the summers of 2003 and 2004, and by Common Nighthawks in early summer 2005. Belvedere Castle has been for many years the location for the Central Park fall hawk watch, but is also a natural overlook into Shakespeare's Garden (to the west), Turtle Pond and the Great Lawn. The visitor's center in the castle itself can supply park checklists and has a small bird display. Shakespeare Garden, just to the west of the castle, is also a good place to check for migrants as the tree canopy is closer to eye level. Kentucky Warbler has been seen there in the past.
  • The Locust Grove and Tanner's Spring - just a little north of Belvedere Castle lies The Locust Grove - a tall grove of Locust trees that attracts it's own range of migrants. It's main claim to fame in recent years has been as a prime location for one or more immature Red-headed Woodpeckers that over-winter in the park in some years (probably associated with the acorn crop in that vicinity). Over the other side of the West Drive, just north of the W81st St entrance, is Tanner's Spring. This is an artificial spring that forms a small pool in an area with decent understory, and can attract a whole range of small migrant birds down to bathe and drink. If you are quiet and still you can often get good looks at a whole host of warblers during good migration days, and if you a very lucky some rarity like Yellow-breasted Chat or Connecticut Warbler may drop by (my life Connecticut Warbler was at this spot). The hill above Tanner's Spring to the north is called Summit Rock and can often give you better views of the migrants that drop out of the canopy to drink and bathe in the spring. Summit Rock is similar to Strawberry Fields in terms of habitat.
  • The Reservoir - in early winter and early spring the Reservoir is a great attraction for ducks, gulls and the occaisional grebe and loon. Typical species are Ruddy Duck, Hooded Merganser and Northern Shoveler. Rarities seen on the Reservoir include Red-throated Loon, Glaucous and Iceland Gulls, Red-breasted Merganser and Cliff Swallow. In mid-winter it tends to freeze solid, leaving only the hardiest gulls. In summer diversity is reduced but a few Laughing Gulls can be found there, otherwise uncommon in the park. Shorebirds can be seen on the central stone dike that connects the north and south pump houses during migration (mostly Solitary and Spotted Sandpipers). The Reservoir is no longer used as a water supply for New York City.
  • The North Woods and the Great Hill - much less heavily birded than the Ramble, this area is every bit as extensive in terms of habitat and attracts the same species. There's some suspicion that many birds work their way north through the park during the day and pass through this area, possibly before leaving the park and moving uptown. The Great Hill is open parkland with surrounding tall trees, similar to Strawberry Fields or Summit Rock. The adjacent North Woods has a more closed canopy and more extensive understory.
  • The Loch - this is a small stream, reminiscent of the Gill, and so bears no resemblance to any Scottish loch. Just like the Gill (in the Ramble) the running water is a big magnet for birds, and the habitat around the Loch offers more cover. One of the more unusual sightings in the Loch was an American Bittern in May 2004. The Loch runs through a part of the north end called the Ravine whose wooded slopes are always worth checking. The Loch is formed by the outflow of the Pool, and leads out towards (but does not flow into) Harlem Meer. On the slopes to the south side of the Loch, the Wildflower Meadow can be productive for woodland edge species.
  • Harlem Meer - is a pond a little larger than Turtle Pond at the extreme northeast corner of the park, bordering 5th Avenue and 100th Street. Most notable in the winter for regular ducks like Ruddy Duck and Bufflehead, it has been known to attract less common species like Common Merganser. There is a regular summer flyway for herons, egrets and cormorants over the north end of the park between the Hudson River and the Long Island Sound, and this is the best location to see Snowy Egret in the park (although they rarely touch down). Harlem Meer is also the location of the Dana Discovery Center which sits on the north edge of the meer. The trees on the bluffs at the southern edge of the meer are also good for migrants, although that area lacks any understory. Small fortifications to be found here are remnants of previous wars, as is the Block House in the North Woods.
  • Conservatory Garden - a mostly formal garden at the southeast corner of Harlem Meer is often overlooked in migration due to the abundance of habitat elsewhere, and the fact that regular replanting disturbs the habitat. Nevertheless this place can be particularly rewarding during winter when the fruiting trees attract finches and sparrows (which also get fed by people) - sometimes unexpected birds like Ring-necked Pheasant have been encountered here and a [ probable Allen's Hummingbird] (an immature female of genus Selasphorus) was found here in November 2002, leaving shortly before Thanksgiving.
  • Other areas

Since Central Park is still just a park, there are many open grassy areas. These tend to be less productive, birding wise, except during the off season. Perhaps the biggest factor in this is the sheer number of people that use the park recreationally and which scare the birds off these open grassy areas. Nevertheless things like Eastern Meadowlark, various sparrows including rarities like a Lark Sparrow are seen in these areas, particularly when fenced off in late fall or early spring. The most notable grassy areas are the North Meadow, the Great Lawn, Cedar Hill and Sheep Meadow (where they finally ended the grazing of sheep in 1934). The first Savannah Sparrow I ever saw in Central Park was skulking low in the grass in the fenced-off Sheep's Meadow in April 1998. About the only thing you'd find in Sheep's Meadow during the summer, however, is Rock Pigeons and sunbathers.

Another area worth of mention is the Pinetum . Stands of evergreen trees are fairly uncommon in the park and the Arthur Ross Pinetum has the largest of all. This often proves to be a big attractor for birds with a preference for evergreens, and the deciduous trees along it's perimeter are good for other migrants, particular the trees along the north edge. An unusual number of late Cape May Warblers were found in the Pinetum in the October 2004.

Finally, two more ponds are worth noting: the Pool is at the south-west end of the Loch and borders the south side of the Great Hill. A few waterfowl spend their time there and from time to time something slightly more exotic like Wood Duck might turn up. The surrounding trees are predictably good for warblers. The Conservatory Water (aka the Model Boat Pond) is really just a shallow concrete basin and so birds hanging out there are usually restricted to Mallards and sometimes a Double-crested Cormorant. The west shore of this pond is the usual gathering point for birders that watch the Red-tailed Hawk nest (Pale Male and Lola) on 5th Avenue - this nest site was not succesful in 2006 but there is a different one on Central Park South now. However in 2003 Black Skimmers sometimes visited the Conservatory Water after dark (they were also found more reliably at Turtle Pond, which is a short distance away).

Like most urban areas, Central Park has become markedly safer since the dark days of the Central Park Jogger - The Gotham Gazette carried a small but informative article on Central Park crime back in 2003.

Best Locations for Birding

In general the most productive areas in the park are The Ramble and the areas around it. Here you'll find most of the migrant bird species, plus most of the birders. The Great Hill/North Woods is probably every bit as good bird-wise, but the birder coverage is less dense and it's just a little less safe up there - but if you prefer a somewhat more solitary birding experience this may be your preferred destination.

Seasons

Spring

Spring is the definitive time to be birding in Central Park. Although spring migration peaks in the first two weeks of May, northbound migrating birds pass through the park from early March until mid June. Spring migration is a little more compressed in time than fall migration and all the birds are in full breeding plumage as they pass through the park making identification a little easier (the males are often singing, too).

The first migrant that puts in an appearance is usually the American Woodcock. These birds start to move into breeding territory when where is still snow on the ground, and the first ones can be found in late February looking for softer patches of ground in which to feed - the Oven is a good place for them, as is the Azalea Pond. They usually do not sing/display within the park, however. Passerines start coming through in March with the first push of hardy birds like American Robins, Common Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds - all three of these species overwinter in the park in small numbers, but much larger numbers pass through in spring. As the month progresses they are joined by the other early migrants: Eastern Phoebe; Golden-crowned Kinglet; Pine Warbler and Fox Sparrow. Fox Sparrows are one of the first birds to be heard singing in the park in spring (Mugger's Woods in the Ramble is a good bet to hear one) apart from the White-throated Sparrows which basically sing all winter for reasons that are beyond my understanding.

By early April the pace of migration lifts a little, and the hardier warblers appear. Pine Warbler, Palm Warbler and Yellow-rumped Warbler are all to be found. Early April is prime time for Louisiana Waterthrush migration, usually much less numerous than it's relative the Northern Waterthrush, but at this time of year Louisiana is the commoner of the two. Great Egrets and Black-crowned Night Herons reappear around the Lake. Barn Swallows and Northern Rough-winged Swallows join the Tree Swallows. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers start to become numerous (a few may overwinter).

By mid April Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Black-and-white Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Blue-headed Vireo and Hermit Thrush are all fairly easy to find in the Ramble. Until the trees start to leaf out in late April, finding spring migrants is relatively easy both by song and sight. Once the canopy starts to fill in it takes much more effort, however. The spring of 2005 was an unusually productive year for Prothonotary Warbler (a classical "overshoot" species which breeds mostly to the south of us) which started to appear in mid April, and also for Yellow-throated Warblers which turned up a week or so later. Yellow-throated Warblers are never frequent in NYC, but a mini-invasion must have been going on since I also found one on a tree-lined street on Manhattan's Upper East Side purely by chance. Elsewhere in NYC more Prothonotaries were found, along with a Swainson's Warbler in Forest Park (Queens). Another overshoot bird, Swainson's Warbler is a real rarity in NYC - this one was my life bird.

Spring migration kicks into full gear in late April and a host of new species put in an appareance: Northern Parula, Common Yellowthroat, Ovenbird being the most numerous of them. The switch over from early spring to mid-spring migrants occurs in the last week in April and corresponds to the canopy "leaf out" when finding birds becomes abruptly more challenging in the suddenly leafy trees. Fortunately the males will still be singing.

The second week of May is the height of spring migration. The best days are the ones where the wind comes from the south, especially if preceded by a few days or northerly winds. The first or second day after the wind moves to the south (i.e. a warm front) are your best bets for the largest numbers in the park, especially if there was a little rain in the morning. On the best fallout days it can seem like every tree within the Ramble is loaded with migrants, and there will be birds everywhere else within the park too. These days are also the best ones to look for relative rarities like Cerulean and Golden-winged Warblers which are usually very difficult to find within the park unless they happen to be singing right near you. Golden-winged Warblers are on the decline in the north-east because of habitat loss and hybridization with the more numerous and range-expanding Blue-winged Warbler (producing the hybrids "Brewster's Warbler" and the rarer "Lawrence's Warbler").

The most numerous species of warblers take a shift from the early migrants (Yellow-rumped, which peaks in late April) to American Redstart and Black-throated Blue Warbler which both peak in mid-May. The first male Blackpoll Warblers come through in early May but it is the arrival of the female Blackpolls that is the least welcomed since they often signal the winding down of spring migration. The last of the big fallout days are usually over by the third week May. Migrant fallouts occur in highly variable numbers from year to year and are entirely dependent on the right weather patterns.

A typical late spring migrant is the Mourning Warbler, found mainly in late May after many of the other species have mostly passed through. Olive-sided Flycatcher also turns up in the latter half of the month (the first sighting of the year is often May 15th). The peak for Gray-cheeked Thrush is probably in the third week in May, and this is presumed to be the best time to find Bicknell's Thrush as well. The identification issues in separating Gray-cheeked from Bicknell's (Bicknell's was at one time a subspecies of Gray-cheeked) are considerable if judged by plumage alone. It is best to go listening for them in the early mornings, but having said that I've seen precisely one confirmed Bicknell's within the park which was cooperative enough to be singing right in front of me in the middle of a rain storm (David Speiser called me in from work to show me this particular bird). It was not visually distinctive from the Gray-cheeked Thrushes I'd seen that spring, emphasizing the magnitude of the ID problem these birds constitute. A very approximate guess is that about one in six Gray-cheeked-type Thrushes would be expected to be Bicknell's, and a fairly diligent searcher might turn up ten Gray-cheeked Thruses in a spring (more in fall, when of course they are not singing).

By the beginning of June most of the migrants are already on breeding territory and numbers are low in the park. A few late or meandering birds still pass through (mainly females) but by mid June spring migration has basically come to a halt. There's always a few wandering birds, but these tend to be just singles.

Summer

As spring migration winds down, species diversity plummets. There are something of the order of 20 species of breeding birds in the park. These range from introduced species like House Sparrows and Eurasian Starlings to typical suburban birds like Northern Cardinal, Mourning Dove and Downy Woodpecker. Although the habitat is reasonable, the sheer level of usage of the park during the summer months means that only human-tolerant species will be able to breed here. American Robins are particularly successful, fledging their first broods in May and in some cases the second and third broods as late as September. Less numerous species include Cedar Waxwing (attempted, 2003), Orchard Oriole, Wood Thrush, Eastern Towhee and Carolina Wren.

Summer is one of the less desirable times to bird the park, in part because of the oppressive heat (the park tends to be even more humid than the rest of the city) and the crowds on summer weekends. Quite a few birders don't bird the park in June and July for that reason.

The period of time between spring and fall migrations is gratifyingly brief and the breeding season overlaps both quite extensively. Yellow Warblers start to migrate south as early as the end of July, so there can be just a few weeks between the very last of the northbound warblers and the first of the southbound ones. By late summer the numbers of certain species like European Starling and in particular American Robin can be so swelled with the year's juvenile birds that they seem to be everywhere within the park.

In the summers of 2003 and 2004, Black Skimmers visited Turtle Pond at night to feed. There is a large Black Skimmer colony out on the barrier beach at Breezy Point along with tern species, but that's quite a few miles as the Skimmer flies from Central Park and it's really not clear why the birds put in appareance in the park in those two summers. I'm not aware of any Skimmer sightings from summer 2005 although the early summer did see quite a few Common Nighthawks flying over Belvedere Castle (and the Ramble) at dusk. Common Nighthawks breed throughout the city and can (e.g.) be seen above Yankee stadium feeding on insects attracted to the lights.

Fall

Fall migration starts in July with the first southbound shorebirds. Although Central Park is certainly not the shorebird mecca that Jamaica Bay is, some migrant shorebirds do stop to rest and feed. These are mostly Solitary and Spotted Sandpipers, to be found primarily on the Reservoir and the Lake. Sometimes a Least Sandpiper or two is to be found on the Reservoir. Greater Yellowlegs is a also possibility although your odds of finding it are low. Spotted Sandpiper migration continues into September.

By late July the first trickle of southbound passerine migrants starts turning up - mostly Yellow Warblers, American Redstarts and Black-and-white Warblers and both species of Waterthrush. Louisiana Waterthrushes in particular come through early in both spring and fall in relatively low numbers. A few Ruby-throated Hummingbirds pass through the park early, although their peak numbers are in early to mid September. The numbers of migrants build steadily through early into mid August when Chestnut-sided, Canada and Blue-winged Warblers are also to be found with some regularity. Nevertheless numbers are still relatively low in mid-August, and it's not unusual to only have 5 species of warbler in a total of 10-15 individuals after birding a couple of hours in the Ramble. American Redstarts can be especially numerous by late August, their numbers decreasing somewhat into September but can still be found in early October. 2005 saw an unusually high number of the much sought-after Connecticut Warbler in various city parks, including one that persisted in Central Park for about a week - Connecticut Warblers are at best rare, but fall is the best time to find them as their usual spring migration path brings them nowhere near NYC. Single day numbers and species diversity continues to increase slowly but steadily through the end of August until about mid-September, which is often considered the peak of fall migration in the park. In some years there are still quite large migrant movements in late September and early October but usually only the hardiest warblers (Pine Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler and the much rarer Orange-crowned Warbler) will be found into mid-October. In 2003 Tanner's Spring attracted quite a good variety of warblers right at the end of September into the first week in October, but numbers dropped off rapidly after that. In 2005 fall migration really only produced significant numbers toward the end of September, but the truly big days were Oct 15-17th, where a lot of unusually late warblers were seen on Oct 17th with the passage of a cold front after 9 days of rain. Tens of thousands of Yellow-rumped Warblers passed through NYC on that particular weekend. This rather late movement of warblers probably reflects annual variation in migration timing due to weather patterns more than the effects of global warming although of course the two are linked.

By late September the sparrow and finch migration is already ongoing and peaks during October. Species like Chipping Sparrow - that can be quite common at times - pass on through the park and do not overwinter. Swamp, Field, White-crowned and Lincoln's Sparrows are less numerous but still findable on good migration days. (Lincoln's Sparrows in particular appear to be becoming more numerous although still a good find). Savannah Sparrows are even less numerous and a few Vesper Sparrows might turn up from year to year. White-throated Sparrows are the most numerous wintering sparrow throughout the park, in variable numbers, together with Dark-eyed Juncos and a few Song and Fox Sparrows. The over-wintering sparrows are easiest to find at the Evodia Field feeders within the Ramble once the weather turns colder but in some years White-throated Sparrows can be found almost anywhere.

Irruptive species pass through the park in highly irregular numbers from year to year. One of the more obvious of these are the Black-capped Chickadees which vary from quite common to almost absent in the park in fall, depending on the year. In particularly good irruption years the Chickadees overwinter and stay and breed the following year. Other irruptive species include Red-breasted Nuthatch, Pine Siskin, Common Redpoll and both species of Crossbills. While I've never seen either Crossbill species in the park, Pine Siskins are irregular migrants in small numbers, and during the Common Redpoll irruption winter of 2003/4 a Common Redpoll turned up at the Evodia Field feeders for a couple of weeks. In 1999, during another Common Redpoll irruption, a small flock of them were found feeding at the southern edge of Hallet Sanctuary by Ben Cacace. Irruptions correspond to food crop failures in the northern forests, so what is good for the birder is less good for the birds. Fall 2005 had a notable early and continued movement of Red-breasted Nuthatches, which is sometimes a predictor of a major winter finch flight year but the winter of 2005/6 proved to be a particularly poor finch invasion year with relatively few Purple Finches and no more exotic northern breeders.

Some of the last species to come through are the hardy northern birds like Purple Finches, to be found from late September with stragglers into November.

October also sees the Monarch Butterfly migration. The migration varies considerably from year to year, as the last generation of the season is the one that migrates, and more recently cold snaps in Mexico have killed considerable numbers on their wintering grounds. Fall 2005 was a better-than-average year for Monarch migration within the USA, with fall 2006 even better, so perhaps the population is rebounding to its previous levels.

Winter

By the beginning of November nearly all of the fall migrants have passed through, leaving the park occupied with the resident birds, the regular wintering migrants (e.g. White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco) and a few hardy migrants that chance their luck staying in the park over the winter. Species like Gray Catbird and Carolina Wren are regularly found on the Christmas Bird Counts in very low numbers, although it's far from certain that they make it to the spring. A late wandering Yellow-breasted Chat is sometimes found in the park. In the early winters of 2002 and 2004, vagrant Rufous/Allen's Hummingbirds have turned up in the park. The November 2002 bird was an immature female, probably an Allen's Hummingbird, found in the Conservatory Garden. The December 2004 bird was an adult female Rufous Hummingbird in Strawberry Fields. Rufous Hummingbirds are the most frequent vagrant hummingbird found in the east. Calliope Hummingbirds were found in Manhattan in early winter 2001 and 2002, and another Rufous Hummingbird was also found in 2002 - see my Hummingbird page for more details.

Ducks take full advantage of the various water bodies in Central Park during the winter months, congregating on Harlem Meer, the Lake, the Reservoir, the 59th Street Pond and Turtle Pond. Especially on the ponds there can be a motley mix of wild species and hybrid Mallards. Any American Black Ducks should be viewed with a cynical eye since they all too readily hybridize with Mallards. Nevertheless wild birds like the American Black Duck, Northern Shoveler, Bufflehead and Ruddy Duck can be fairly common in November and December. Less common birds like Wood Duck and Green-winged Teal sometimes overwinter also, but it's at most one or two birds in these cases. Although winters in urban NYC are always a little warmer than in the surrounding areas due to urban heat pollution and the vicinity of the ocean, inevitably most or all of the water bodies in the park freeze at some point during the winter, usually in January and February. Small areas of open water can persist where the Gill flows into the Lake and at the northern edge of Harlem Meer - ducks may get concentrated in these locations, but many ducks leave the park altogether during the freeze for more open water. The freeze will sometimes bring it's own rewards, as Common Mergansers have sometimes been pushed down from more northerly areas - two or three spent part of the winter on Harlem Meer in the winter of 2002/3. The freeze can also catch some birds unawares - immature Great Blue Herons have a nasty habit of misjudging the onset of winter and sometimes turn up dead in the park.

Early winter also usually brings a few owls into Central Park. The traditional wintering species include Long-eared Owl (as many as 5), and a few Northern Saw-whet Owls - one should always use the utmost discretion when observing owls as they are easily disturbed at roost. We often do not communicate owl roost locations to specifically reduce this disturbance. Rarer owls sometimes occur - in early January 2004 a Barn Owl spent a few days roosting on the west side of the park. However the most celebrated owl rarity was the December 2004/January 2005 Boreal Owl which was discovered on the 2004 Christmas Bird Count and which spent a few weeks near Tavern on the Green. This bird provided many people with their life Boreal Owl. The appearance of this owl corresponded with a major invasion year for Great Gray Owl and Boreal Owl in more boreal habitats (especially in northern Minnesota) due to a prey shortage further north, but it wasn't a bumper year for Boreal Owl sightings other than that. (A Great Gray Owl did make it into northern NY state, along with a spectacular number of Great Grays around Duluth, MN). Nearly as unusual, a Great Horned Owl spent a few weeks in the park over from Dec 2005 to Jan 2006 - Great Horned Owls are usually one day wonders and not seen every year.

Another winter feature is the feeding station maintained by Lloyd Spitalnik and others in the Evodia Field within the Ramble. The thistle and sunflower feeders are a great attraction for the numerous small birds that overwinter in the park, especially during the periodic snowfalls. The local squirrels are also way too fond of them too. You'd expect the regular crowd of titmice, finches, sparrows and woodpeckers, but sometimes something rare turns up - a Common Redpoll spent a week or two at the feeders in December 2003. Less common wintering species like Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper and Hairy Woodpecker are more easily found at the feeders than anywhere else in the park. The immature Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks that sometimes overwinter in the Ramble are all too aware of the attraction of these feeders to hungry small birds. During hard winters with heavy or frequent snowfalls, these feeders save the lives of many small birds whose natural food sources are covered.

As the ice thaws in March, some ducks return to the ponds and lakes and the first migrants start to push through. March seems to be one of the better times to observe rare gulls on the reservoir with Iceland, Glaucous and Lesser Black-backed Gulls being found there in recent years around this time.

By March, spring migration is once again just around the corner.

Predicting Good Migration Days

Not everyone can spend every single morning in the park, so sometimes it pays to pick your days carefully. Predicting migration movements is somewhere between an art and a science, and I would never claim that we understand all the factors. However there are a few basic principles: you'll see the most birds during periods that are traditional peaks of migration (early-mid May, mid-late Sept); you'll see the most birds when the previous night held southerly winds (spring) or northerly winds (fall). Empirically, migrant movements are largest when the wind is pushing them along. Some migrants seem to come on any wind direction, as long as it is not raining torrentially, but more migrants travel on winds that are moving in the same direction that they are. The best winds are out of the south-west (spring) or north-west (fall) since they tend to push migrants toward the coast and NYC. In both spring and fall, the best numbers in the park are seen when the wind changes after a few days of unfavorable winds. Sometimes the best numbers are seen the morning following the wind change, and sometimes the second morning after the wind change, but numbers of migrants then tend to drop off fairly quickly after the big days even if the winds are favorable, simply because most of the birds have passed through.

Passerines in some ways behave as if they "wait" for favorable winds before moving. Although most birds look similar to each other and so it's difficult to tell, it's clear from some distinctive birds (e.g. a partial albino Northern Parula in fall 2003) that they hang around the park in the same area for several days, resting and refuelling before their next migration leap. We've seen this in both spring and fall although there's an expectation (bordering on dogma) that birds will move on faster in spring when they are anxious to reach breeding territory.

Remember also that most passerines migrate at night, whereas ducks, geese and hawks migrate during the day. So for a good warbler day you want favorable winds overnight and for a good hawk day you want favorable winds during the day. If you can't be bothered to track the wind directions (I prefer Accuweather over Weather.com but both of them are better than the nightly news forecasts) you can just track temperature changes, which are highly correlated - shifts to warmer temperatures in spring and cooler temperatures in fall indicate the requisite warm and cold fronts that provoke the largest warbler movement. But the birds are riding the wind, not the temperature.

Lastly, don't get too carried away with this - good birding experiences can be had on non-fallout days and I'd always recommend going birding on days that are not billed as big ones during both migration seasons. I found a Connecticut Warbler on Sept 17th 2005 on a day which could only be otherwise described as "slow" - only my second look at this species (my life bird was Sept 5th 2002 at Tanner's Spring). My life Mourning Warbler on May 27th 2000 was a spectacular and cooperative male on a day which also held few other warblers. When you have time, bird the park - you never know what you're going to find.

Directions

Central Park is in the middle of Manhattan, more or less, so is not very difficult to find. It lies between 59th and 110th streets in the north-south direction (Manhattan actually sits closer to NNE-SSW, but never mind) and between 5th Ave and Central Park West (i.e. 7th Ave) east-west. Any map of Manhattan should show Central Park quite clearly.

A taxi knows where to find the park, but asking for "72nd St and 5th Ave" or "81st St and Central Park West" will put you either side of some prime birding areas with less ambiguity. You can sometimes get a cab to take you to The Boathouse if the drives are not closed, but you cannot flag down a cab inside the park.

Subway lines A, C, B, D, 1, 2, 3 run up the west side near the park, the 2 and 3 also stop at Central Park North (i.e. 110th St) right near Harlem Meer. Subway lines 4, 5, 6 run up the east side. Subway lines E, F, and especially the N, R, W get close to the south end of the park. See the MTA subway map - some lines are express and some are local, depending on time of day and weekday/weekend.

There are all sorts of buses running near the park, notably the M69, M72, M86, M96 crosstown routes running across the park linking east and west sides. The M10 runs up and down Central Park West. The M1, M2, M3, M4 run down 5th Ave and up Madison on the east side. Numerous other bus lines run nearby - check out the PDF MTA Manhattan bus map.

Expected Species

Using this abundance classification: Common , Uncommon, very uncommon/rare which reflects the number of birds in the park rather than the ease of finding them (i.e. you'll find it easier to find the two Mute Swans than two Winter Wrens).

Red-throated Loon some winter flyovers, rare on Reservoir
Common Loon flyovers, regular spring visitor
Pied-billed Grebe late fall through early spring
Double-crested Cormorant very uncommon in winter, can be numerous in spring-fall
Great Cormorant immatures rarely turn up on the Reservoir
American Bittern rarely seen near Lake (or once in The Loch)
Great Blue Heron year-round, some hardy or foolhardy birds try to overwinter
Great Egret spring-fall visitor
Snowy Egret regular flyover spring-fall over North End, rarely seen on the ground in the park
Green Heron spring-fall visitor, has bred in recent years
Black-crowned Night Heron spring-fall visitor
Black Vulture rare flyover on migration
Turkey Vulture flyover on migration
Snow Goose regular but elusive flyover in fall migration
Canada Goose resident flock on Harlem Meer
Brant regular flyover in fall, rarely seen on Reservoir
Mute Swan a pair on The Lake, sometimes on Harlem Meer
Wood Duck regular migrant in small numbers, sometimes overwinters
Gadwall regular migrant in small numbers, sometimes overwinters
American Wigeon rare visitor on migration or during winter
American Black Duck winters in small numbers - beware that some are hybrids with Mallard
Mallard resident breeder
Northern Shoveler regular migrant and some overwinter on Lake and Reservoir
Northern Pintail rare visitor on migration and during winter
Green-winged Teal regular migrant in small numbers, sometimes overwinters
Blue-winged Teal rare visitor on migration
Canvasback winter visitor, formerly more numerous
Ring-necked Duck migrant/winter visitor, formerly more numerous
Lesser Scaup migrant/winter visitor, formerly much more numerous
Bufflehead migrant/winter visitor, sometimes common
Hooded Merganser migrant/winter visitor
Common Merganser rare winter visitor
Red-breasted Merganser rare winter visitor or on migration
Ruddy Duck abundant in winter
Osprey regular flyovers on migration
Bald Eagle very uncommon but regular flyovers on migration, primarily fall
Northern Harrier regular flyovers on migration
Sharp-shinned Hawk sometimes common flyovers on migration, an immature may overwinter
Cooper's Hawk sometimes common flyovers on migration, an immature may overwinter
Northern Goshawk rare flyover on migration, mainly late fall
Red-shouldered Hawk uncommon flyovers on migration, mainly late fall
Broad-winged Hawk flyovers on migration, abundant on some days in fall (Sept)
Red-tailed Hawk several pairs surround the park (none actually breed within the boundaries)
American Kestrel resident, breeds locally
Merlin uncommon flyovers on migration
Peregrine Falcon one or more pairs may breed within a few miles, sometimes seen hunting over the park
Ring-necked Pheasant sometimes wanders into the park
American Coot winter visitor
Killdeer previous breeder, mostly a migrant
Greater Yellowlegs rare on migration
Solitary Sandpiper regular on migration in small numbers
Spotted Sandpiper regular on migration
Least Sandpiper irregular on migration
Wilson's Snipe rare on migration
American Woodcock regular on migration in small numbers
Laughing Gull spring-fall on Reservoir
Ring-billed Gull common on all water bodies
Herring Gull common to abundant on larger water bodies
Iceland Gull rare visitor to Reservoir
Glaucous Gull rare visitor to Reservoir
'Great Black-backed Gull common on Reservoir
Rock Dove common to abundant year-round
Mourning Dove common year-round
Black-billed Cuckoo uncommon migrant
Yellow-billed Cuckoo uncommon migrant
Eastern Screech Owl extirpated ? - reintroduction program has failed
Great Horned Owl rare unpredictable visitor
Long-eared Owl semi-regular winter visitor in small numbers
Northern Saw-whet Owl semi-regular migrant and winter visitor
Common Nighthawk migrant and may breed locally
Chuck-will's Widow rare migrant
Whip-poor-will uncommon migrant
Chimney Swift common spring-fall visitor
Ruby-throated Hummingbird regular migrant
Red-headed Woodpecker irregular migrant, winter visitor
Red-bellied Woodpecker common resident, breeds
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker migrant, one or two overwinter
Downy Woodpecker common resident, breeds
Hairy Woodpecker irregular visitor, mainly in winter
Northern Flicker migrant, with a few breeding pairs
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Acadian Flycatcher
Alder Flycatcher migrant, status uncertain
Willow Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird migrant, sometimes breeds
White-eyed Vireo uncommon migrant
Yellow-throated Vireo uncommon migrant
Blue-headed Vireo common migrant
Warbling Vireo migrant, a few pairs breed
Philadelphia Vireo rare spring migrant, very uncommon fall migrant
Red-eyed Vireo migrant
Blue Jay resident, breeds
American Crow resident, breeds
Fish Crow alleged visitor, status uncertain
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Winter Wren
Marsh Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
Veery
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Bicknell's Thrush rare migrant
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling common to abundant resident, breeds
Cedar Waxwing
Blue-winged Warbler uncommon migrant
Golden-winged Warbler rare migrant
(Lawrence's Warbler) Golden-winged X Blue-winged hybrid, rare migrant
(Brewster's Warbler) Golden-winged X Blue-winged hybrid, rare migrant
Tennessee Warbler uncommon migrant
Orange-crowned Warbler rare migrant
Nashville Warbler uncommon migrant
Northern Parula common migrant
Yellow Warbler common migrant
Chestnut-sided Warbler uncommon migrant
Magnolia Warbler common migrant
Cape May Warbler uncommon migrant
Black-throated Blue Warbler common migrant
Yellow-rumped Warbler common migrant
Black-throated Green Warbler common migrant
Blackburnian Warbler uncommon migrant
Yellow-throated Warbler rare migrant, mainly spring "overshoots"
Pine Warbler uncommon migrant
Prairie Warbler uncommon migrant
Palm Warbler common migrant
Bay-breasted Warbler uncommon migrant
Blackpoll Warbler common migrant
Cerulean Warbler rare migrant
Black-and-White Warbler common migrant
American Redstart common migrant
Prothonotary Warbler rare migrant, mainly spring "overshoots"
Worm-eating Warbler uncommon migrant
Ovenbird common migrant
Northern Waterthrush common migrant
Louisiana Waterthrush uncommon migrant
Kentucky Warbler rare migrant, mainly spring "overshoots"
Connecticut Warbler rare migrant, mainly fall
Mourning Warbler uncommon migrant
'Common Yellowthroat common migrant
Hooded Warbler uncommon migrant
Wilson's Warbler uncommon migrant
Canada Warbler uncommon migrant
Yellow-breasted Chat uncommon to rare migrant
Summer Tanager rare migrant
Scarlet Tanager common migrant
Eastern Towhee common migrant, some may overwinter
American Tree Sparrow uncommon to rare migrant
Chipping Sparrow common migrant, winter visitor
Field Sparrow uncommon migrant
Vesper Sparrow rare migrant
Savannah Sparrow uncommon migrant
Fox Sparrow uncommon migrant, some may overwinter
Song Sparrow common migrant and resident, breeds
Lincoln's Sparrow very uncommon migrant
Swamp Sparrow uncommon migrant
White-throated Sparrow common to abundant winter visitor, migrant
White-crowned Sparrow uncommon migrant
Dark-eyed Junco common winter visitor, migrant
Northern Cardinal common resident, breeds
Rose-breasted Grosbeak common migrant
Blue Grosbeak rare migrant
Indigo Bunting uncommon migrant
Bobolink rare migrant
Red-winged Blackbird common spring-fall, breeds, a few overwinter
Eastern Meadowlark rare migrant
Rusty Blackbird uncommon migrant, sometimes winters
Common Grackle common to abundant migrant
Brown-headed Cowbird common migrant
Orchard Oriole uncommon spring-fall visitor, sometimes breeds
Baltimore Oriole common spring-fall visitor, breeds
Purple Finch uncommon migrant, irruptive
House Finch common resident, breeds
Common Redpoll rare irruptive migrant/winter visitor, irruptive
Pine Siskin rare irruptive migrant/winter visitor, irruptive
American Goldfinch common to abundant winter visitor
House Sparrow abundant resident, breeds


Unexpected Species

Tundra/Trumpeter Swan immature in December 2006
Ash-throated Flycatcher November 2006
Henslow's Sparrow in October 2006
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