An Eastern Kingbird at Turtle Cove in Pelham Bay Park. They will be arriving soon and nesting here.
All photos and text by Jack Rothman. All rights reserved. No photo may be copied or duplicated without written permission. Copyright 2024.
Updated 4/27/24
City Island Birds
Since 2007
Welcome to City Island Birds. My name is Jack Rothman. I created this website and birding club because this area of New York City is little known and underutilized by birdwatchers and other nature lovers. Pelham Bay Park, with its woods and wetlands is a critical stopover and nesting area to many migratory species.
Birding News
City Island Birds was created in 2007 to bring birders, and would be birders, to the park. Everyone has always been and always will be welcome. Our walks are always inclusive, friendly, non-competitive, fun and free. We all love to see great birds, but without each other, it's never as enjoyable.
Saul's Science Watch
My birding buddy Saul has been writing wonderful science articles for the Hudson River Audubon Society. You can link for years of wonderful insights and information. Just scroll to the bottom of the page for a complete list of the articles.
Jack's talk , "Pelham Bay Park"
On March 14, 2023, I did a Zoom talk for the Saw Mill River Audubon. If you would like to view it, it is available on YouTube, Just link here.
Watch a City Island Birds birdwalk here,
and another walk here.
A pandemic interview about birding here.
Five Quick Beginning Birding Suggestions
1. Go out with a group or an experienced leader. You'll learn how to use binoculars, find birds, meet interesting and friendly people.
2. Wear appropriate clothes. Weather is always a little more extreme in open spaces. Don't wear your brand new $200 running shoes. It can be muddy.
3. Most leaders have binoculars to lend if you don't have your own. Opera glasses are pretty useless for birding. If you want to buy a pair, email me and I will make suggestions depending on your budget.
4. Bring a snack and water. Most walks are a few hours. You'll see that birding is not fast walking. Expect to be moving slowly.
5. Get a portable field guide to bring with you when you bird alone. Use it at home too. Look for the Peterson or Sibley guide.
On our April 27 walk we saw a Brown Thrasher like this one on our walk. This one was also seen in late April a few years ago.
Pine Warblers are already being seen in some of the local NYC Parks.
It's a vertical climbing Black and White Warbler. I rotated the photo to horizontal for easier viewing. It's one of our early migrating warblers.
Upcoming Free Bird Tours
May 26- New York Botanical Garden with Jack
Link to NYC Audubon website for details unless otherwise noted.
More Walks Coming Soon...
Another early migrant is the Palm Warbler, they should be here in the next week or two. Look for the pumping tail for an easy ID.
Bird Arrivals for May
Early May- Least Bittern, Ruddy Turnstone, Willet, Short-billed Dowitcher, Common Tern, Least Tern, Ruby throated Hummingbird, Eastern Kingbird, Great-crested Flycatcher, Least Flycatcher, Marsh Wren, Catbird, Wood Thrush, Veery, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throatedVireo, Warbling Vireo, Golden Winged Warbler, Black and white Warbler, Blak-throated Blue Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Yellowthroat, Hooded Warbler, American Redstart, Bobolink, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole, Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Mid May- Knot, White-rumped Sandpiper, Roseate Tern, Black Skimmer, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Black-billrd Cuckoo, Common Nighthawk, Eastern Wood Peewee, Swainson's Thrush, Gray Cheeked Thrush, Cedar Waxwing, Red-eyed Vireo, Tennessee Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Blackpoll, Yellow-breasted Chat, Wilson's Warbler, Canada Warbler, Indigo Bunting, White-crowned Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow
A walk for Hudson River Audubon on April 27. We had a large group and saw some terrific birds including a Great Horned Owl. This walk was in the southern zone of Pelham Bay Park. We began near the running track and wound our way through the wooded areas to the beach and landfill, seeing 35 species. The people who come on these Bronx walks are the best, friendly, fun loving and eager. We always have a good time! Link for the ebird report.
A Golden-crowned Kinglet in late March 2017.
Our most common warbler here in the Bronx is the Yellow Warbler.
A Field Sparrow on Hunter Island in mid-March. Note the bicolored bill, clear breast, rufous cap and feathers.
Another sparrow arriving very soon is the Eastern Towhee. We usually have some that overwinter on Hunter Island but this year we weren't so lucky. This is the male of the species.
This bird stymies a lot of people. It's kind of non-desript except for its head which is a bit lighter than its body. It's bill is not like a sparrow. So what is it? A female Brown-headed Cowbird.
Already here is the Eastern Phoebe.They will be here in numbers soon. Look for a pumping tail and circular flight.
A good looking Blue-winged Warbler. We get them in Pelham Bay Park but they nest in Rockefeller State Park.