This time of year, New York City’s green spaces become what are known as “migrant traps” for birds flying to their breeding grounds.
Even the tiniest pocket park will have an unusually high concentration of species setting down to rest and feed.
Here are a few resources to help bring you closer to the avian tourists and residents in the city.
Birding Groups and Tours
NYC Audubon | The local branch of the national organization hosts lectures and tours for birders of all levels in the five boroughs. Starting in June, they also host EcoCruises on New York City Water Taxis.
New York State Young Birders Club | This group organizes field trips and other events for birders between the ages of 10 and 19.
The Brooklyn Bird Club | Founded in 1909, this organization hosts walks for members and nonmembers on Tuesdays, Thursdays and weekends during migration seasons. They also organize tours in Green-Wood Cemetery, Ridgewood Reservoir and other parks around the city.
Queens County Bird Club | This “full-service organization of naturalists” conducts regular field trips, walks, lectures and presentations.
The Linnaean Society of New York | The club hosts field trips and free lectures, open to the public, at the American Museum of Natural History on the second Tuesday of every month from September through May, except in March.
American Littoral Society | Explore the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge with the “guardian of the bay,” Don Riepe.
Central Park Conservancy | Pick up a free birding kit – complete with binoculars, a guidebook, maps and sketching materials – at Belvedere Castle from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm daily. The equipment must be returned by 4:00 pm. Call 212.772.0288 for more information.
Apps
Merlin Bird ID | Launched in January of this year, this free app is targeted for novices and anyone who wants to know “what’s that bird?” It asks basic questions like the the size (robin or goose?), color (buff? white?), location (eating at a feeder? soaring or flying?) and the date of the sighting, then creates a list of several possibilities with photos, a brief description and audio of its call. “It’s like like having a birding coach in your pocket,” said Jessie Barry at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology who said the app was designed to work like an experienced birders brain. So far, it includes 350 species and covers most North American birds. Ms. Barry said the Android version is anticipated in June and, later this year, a photo identification tool that will help identify the bird.
BirdsEye North America | Not to be confused with the frozen foods company, BirdsEye is a bird-finding app for those birders experienced enough to identify 50-100 species. Using GPS data and sightings reported to Cornell’s eBird database, it provides maps and real-time bar charts displaying the visiting species, and can help guide you to birding hotspots and notable sightings nearby. For $19.99, it contains a catalog of more than 1000 species, most of which have photos and audio. Available for iPhone and Android devices, it offers to be a handy way to keep track of your sightings.
iBird Pro Guide to Birds | This iOS app contains zoomable illustrations and photos for roughly 1,000 species found in North America, providing audio samples of bird calls fpr the majority. If you’re not sure what bird you’re looking at, the app could help with a four-step identification process that narrows down the field by habitat, wingspan, shape and color. This app is geared towards advanced birders and professional naturalists, but there are also a range of products geared towards less seasoned seekers.
Larkwire | Using games, this app trains your ear to differentiate and identify bird sounds . It plays a song and asks you to click on the bird that you’re hearing: Is that a black-headed Grosbeak? An American Robin? Both (iOS) mobile and web apps are available for land and water birds of North America. The free demo includes 21 species.
The Sibley eGuide to Birds App | This app displays approximately 6,600 images of 810 species, shown in flight and at rest, as well as about 800 range maps and 2,3000 songs and calls.
Resources on the Web
eBird.org | Launched by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, this site collects observations in real-time. Birders can share checklists and explore bar charts and graphs of around 175 million bird observations worldwide.
BirdCast | Also from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, BirdCast is a collaborative project that tells you when and where birds are migrating in real-time.
prospectsightings.blogspot.com | The former president of the Brooklyn Bird Club, Peter Dorosh, reports on recent sightings in Prospect Park and North Brooklyn nature news.
www.cityislandbirds.com | Updates from the woods and wetlands of Pelham Bay Park.
citybirder.blogspot.com | This site includes a live Twitter feed of bird sightings and maps of Brooklyn birding spots.