Find your next bird in New York City

Follow the birding year, month by month and subway stop by subway stop. Find places to watch, learn which birds to expect and keep a checklist of what you see. Get practical help with identification, binoculars and feeding birds at home.

What's around in NYC this month

235 species reported in the five boroughs. Pick a month and a place; tick what you see (your ticks stay in this browser).

Species reported here, month by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOct119NovDec

119 species reported in October across the five boroughs.

  • American Robin Turdus migratorius

    commoncommon all year

    Orange breast below gray back, with broken white eye-ring.

  • European Starling Sturnus vulgaris

    commoncommon all year

    Short-tailed, pointed-winged blackbird with iridescent plumage, heavily pale-spotted in winter.

  • Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis

    commoncommon all year

    Pointed crest and thick orange-red bill in both sexes.

  • Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura

    commoncommon all year

    Long, pointed tail with white outer edges.

  • Rock Pigeon Columba livia

    commoncommon all year

    Stocky city pigeon, typically gray with two black wing bars.

  • Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata

    commoncommon all year

    Blue crest and bold black necklace.

  • Canada Goose Branta canadensis

    commoncommon all year

    Black neck and head with a broad white chinstrap.

  • Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

    commoncommon all year

    Blue wing patch bordered in white; breeding males have glossy green heads.

  • White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis

    commoncommon Jan–May, uncommon Jun, rare Jul, uncommon Aug, fairly common Sep, common Oct–Dec

    White throat patch and yellow spots between bill and eyes.

  • American Herring Gull Larus smithsonianus

    commoncommon all year

    Large pale gray gull with pink legs and black wingtips.

  • Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia

    commoncommon all year

    Bold breast streaks usually converge into a dark central spot.

  • Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis

    commoncommon Jan–Apr, fairly common May–Jun, common Jul–Dec

    Black ring encircles the yellow bill near its tip.

Seasonal data: eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0, 2021–2025. Status is our own index: how often a bird is reported, relative to the most-reported bird that month (reports, not a promise of a sighting).

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How we work

Our guides draw on bird records, published research and guidance from wildlife agencies, park managers and bird conservation groups. Sources appear with each guide. Seasonal expectations describe typical patterns, not guaranteed sightings.

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