All photos and text by Jack Rothman. All rights reserved. No photo may be copied or duplicated without written permission. Copyright 2024.
Updated 12/4/24
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.
Red-breasted Merganser are off Hunter Island now.
Long -tailed Ducks off Twin Island at Orchard Beach. The female is on the right. They will be here soon, arriving in the cold weather.
I haven't seen one yet but I'd bet that Common Loons in non-breeding plumage are all around Hunter Island.
A duck out of water! A most beautiful Gadwall.
Just about every year we find a Barred Owl in the pines on Hunter Island. Hopefully this year there will be another.
American Wigeon off Hunter Island. They usually stay close to the shoreline in the craggy areas
Names Given To Groups of Birds
Based on History and Literature
From The Verb To Bird, Peter Cashwell (Paul Dry Pub. 2003)
A gaggle of geese ( in water)
A charm of finches
A tiding of magpies
A descent of woodpeckers
A mustering of storks
A parliament of owls
A host of sparrows
A siege of herons
An unkindness of ravens
A cast of hawks
An ostentation of peacocks
A murder of crows
A walk of snipe
From An Exaltation of Larks, James Lipton (Penguin pub. 1993)
A party of jays
A gatling of woodpeckers
A murmuration of starlings
(in air)
A clutter of starlings
(on ground)
A mutation of thrushes
A fall of woodcock
A skein of geese (in air)
An exaltation of larks
A shimmer of hummingbirds
A spring of teal ( ducks)
A sorde of mallards
A rafter of turkeys
A descent of woodpeckers
A convocation of eagles
A leash of merlins
An American Black Duck, considered a threatened species. They are common here in winter. They are easily confused with Mallards.
We don't see many Canvasback here because they prefer brackish and fresh water. However, I spotted one off the west side of City island one year. This photo was taken in Playland Lake in Rye.
A very close Common Goldeneye between Twin and Hunter Island a few winters ago. They should arrive soon..
If you keep checking the waters off Orchard Beach you will eventually find a scoter. This is a White-Winged Scoter.
I used to call this the "Jimmy Durante" bird. However, many people who are not quite as old as I don't know Jimmy Durante. He was a vaudville and early TV entertainer, who was called, "the schnoz," because of his long nose. The bird is a Northern Shoveler.
Winter Waterfowl and Passerines are Arriving
Some of winter species have been filtering into the park. The Bufflehead are already here, along with Red-breasted Merganser, a White-winged Scoter and other waterfowl. On land a variety of sparrows, some chickadees, titmouse are beginning to arrive. As it gets colder up north we should see more species getting here too.
Things have been improving and I should be able to begin conductiong walks again soon. I will send out out an email to those on my list, you can also check here.
Happy Holidays to All!
A Ruddy Duck in Van Cortland Park Lake.
Pete Dunne, in his book, Pete Dunne on Bird Watching: The How-to, Where-to and When-to of Birding:
"The difference between a beginning birder and an experienced one is that beginning birders have misidentified few birds. Experienced birders have misidentified thousands."
A terrific ABA blog post called "Birding is Hard" from April 22, 2015 can be found here.