All photos and text by Jack Rothman. All rights reserved. No photo may be copied or duplicated without written permission. Copyright 2026
Updated 4/19/26
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.
Our Mission
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.
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.
Sunday, March 8 was foggy. Not a great day for searching for waterfowl and passerines. We did manage to see 25 species and had a fun morning. Some of the group posed while others were busy socializing. We started out slow but when the fog began to lift were able to find more birds. Since I've been leading walks here, almost 20 years, I've always had friendly and social groups. Link for species report.
A Scarlet Tanager on Hunter Island.
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
Upcoming Birding Tours with Jack
Van Cortlandt Park on April 26 @9:00am Meet at Nature Center.
Other walks in Pelham Bay park TBA. I'm waiting for birds and weather!
For other inquiries contact me, jack@cityislandbirds.com
So many Baltimore Orioles nesting in Pelham Bay Park in May.
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.
A Black and White Warbler in early May.
A great looking warbler, easily identified by it's necklace and bold eyering is the Canada Warbler.
Not often seen in Pelham Bay Park is the Blue-winged Warbler. They nest in Rockefeller State Park in Westchester.
A Black-throated Green Warbler in early April. They usually don't come in this early.
A Blackburnian Warbler, high in the trees in the City Island Traffic Circle.
A Parula Warbler in mid-April.
Two early migrants, Left is the Pine Warbler, Right, Palm Warbler. Photos taken in early spring.
Bird Arrivals in New York State
Mid April- Snowy Egret, Green Heron, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Clapper Rail, Virginia Rail, Sora, Upland Sandpiper, Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Purple Martin, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush
Late April- Little Blue Heron, Common Moorhen, Semi-palmated Plover, Solitary Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Dunlin, Semi-palmated Sandpiper, Whip-poor-will, Chimney Swift, Bank Swallow, Cliff swallow, House Wren, Brown Thrasher, Blue-headed Vireo, Black and White Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Northern Parula, Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Grasshopper Sparrow, Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Seaside Sparrow
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, Gray Catbird, Wood Thrush, Veery, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Golden-winged Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Black-throat Blue Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Yellowthroat, Hooded Warbler, American Redstart, Bobolink, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole, Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Nesting here, the Common Yellowthroat Warbler.