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Birdwatching in New York City and on Long Island

Deborah Rivel and Kellye Rosenheim

This easy-to-use guide gives seasonal information for both popular birding sites and those off the beaten path. Precise directions to the best viewing locations within the region’s diverse habitats enable birdwatchers to efficiently explore urban and wild birding hotspots. Over 500 species of birds can be seen in New York City’s five boroughs and on Long Island, one of the most densely populated and urbanized regions in North America, which also happens to be situated directly on the Atlantic Flyway. In this fragmented environment of scarce resources, birds concentrate on what’s available. This means that high numbers of birds are found in small spaces. In fact, Central Park alone attracts over 225 species of birds, which birders from around the world flock to see during spring and fall migration. Beyond Central Park, the five boroughs and Long Island have numerous wildlife refuges of extraordinary scenic beauty where resident and migratory birds inhabit forests, wetlands, grasslands, and beaches. These special places present an opportunity to see a wide array of songbirds, endangered nesting shorebirds, raptors, and an unprecedented number and variety of waterfowl. Including the latest information on the seasonal status and distribution of more than 400 species, with 39 maps and over 50 photographs, this full-color guide features information essential to planning a birding visit. It will become the go-to book for both the region’s longtime birders and those exploring the area for the first time.

Cover Image of Birdwatching in New York City and on Long Island
Paper: $24.95 | E-book: $19.99
ISBN-13: 9781611686784
Pages: 320 | Size: 6 in. x 9 in.
Date Published: May 3, 2016
Screenshot-2023-10-11-at-16.51.58

“This terrific guide is all you need to go birding in New York.”

David Yarnold, National Audubon Society

Reviews

  • Into birding? Know 400 species populate NYC. Wait. There’s even cedar waxwings and great crested flycatchers. Plus we got us chestnut-sided warblers and merlins. See an American redstart. A black skimmer. A Wilson’s warbler. Visit my terrace and mix with my nesting mourning dove family. Better yet, read Birdwatching in New York City and on Long Island by Deborah Rivel and Kellye Rosenheim.

    Page Six
    New York Post
  • Chatty, informative, precise, enthusiastic, and the soul of practicality-in other words, this is exactly what you want in a wise and experienced birding companion. Deborah Rivel and Kellye Rosenheim share not only the best hotspots but the best vantage points, times of day for photography, whether a scope will help or get you cussed at by joggers, where to eat, where to find a bathroom, how to navigate public transportation, and even suggestions for what else to do when you're finally done birding. Easily one of the best-maybe the best-regional birding guides anywhere.

    Scott Weidensaul
    author of Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of North America and the Caribbean
  • This terrific guide is all you need to go birding in New York. From the ‘best of’ tips about where to go and what you’ll see-to the historical context-the authors set you up for great birding experiences. All you need to do is grab a copy of this book, your binoculars, and your friends or family and head out to see the birdy boroughs of New York.

    David Yarnold
    president & CEO, National Audubon Society
  • A practical guide to finding birds, full of insider info. All my favorite NYC birding haunts and some soon-to-be-discovered ones described in glorious detail. A must for every NYC-area birder-local and visitor alike.

    Victor Emanuel
    founder, Victor Emanuel Nature Tours
  • Phenomenally well done, beautifully organized, and packed with useful information. From now on, I'll be using this book every time I visit New York.

    Kenn Kaufman
    author of the Kaufman Field Guides

About the Author

DEBORAH RIVEL is an award-winning wildlife film producer/director and owner of WildTones.com, and serves on the board of Audubon New York. She lives in New York City and near birding hotspot Cape May, New Jersey, and has traveled to six continents in search of birds. KELLYE ROSENHEIM is a popular leader of bird walks in Central Park and Jamaica Bay and works for the New York City Audubon Society.

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