An Annotated Checklist

The Birds ✔ LOONS, GREBES, CORMORANTS

The Birds
of Central Park
of Central Park
Red-throated Loon

Common Loon

Pied-billed Grebe
Flyover

Mainly flyover

Double-crested Cormorant Occ. winters

This checklist includes the 200 species of wild birds regularly
BITTERNS, HERONS, IBISES
seen in the Park since 1886. Eighty-one rare or historical
species are listed separately at the end. American Bittern

GREAT BLUE HERON

Typography is used to indicate status. Bold denotes birds
that are more commonly seen or heard in the appropriate Great Egret
habitat and season, whether they are present YEAR-ROUND
Snowy Egret
or are Annual Migrants. (Many migrants are common for
only a few weeks each year.) Bold can reflect either Green Heron Has nested
abundance (House Sparrow) or conspicuousness (Mute
Black-crowned Night-Heron Oft. winters
Swan). Infrequent species are seen only every few years.
VULTURES
For example:
Black Vulture Flyover
BLUE JAY Year-round; more common
AMERICAN KESTREL Year-round; less common Turkey Vulture Flyover

Baltimore Oriole Annual migrant; more common WATERFOWL

Hooded Warbler Annual migrant; less common
Snow Goose Mainly flyover
Marsh Wren Infrequent
CANADA GOOSE
Unless otherwise noted, migrants are seen in the Park while Brant Mainly flyover
on their way to breeding or wintering grounds. For some
species, spring migration begins as early as February; for MUTE SWAN Nests
others, fall migration begins in July. Many owls, ducks, and Wood Duck A few winter
sparrows occur primarily in winter. Flyovers are rarely
found in the Park itself. Gadwall

American Wigeon
The species order follows that of the 7th edition of the
American Ornithologists’ Union Check list (1998). American Black Duck Winters

MALLARD Nests

Northern Shoveler

Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

Canvasback

Ring-necked Duck

YEAR-ROUND • Annual Migrant • Infrequent

Common / Less Common
✔ WATERFOWL...Greater Scaup ✔ SHOREBIRDS...Greater Scaup ✔ WOODPECKERS

Lesser Scaup Solitary Sandpiper Red-headed Woodpecker Oft. winters

Bufflehead Winters Spotted Sandpiper RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER Nests

Hooded Merganser Least Sandpiper Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Occ. winters

Common Merganser Common Snipe DOWNY WOODPECKER Nests

Red-breasted Merganser American Woodcock Hairy Woodpecker Occ. winters

Ruddy Duck Winters GULLS Northern (Yellow-shafted) Flicker Nests; occ. winters

BIRDS OF PREY Laughing Gull Daily summer visitor FLYCATCHERS

Osprey Flyover RING-BILLED GULL Olive-sided Flycatcher

Bald Eagle Flyover HERRING GULL Eastern Wood Pewee

Northern Harrier (Marsh Hawk) Flyover Iceland Gull Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

Sharp-shinned Hawk Flyover; oft. in Park GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL Acadian Flycatcher

Cooper’s Hawk Flyover; occ. winters DOVES, CUCKOOS Alder Flycatcher

Northern Goshawk Flyover; infreq. in Park ROCK DOVE (pigeon) Nests Willow Flycatcher

Red-shouldered Hawk Flyover; infreq. in Park MOURNING DOVE Nests Least Flycatcher

Broad-winged Hawk Flyover Black-billed Cuckoo Eastern Phoebe

RED-TAILED HAWK Nests on Fifth Ave. Yellow-billed Cuckoo Great Crested Flycatcher

Rough-legged Hawk Flyover OWLS Eastern Kingbird Nests

Golden Eagle Flyover EASTERN SCREECH-OWL Reintroduced in 1998 VIREOS

AMERICAN KESTREL Nests in NYC Great Horned Owl White-eyed Vireo

Merlin Long-eared Owl Oft. winters Yellow-throated Vireo Has nested

PEREGRINE FALCON Nests in NYC Northern Saw-whet Owl Blue-headed (Solitary) Vireo

PHEASANTS GOATSUCKERS Warbling Vireo Occ. nests

RING-NECKED PHEASANT Has nested Common Nighthawk Philadelphia Vireo Mostly fall

GALLINULES, COOTS Chuck-will’s-widow Red-eyed Vireo Occ. nests

Common Moorhen Whip-poor-will JAYS, CROWS

American Coot Oft. winters SWIFTS, HUMMINGBIRDS, KINGFISHERS BLUE JAY Nests

SHOREBIRDS Chimney Swift Daily summer flyover AMERICAN CROW Nests

Killdeer Has nested Ruby-throated Hummingbird Fish Crow Has nested

Greater Yellowlegs
YEAR-ROUND • Annual Migrant • Infrequent YEAR-ROUND • Annual Migrant • Infrequent YEAR-ROUND • Annual Migrant • Infrequent
Common / Less Common Common / Less Common Common / Less Common
✔ SWALLOWSreater Scaup ✔ THRUSHES... ✔ WOOD-WARBLERS...Greater Scaup

Tree Swallow American Robin Nests; a few win- Palm Warbler

Northern Rough-winged Swallow ter Bay-breasted Warbler

Bank Swallow MIMIC THRUSHES Blackpoll Warbler

Cliff Swallow Gray Catbird Nests; infreq. winters Cerulean Warbler Mostly spring

Barn Swallow NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD Nests Black-and-white Warbler

CHICKADEES, TITMICE Brown Thrasher Has nested; occ. winters American Redstart

Black-capped Chickadee Has nested STARLINGS, WAXWINGS Prothonotary Warbler Mostly spring

TUFTED TITMOUSE Nests EUROPEAN STARLING Nests Worm-eating Warbler

NUTHATCHES, CREEPERS Cedar Waxwing Occ. nests Ovenbird

Red-breasted Nuthatch Occ. winters WOOD-WARBLERS Northern Waterthrush

White-breasted Nuthatch Winters Blue-winged Warbler Louisiana Waterthrush

Brown Creeper Occ. winters Golden-winged Warbler Kentucky Warbler Mostly spring

WRENS Lawrence’s Warbler (BW & GW hybrid) Connecticut Warbler Mostly fall

Carolina Wren Occ. winters Brewster’s Warbler (BW & GW hybrid) Mourning Warbler

House Wren Nests Tennessee Warbler Common Yellowthroat

Winter Wren Occ. winters Orange-crowned Warbler Hooded Warbler

Marsh Wren Nashville Warbler Wilson’s Warbler

KINGLETS, GNATCATCHERS Northern Parula Canada Warbler

Golden-crowned Kinglet Occ. winters Yellow Warbler Yellow-breasted Chat

Ruby-crowned Kinglet Occ. winters Chestnut-sided Warbler TANAGERS

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Magnolia Warbler Summer Tanager Mostly spring

THRUSHES Cape May Warbler Scarlet Tanager

Eastern Bluebird Black-throated Blue Warbler SPARROWS

Veery Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler Eastern (Rufous-sided)Towhee Occ. winters

Gray-cheeked Thrush Black-throated Green Warbler American Tree Sparrow Mostly winter

Bicknell’s Thrush Blackburnian Warbler Chipping Sparrow

Swainson’s Thrush Yellow-throated Warbler Mostly spring Field Sparrow

Hermit Thrush Occ. winters Pine Warbler Vesper Sparrow

Wood Thrush Has nested Prairie Warbler Savannah Sparrow

YEAR-ROUND • Annual Migrant • Infrequent YEAR-ROUND • Annual Migrant • Infrequent YEAR-ROUND • Annual Migrant • Infrequent
Common / Less Common Common / Less Common Common / Less Common

✔ SPARROWS...Greater Scaup
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
NORTHERN CARDINAL
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
BLACKBIRDS
Bobolink
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Rusty Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
FINCHES, OLD-WORLD SPARROWS
Purple Finch
HOUSE FINCH
Common Redpoll
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Evening Grosbeak
HOUSE SPARROW
YEAR-ROUND • Annual Migrant • Infrequent
Common / Less Common
RARE (seen fewer than ten times since 1970)
Help Protect Birds
Oft. winters
Nests; a few winter
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Anhinga
Glaucous Gull
Caspian Tern
Common Tern
and Their Habitat
Least Bittern Forster’s Tern When observing birds, stay on paved paths and Park
Little Blue Heron Black Skimmer drives. Trampling damages fragile vegetation.
Occ. winters
Tricolored Heron Barn Owl
Winters Cattle Egret (Flyover) Barred Owl Observe birds from a comfortable distance. If a bird
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Short-eared Owl
seems agitated by your presence, move farther away.
Glossy Ibis Western Kingbird
Eurasian Wigeon Northern Shrike
Occ. winters Don’t approach or try to rescue a fallen nestling. The
Blue-winged Teal Bell’s Vireo
Nests Redhead Horned Lark parents are usually nearby and will continue to care for it.
Tufted Duck Purple Martin
Common Eider Boreal Chickadee Please pick up litter and dispose of it properly. Birds can
Surf Scoter Northern Wheatear get entangled in discarded fishing line, six-pack loops,
White-winged Scoter American Pipit and plastic bags.
Long-tailed Duck (Oldsquaw) Swainson’s Warbler
Common Goldeneye Western Tanager
Mississippi Kite Clay-colored Sparrow Central Park Conservancy is a private, not-for-profit
Wild Turkey Lark Sparrow
organization founded in 1980 that manages Central Park
Virginia Rail Grasshopper Sparrow
Nests; occ. winters Sora Henslow’s Sparrow
under a contract with the City of New York/Parks &
Black-bellied Plover LeConte’s Sparrow Recreation. The Conservancy invites all Central Park
Semipalmated Plover Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed visitors to become partners in taking care of the Park to
Lesser Yellowlegs Sparrow ensure that it remains a beautiful place for leisure,
Upland Sandpiper Seaside Sparrow recreation, and the appreciation of nature.
Nests Whimbrel (Flyover) Lapland Longspur
Semipalmated Sandpiper Snow Bunting For more information about the Conservancy, please
Occ. winters
White-rumped Sandpiper Painted Bunting call 212-310-6600 or visit our website at
Mostly spring Pectoral Sandpiper Dickcissel www.centralparknyc.org.
Red Phalarope Yellow-headed Blackbird
Nests Black-headed Gull Brewer’s Blackbird
To take a tour or to learn more about the Urban Park
Bonaparte’s Gull Red Crossbill
Rangers, please call 212-360-2774.
Lesser Black-backed Gull White-winged Crossbill
This list was compiled and designed by Rebekah
Nests HISTORICAL (not seen since 1970) Creshkoff and Marie Winn, and reviewed by Tom Fiore,
Dick Gershon, Roger Pasquier, Peter Post, Steve Quinn,
Ruffed Grouse Black-backed Woodpecker Marty Sohmer, and Lloyd Spitalnik.
Northern Bobwhite Loggerhead Shrike Cover illustration by Ed Lam.
Winters Clapper Rail Bewick’s Wren
Purple Gallinule Sedge Wren
Western Sandpiper Black-throated Gray Warbler This brochure is made possible by a grant from the
Snowy Owl Townsend’s Warbler Uris Brothers Foundation.
Nests