Birdwatching in New York

The State of New York is located on one of the main migration routes in North America and offers excellent birdwatching for a visiting birder, even if you are only able to bird in the big New York City and Long Island. The Atlantic coast offer shore birds and water fowl. Niagara Fall is considered one of the best places to watch Gulls during the late fall season, and one can often spot up to 12 species on a good day.
Adirondack State park has excellent birdwatching for boreal species such as Black-backed Woodpecker, Spruce Grouse, Gray Jay and Boreal Chickadee to name a few.
In the Finger Lake region birds like Upland Sandpiper, Eastern Bluebird is common. A number of excellent Hawk Watch locations during spring and fall migration such as Fire Island and Derby Hill Bird Observatory attract many birdwatchers.
Experienced Birdingpals located throughout the state as well as in New York City will help make your visit to this fascinating place a birding experience to remember.

Check our personalized year round birdwatching tours for small groups in New Jersey and New York City

Local Birdingpal Contacts

Local Birdwatchers Using the Birdingpal resources you must agree to the following: If you contact a local Birdingpal and make arrangement to go birding, you should note it is common courtesy to make sure you show up for the appointment. If for any reason you are unable to do this, the least you must do is contacting the local Pal right away. Please note that most Birdingpals are serious birdwatchers. It is a privilege to contact them, and your message should reflect it. A local Pal does not get paid, but should he/she offer to take you out birding, using their own vehicle, it would be courteous to pay for the fuel. A lunch and/or a small gift would also be appropriate, something as simple as a souvenir of your country, or a pin from your local birding club.
Shortcuts to Local Pals in major cities: Albany Long Island New York Niagara Falls Rochester Syracuse Professional Guides
		Initial	Last Name	Area	Available	Language
		M	McCormack	Plattsburgh/Adirondack region	Anytime	English
		The Adirondacks are the southernmost range for many boreal species, including Black-Backed woodpeckers, Boreal Chickadees, and many boreal warbler species. The high peaks of the Adirondacks are home to Bicknell's Thrush, and are great viewing areas for hawk migration in the fall. Plattsburgh is nestled in the Champlain Valley, with diverse habitats for northern species and many natural areas that provide corridors for migratory birds.
		M	Staloffk	Ava	Anytime	English
		I live in upstate New York between Lake Ontario and Adirondack Mountains. I have been birding since the 1960's. My maiden name is Kelley - my great grandfather came from Roscommon.
		JB	Timmis	Albany	Anytime
		C	Finger	Albany	Weekend
		S	Mesick	Albany	Anytime	English/some Spanish/Russian
		Lots of habitat variety around Albany. Mountains, fields, marshes, rivers, deciduous and conifer forests. Adirondack National Forest and Catskill mountains both a couple hours away.
		J	Vellozzi	Ardsley	Anytime
		A	Graves	Bellport	Anytime
		D	Watkins	Binghamton	Anytime	English
		The Binghamton area has several very good spots to bird. One is listed on the NY important areas. Warbler migration time is most likely our best time. It is not unusual to get 20 types of warblers on a good morning. I am a member of our local bird club, where I am on the broad and lead a weekly trip to local hotspots. I have done the World Series of Birding for the last 7 years, being the captain the last 3 years. Once a year I lead a national trip to Alabama.
		P	Burkard	Chautauqua, Buffalo	Weekend	English/Spanish
		Novice birder, area of Eastern Great Lakes, featuring migratory routes and water fowl.
		R	Harris	Cambridge	Anytime	English/German
		I live in upstate New York between the Hudson River and the Vermont border, between Albany, NY and Bennington,VT.
		B	Marrs	Centereach	Anytime	English
		I am a profitient birder. I have traveled extensivly throughout the U.S. birding. I also have a lot of research experience working with many of the local passerines and have done bird research elsewhere in the country.
		K	Diamond	Chester(Orange County)	Anytime	English American Sign Language
		E	Williams	Clinton	Weekend	English
		I am a senior at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. I am a passionate but intermediate birder of the birds normally found around the central NY state area. If you are interested in doing some birding in the Utica/Rome area let me know! If I am not around I have most likely gone home to the seacoast of New Hampshire for break.
		J	Hopkins	Cornwall-on-Hudson	Anytime	English
		I am within an hour's drive to Basha Kill Wildlife Refuge which is great for migrating warblers. Also near Wallkill River Refuge and Kenridge Farm for Orioles, warblers, etc.Also am near Iona Island for Cerulean warblers.
		R	Koeppel	East Hampton, Long Island	Anytime
		R	Savage	East Hampton, Long Island	Anytime
		R	Guthrie	Greene County	Anytime	English/German Italian/Spanish
		B	Spencer	Haverstraw	Weekend
		E	Sheidlower	Honeoye Falls	Weekend
		W	Johnson	Hornell, Steuben	Anytime	English
		I'm a young Grandmother. Hornell is a wooded area and near P.A.
		A	Williams	Hortonville	Weekend	English/some French
		This area, Sullivan County, is in the foothills of the Catskill mountains and contains the Bashakill Wildlife Area, the Delaware River, lakes, and farmland. I am not an expert birder, but can recognize most of the local species by sight and sound.
		H	Sprung	Hyde Park	Anytime	English
		Hyde Park is on the Hudson River about 100 miles north of NYC. It is a rich birding area. I mostly bird with a camera and kayak. Two excellent natural areas are the Audubon Ramshorn Sanctuary near Catskill, NY and the Tivoli Bays area near Tivoli (Rhinebeck, NY). Both are best accessed by Kayak - both are fresh water tidal areas. I am NOT going to be in the area this late spring, summer and fall as I will be traveling throughout the Western and North Central US birding and picture taking for the season. I will be in semi-regular (at least weekly e-mail) contact with the world. I would be glad to give long distance advice on my area while I am away.
		R	Sheldon	Ilion	Anytime	English
		I have been watching birds for years and photographing them for the last 4. I live in Herkimer County in central NY, and watch and photograph the birds I see. I have found nesting Bald Eagles in Herkimer and Montazuma NY, along with many other species of birds. I have a real passion for photographing birds and wildlife, and enjoy sharing this with others.
		B	McGuire	Ithaca	Anytime	English
		Instructor/trip leader for Steve Kress' Spring Field Ornithology, past president of Cayuga Bird Club, editor of 'Birding the Cayuga Lake Basin'
		M	Haribal	Ithaca	Weekend
		S	Fern	Ithaca	Anytime
		J	Dombroskie	Ithaca	Anytime	English/some French/Spanish
		I am interested in all aspects of natural history, especially entomology.
		P	Becker	Katohna, Westchester	Anytime	English/French
		B	McAllister	Lake Placid	Anytime
		K	Bucolo	Lockport	Anytime
		H	Farber	Melville	Weekend	English
		I Band (ring) birds for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife during May, September & October, as a hobby. I live on Long Island, NY. where I am near ocean, bay and wooded habitat.
		P	Ludwig	Dix Hills, Long Island	Anytime	English/German
		Retired but still working. Can go birding on different days. Have been a casual to serious birder for over 50 years.
		D	Taggart	Moriches/Long Island	Anytime
		M	Cooper	Long Island	Anytime	English
		Long Island, New York, is located along the Atlantic Flyway in Eastern North America. The widest variety of birds are present during spring and fall migration, with peak diversity in May and again from August through early October. As a coastal barrier island, winter is also good for interesting waterfowl, gulls and vagrants from western North America, while shorebirds (waders) are often the higlight during midsummer. Local specialties include, at the proper seasons, Piping Plover, Roseate Tern, Fish Crow, Sharp-tailed Sparrows, Seaside Sparrow and alcids and sea ducks. I've been birding Long Island for over 30 years, and I've been leading field trips for local birding groups for most of that time. I'm very familiar with Long Island hotspots, somewhat familiar with Manhattan and New Jersey areas, but I can offer general guidelines for most areas in the northeastern US.
		R	Olley	Bronx, New York	Weekend	English
		Work at Bronx Zoo, travel to S American and C America looking for local birders and people who would like to get together and travel to Mexico in a group.
		R	Perera	Bronx, New York	Anytime
		R	Olley	Bronx, New York	Anytime	English touch of Spanish
		Have traveled to Peru, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Texas for birdwatching. Live in Bronx next to Botanical Gardens. Have a house in Bonoa, Dominican Republic.
		P	Dorosh	Brooklyn, New York	Weekend
		K	Notopoulos	Brooklyn, New York	Weekend
		E	Harold	Brooklyn, New York	Anytime	English/French
		K	Morgan	New York	Anytime	English/Italian French/Spanish Some Japanese/German
		What I love about birding in New York City is how easy it is to get around by public transportation. No car, please!
		Y	Garcia	New York	Anytime
		C	Bloch	New York	Weekend
		P	Jeffrey	New York	Weekend
		P	Epstein	New York	Anytime
		P	Shen	New York	Weekend
		A	Virgin	New York	Weekend
		S	Rouff	New York	Weekend
		M	Lee	New York	Anytime	English/French Russian/Polish
		R	Zain Eldeen	New York	Weekend	English
		I do not have a car but I can take birders out to places accessible by public transportation, such as Central Park, Prospect Park, and Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.
		A	Rubenfeld	New York	Weekend	English
		Long-time birdwatcher (with car) familiar with NYC and metropolitan area, including Long Island, lower Hudson River Valley, and central/northern New Jersey.
		C	Thoreen	New York	Anytime
		R	Elve	New York	Anytime	English
		All seasons daily sunset tour of Hudson River Park, west village generally Christopher Street to w 14 street along river side some horticultural/garden interests as well Audubon and Sierra Club, information per other areas.
		J	Drucker	New York	Weekend	English some Japanese
		I am a 16 year old high school student who resides in Manhattan, New York City, and has a second home"+" in Sheffield, Massachusetts. I have been been birding over 9 years, and my passion from Ornithology has taken me all over the U.S., as well as to South America and Europe. I am very familiar with Central and Riverside Parks in Manhattan, as well as the birding locations in Southern Berkshire County, Massachusetts. As I am a student, my time may be limited, but I will try my best to show any guest the local wildlife.
		J	Capron	New York	Anytime	English/French
		I understand some of the best bird-watching occurs in Central Park. I would like to learn more about birdwatching here and wherever I travel.
		M	Echavarria	New York	Anytime	Spanish/English
		A serial social entrepreneur with 15 years of hands-on, first-hand experience in starting businesses, establishing bridges between cultures and integrating sustainability and profitability, Marcella founded SURevolution in 2005, EGG Peace Products in 2007, and Revista .G in 2000. A branding and marketing expert who creates leading brands and concepts from her acute intuition, strong doses of common sense. A literature and history major at Brown University, Marcella’s experience in the business world is complemented by her work in publishing in the U.S. and Latin America. Marcella has extensive multicultural experience in India, Bolivia, Perú, Indonesia, South Africa, Swaziland, Cambodia, and Colombia, working as a consultant on product development, market trends, and branding, for UNESCO, The International Finance Corporation IFC, CHF International, Artesanías de Colombia, Technoserve, and Carana. She is part of the Interiors Committee of The Color Association of the United States, a UNESCO board member for Design 21; serves on advisory boards for Nest and Feed Projects, and is part of the Committee of the Future for International Planned Parenthood. Her articles and photos are published regularly in Indagare, Daily Candy, Hand Eye, Summus, Travesias, Semana, Avianca, ED from Chile and many other publications and blogs focused on design, fashion, sustainability, good food and new ways of defining luxury. She is currently sharing six years of entrepreneurial experience with governments, organizations, publications, universities, and individuals who all share her passion for the handmade world. www.marcellaechavarria.com
		G	Light	Niagara County	Weekend	English
		I am very familiar with Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, and the Lake Plains. Contact me with your bird wish list and I'll let you know which birds we may see. I also have access to up-to-date Rare Bird reports.
		K	Cohen	Niagara Falls/Buffalo	Weekend	English
		Western New York has many different ecological areas to explore from the hills of Allegany State park to the marshes of Iroquois National Wildlife refuge. In winter the Niagara river and Lake Ontario sustain many wintering waterfowl.
		L	Means	Niagara Falls, Buffalo	Weekend
		N	Klein	Northport	Anytime
		S	Ervine	Ossinger	Weekend	English
		M	Thompson	Oswego	Weekend
		D	Koch	Pine Plains	Anytime	English
		Veterinarian/Birder/Photographer Mid-Hudson Valley New York.
		B	Prentice	Port Jefferson	Anytime
		A	Braunstein	Riverdale	Weekend
		R	Minetor	Rochester	Weekend
		K	Sucy	Rochester	Anytime	English
		I'm available most weekday mornings and weekends. I love the Rochester area and its birding spots, and enjoy showing them to new people!
		L	Bassett	Russell	Anytime	English
		Live in foothills of Adirondack mountains on 150 acres. Be glad to show our area to anyone traveling in the area.
		J	van Leeuwen	Savannah	Anytime	English
		I live in the hamlet of a small town and supply many feeding opportunities through feeders, flowers, shrubs etc... I have been birding for only 5 or 6 years and began with hummingbirds. From there my love grew to all the birds in the area.
		R	MacLean	Syracuse(East)	Anytime
		W	Dwyer	Troy	Weekend	English/German Japanese(basic)
		My wife and I live near Albany, the capital city of NY state (3 hours north of New York City by car or train). There are many good local birding spots we enjoy including Five Rivers Environmental Center, Vischer's Ferry and Niles Huyck Nature Preserve.
		E	Turco	Troy	Anytime	English
		I live on the edge of Troy, sort of suburbia, deer and turkeys are about. I see many birds in flight and have a feeder that adheres to my window, visited by finches, chicadees and other small birds. Would enjoy being in touch with other birders, possibly attending meetings ect, Thanks Emily.
		P	Relson	Ulster Park	Weekend
		P	Schoenberger	Woodstock	Weekend	English
		B	Manning	Tarrytown, Westerchester	Anytime	English
Professional Guides If you contact a professional Birdingpal guide you must be prepared to pay a fee for guiding services.
		Initial	Last Name	Area	Available	Language
		A	Block	Bronxville	Weekend	English
		I'm a Naturalist/Wildlife Biologist who's been birding for more than 30 years. My knowledge not only includes birds but anything on wildlife and plants. I have lived in the tri-state area all my life so I'm familiar with all the good birding spots such as Central Park, Jamaica Bay, Brigantine NWR, Cape May, the Adirondacks, etc. I can take someone to any of the sites in the NY, NJ, CT area. I am located just one half hour north of NYC and would be happy to meet anyone at their hotel. It is best to contact me to see when is the best time to go to a certain site or have any specialties you want to see. I charge $35/hr plus gas, tolls and lodging if required.
		S	Haber	New York	Anytime	English some Spanish
		I am a professional ornithologist with an undergraduate degree from Cornell University, where I worked at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. I have been a serious birder for over a decade, with international birding and fieldwork experience in Central America, South America and Europe, and I've also participated multiple times in the World Series of Birding. I'm available to guide in the New York City area and throughout New Jersey, with extensive knowledge of Central Park, Cape May, and the breeding birds of Northern New Jersey in particular. I can provide transportation with my own car as well. I pride myself on being able to cater to serious listers, casual/beginning birders, and everything in between. I generally charge $30/hour, or $200 for a full day, but this can be vary based on the need for car transport and other factors.
		B	Elrick	West Milford	Anytime	English
		Friendly knowledgeable birding guide in the New Jersey, New York metro area Some of the best bird migration sites in the Eastern USA are in the NY, NJ, Metro area. The migration through NJ during April and May has becoming better known in the last few years after many teams from around the world have competed in the World Series Of birding. There are also within 1hr from Manhattan Island some breeding sites of the less common and highly sought after species Including Golden-winged, Worm-eating and Blackburnian warblers. Add to that the Sandpiper migration in July through August and you have a World class birding area for most of the year. I have 20 years experience as a bird guide in NY, NJ, PA and GA leading bird walks for bird clubs and organizations. I have a masters U,S,G,S, banding permit and earned a B,T,O, "A" ringing permit before emigrating to the USA. The best birding is just after sunrise and so most days 4 or more hrs birding can be managed before any other commitments. There is always a minimum of a four hr charge. http://site.nynjbirdingguide.com/Home_Page.html

Local Information

	Name	Description
	Birder friendly lodging	New York
	Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia	New York
	Local weather	Yahoo
	Electronic maps	Google
	Field guides and books recommended by Birdingpals	New York
	Find lowest prices for field guides, books, maps etc.	BookFinder4U
	Bird check list	Printable
	The Linnaean Society of New York	Club
	Audubon New York	Club
	Brooklyn Bird Club	Club
	Bedford Audubon Society	Club
	Naturalists' Club of Broome County	Club
	Buffalo Audubon Society	Club
	Buffalo Ornithological Society	Club
	Cayuga Bird Club	Club
	Ralph T. Waterman Bird Club	Club
	Eastern Long Island Audubon Society	Club
	Rockland Audubon Society	Club
	Saw Mill River Audubon Society	Club
	Southern Adirondack Audubon	Club
	Sullivan County Audubon Society	Club
	Rochester Birding Association	Club
	John Burroughs Natural History Society	Club
	Latest Sights NYC	RBR
	Fire Island	Hawk Watch
	Derby Hill Bird Observatory	Hawk Watch
	Lake Champlain Birding Trail	Sites
	The City Naturalist	NYC Sites
	Long Islands	Sites
	Birding Hotspots around the world	Sites
	Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island	Pelagic

Last update 23/01/2012