Wildlife of New York City
New York City sits on the Atlantic Flyway, and Central Park, Prospect Park and Jamaica Bay each pull down remarkable numbers of migrating warblers, thrushes and raptors every spring and fall. Humpback whales now regularly feed within sight of the Rockaways, and coyotes have quietly established themselves in the Bronx and northern Manhattan.
Best timeMay for spring songbird migration, August – October for whale watching off the coast.
- 1Central Park logs 280+ bird species during spring migration.
- 2New York Harbor now hosts humpback whales feeding on menhaden.
- 3Peregrine falcons nest on more than a dozen bridges and skyscrapers in the city.
Signature species
Curated for New York City, each tagged with its IUCN Red List status.
- LC
Peregrine falcon
Falco peregrinus
Recovered from near-extinction.
- LC
Humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
- LC
American oystercatcher
Haematopus palliatus
- NT
Piping plover
Charadrius melodus
- VU
Diamondback terrapin
Malaclemys terrapin
IUCN codes — EX extinct · EW extinct in wild · CR critically endangered · EN endangered · VU vulnerable · NT near threatened · LC least concern · DD data deficient
Dos & don'ts
Local etiquette that keeps wildlife wild.
Do
- Join a Central Park dawn bird walk in May.
- Turn off lights Sep–Nov to help migrating songbirds.
- Keep distance — use zoom or binoculars, never bait animals closer.
- Stay on marked trails to avoid trampling nests, burrows and plants.
Don't
- Don't feed pigeons — it drives rat populations.
- Don't disturb roped-off piping-plover beaches at Rockaway.
- Never feed wildlife — human food changes behaviour and shortens lives.
- Don't share exact locations of nests, dens or rare species online.
Spotted here lately
Live from iNaturalist — research-grade observations within 40km, last 30 days.
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