An Annotated Checklist The Birds ✔ LOONS, GREBES, CORMORANTS Red-throated Loon Flyover The Birds of Central Park Common Loon Mainly flyover of Central Park Pied-billed Grebe Double-crested Cormorant Occ. winters This checklist includes the 200 species of wild birds regularly seen in the Park since 1886. Eighty-one rare or historical BITTERNS, HERONS, IBISES species are listed separately at the end. American Bittern

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

YEAR-ROUND ¥ Annual Migrant ¥ Infrequent Common / Less Common