Spring migration is getting underway in New York with more than 200 different species of birds swooping into the city on their journey north. It’s a busy time for Bronx-born Dr. Robert DeCandido, a k a “Birding Bob,” one of the nation’s leading naturalists, who guides bird walks around Central and Bryant parks six days a week during April, May and June. “These little birds can migrate to South America for 3,000 miles and back for 10 years,” says DeCandido, 53. “They may look fragile and weigh less than a dime, but they’re tough as nails.” Here are his recommendations for springtime birding in New York.
MANHATTAN
1. The Ramble, Central Park, mid-park at 79th Street
“People have been bird-watching here for more than 100 years. It’s 36 acres and attracts so many birds because it has an abundance of habitat: a lake; small streams; tall trees; meadows; you name it. It’s the perfect place to go birding because it’s so social and folks trade information. ‘Did you see the saw-whet owl (left) over here?’ Times have definitely changed. Back in the day, hanging around Central Park was much more dangerous. Birders would get mugged all the time for their binoculars. We’d use black tape to disguise the Leica label so the thieves didn’t target us. I’d say to [my partner] Deborah: ‘We’re going to get killed! If something happens you run to get help and I’ll fight them off!’ “
2. Brooklyn Bridge, between Brooklyn and Lower East Side of Manhattan
“Whenever you walk or bike over the bridge, look out for nesting peregrine falcons. At one time, they were extinct in the eastern US, but New York City now has more nesting falcons than any other city in North America, if not the world. It’s an amazing experience to see them swoop down, about 30 to 40 feet above the pedestrian roadway, catching pigeons flying at 100 mph. They nest on the stanchions that support the cables. Some years, they nest on the Brooklyn side, others the Manhattan side. Their eggs are oblong, kind of wedge-shaped so when they roll, they roll toward each other in a circle and not off the ledge.”
3. Bryant Park, 42nd Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues
“During migration, when birds get tired, they’ll spot a green space like this and just make for it. It’s 4 a.m., it’s quiet so why not? Of course, all hell breaks loose when the city wakes up, but they’ll stay and rest [for a day]. You can find really rare birds there, like the American woodcock (above), and, one year, a yellow prothonotary warbler, which some nearby workers were feeding salami!”
4. Pale Male, atop 927 Fifth Ave., between 74th and 75th streets
“Pale Male, New York’s beloved and most famous red-tailed hawk, has been coming back to the same spot every year for around 20 years. He has unusually pale coloring, hence his name. He and his family are best spotted from the model boat pond at 74th Street. They’re very sociable and nest on people’s balconies, and fire escapes. Pale Male has done so much to show how wildlife and people can co-exist in the city. Everybody loves hawks. “There’s a hawk up there?” they’ll ask. “That’s impossible, because hawks live in the wild, they don’t live in cities!” But that hawk is breaking that mentality. There’s food in the city — they feed on squirrels, pigeons and rats — and this habitat is as good for red-tailed hawks as farm or woodland.”
5. Observation deck of the Empire State Building, 34th Street and 5th Avenue
“Many birds migrate at night, so on a good [one], you can see a bird going by every few seconds. The building is lit up so you can see them well. You hear them making contact calls to each other and hardly believe you’re in the center of Manhattan. At 1,080 feet, it’s the only place in the world where you could be outside at that elevation in such a packed, urban setting. You’ll see everything from catbirds, cuckoos, Northern flickers to downy woodpeckers. If it rains, the birds land on the metal railing and, if you walk up to them, they fly away and land on the railing again. It’s an amazing visual thing — all these shooting stars going past you.”
BROOKLYN
6. The Ravine, Prospect Park
“The Ravine is the wooded area of Prospect Park, a green oasis with water running through it that, during spring migration, is actually better for spotting birds than Central Park, because of the dense configuration of the trees. Go in the early morning if you can because, as the birds are landing, they’re hungry and they’re singing. On a good day in early May, you can get between 15 and 25 types of warbler (right) at the Ravine. Warblers are the butterflies of the bird world: They have the most color, they’re small and flit around a lot. They’re the diamonds that all the birders want to mine. You’d normally have to go to somewhere like Maine to see this amount of diversity, but you can see it in Brooklyn.”
QUEENS
6. Alley Pond Park, 67th Avenue
“On a moonlit night, head out to the Alley Pond boardwalk and look for vireos (inset) and clapper rails, which become very active at night. The park has fresh and saltwater wetlands, tidal flats, meadows and forests, which create a diverse ecosystem. It feels remote and you don’t hear the Cross Island Parkway, which runs through the park. There is an environmental center which has exhibitions and information about the kettle ponds which were glacially formed from 10,000 years ago.”
BRONX
7. Van Cortlandt Park, 1 Bronx River Parkway
“Like Prospect Park, Van Cortlandt is surrounded by lots of housing. Therefore, it’s a good stopping-off point for birds during spring migration, such as woodpeckers (left), flycatchers, wrens, thrushes, warblers, tanagers, and grosbeaks. You can take the 4 train to Woodlawn or the 1 train to the last stop, 242nd Street, and spend a few hours in this old Irish neighborhood.”