Located in the Bronx, New York, City Island is a small island, approximately one mile long and a quarter mile wide. City Island is surrounded by Eastchester Bay on one side and Long Island Sound on the other. Its bridge attaches to a roadway adjacent to Pelham Bay Park, New York City's largest park. In this area, and in the waters and wetlands, in and around City Island, many bird species thrive. Here, several and varied migratory birds are found. This website was created to help study, appreciate, and protect all the birds of this area.
Jack Rothman
AP Photo/Kathy Willens
Plant Talk- NYBG (Blog)
Bird Population Studies (USGS)
NYS Ornithological Association
(former City Islander)
Pelham Bay Advocacy
Updated 7/29/10
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Welcome to City Island Birds. I created this website because this area of New York City is little known and underutilized by birdwatchers and other nature lovers. Pelham Bay Park, with its woods and wetlands is a critical stopover and nesting area to many migratory species.
I took this Song Sparrow photo last year. This year, even the Song Sparrows have been few because of the cold.
We are an “Important Birding Area”
Have you seen an American Kestrel?
They need your help. Link here.
Warbling Vireo in her nest. These birds nest in our park too. Photo taken in Doodletown, NY, 2008.
An American Oystercatcher chick on Hog Island.
Brian McManus came upon it while fishing and took this photo after he reunited it with it’s parents.
Yellow Warblers are nesting all around the park, they’re easy to see and hear.
Cedar Waxwings invading the mulberry tree near Turtle Cove. If you hang around long enough lots of species can be seen.
This Catbird is also enjoying the mulberries.
Marsh Wrens are still at Turtle Cove. It’s hot and buggy there so be prepared.
Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were nesting behind Bartow Pell Mansion. I took this photo on 6/30.
Warbling Vireos were nesting right behind Bartow-Pell Mansion. They are usually up high in the foliage. See photo of nest taken in Doodletown, in next column.
July Birding Continued...
On Tuesday I was out in the park at both Turtle Cove and Bartow-Pell Mansion with the hopes of seeing some new species. Bartow-Pell was disappointing, with only some Egrets down by the shoreline, a brief glimpse at a Blue-grey Gnatcatcher and not much else. Down at Turtle Cove, we fared a bit better with Yellowlegs, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Black-crowned Night Heron, Marsh Wrens, Killdeer, a juvenile Little Blue Heron, Great and Snowy Egrets. Ticks and mosquitoes were out in force. Most of us agree that this is the hottest July we could remember and that has kept me unexcited about going out and trying to find and photograph birds. Yesterday, today and tomorrow they are scheduled to spray mosquito larvaecide in the park, so I stayed away. There are lots and lots of shorebirds being reported at Jamaica Bay on East Pond. I’ve yet to go there because of the heat and next week may be better. In the meantime, birds should start moving soon. We will repeat the Evening Owl event we had last summer in mid August- that was a huge success. I will keep you posted and send out an email when we get close to the date.