Date: 12/30/25 3:17 am From: Thomas Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC - to Monday, 12/29 - Black-headed Gull, etc.
New York County -in N.Y. City- including Manhattan, Randalls, Governors, and Roosevelt Islands and the adjacent waters and skies above -
thru Monday, December 29th -
A Black-headed Gull -in winter adult plumage- returned or anyhow, showed, at Randalls Island on Monday during and after the rains - also present for a while at Randalls on Monday were at least 1,100-plus other gulls, with a vast majority of those Ring-billed Gull, and the rest mostly American Herring Gulls and scattered fewer Great Black-backed Gulls - it is moderately likely that other gull species besides these may have been present among the flocks. Many gulls already had moved by later in the day Monday.
At the same times, on Monday 12-29, up to 1,000-plus gulls were visiting the reservoir in Central Park, in Manhattan, but there, a fairly high number of Common Merganser of both male and female plumages, were being seen, and possibly diverting attention away from the many gulls, with at least -a maximum of- 18 Common Mergansers for Central Park, although some duck-movements were also taking place there. In addition, there were more than 800 -perhaps far more- Canada Geese showing on all parts of Central Parks waters and turf fields or lawn areas for Monday. In times of such numbers might be a modest chance of a non-Canada goose species occurring. The more typically somewhat-numerous mergansers of N.Y. County in winter are Hooded, with up to a few-dozens occasionally found, recently rather-fewer and most of those in Central Park as is typical, and more-generally, and all around the brackish and salt waters of the county, Red-breasted Mergansers with highly variable numbers one year to another, while for Common Merganser in this county, any counts higher than about a half-dozen in waters -rather than flybys - are uncommon to scarce.
Other recent waterfowl sightings have included Long-tailed Ducks and Common Goldeneyes in the county waters, and more-expectedly with careful observation, small numbers of Greater Scaup. Some Green-winged Teal are continuing their stay in Central Park where most sightings are at The Pool near W. 100-103rd Streets. Wood Duck also is an ongoing presence especially at Central Park. Atlantic-type Brant have been numerous overall and in some gathering places, well into the hundreds.
A Bonapartes Gull was photographed on Dec. 21st off Governors Island, the latest definitive sighting of that gull sp. for the month up to now, in this county. Also many days ago by now, no further sightings have come -in any reports- for Purple Sandpiper, the best-known location in this county being on the shores of Governors Island. It is very possible that they do visit there off-and-on in appropriate months and may potentially do so from other feeding areas or roost sites in nearby Kings County. Common and Red-throated Loons are ongoing around the county waters, and some Great Cormorants are as well.
Baltimore Orioles were continuing to be seen, including a brightly colored individual at a somewhat unexpected site on East 32nd Street, for multiple days right thru the snow and rains of recent days, and another report of a Baltimore Oriole in a small lower Manhattan park. There have been no new sightings at all of a Western Tanager that occurred only on Dec. 22 and that day, was seen by multiple observers at Morningside Park as well as being well-photographed. That tanager could very well be continuing anywhere within Manhattan, as that species has shown up in a number of locations including staying in Manhattan street-trees in some winters, where sufficient food was available, or in various city parks including Central Park and others. If the individual tanager of Dec. 22nd were to linger long enough, the male colors might develop yet-more making for a very colorful winter sight and thus, still more evident perhaps to even a non-birder who would-or-could notice such an individual.
The Yellow-throated Warbler of East End Ave. by E. 85th Street including at Carl Schurz Park was still present into Monday, 12-29. Other warblers may be ongoing at some locations, one example being Pine Warbler, of which at least one was lingering at Randalls Island. The latter species has wintered or partially-wintered a number of times in the past in this county.
Sparrows seen and photographed in the past week included an ongoing White-crowned Sparrow at Bryant Park in midtown Manhattan. In what has shaped up as a fairly good winter thus far for Rusty Blackbirds in the local area, some have stayed on in the past week, or longer, in Manhattan, including at Riverside, Central, and Fort Tryon Parks. Others are likely to have been passing by with small to middling flocks of recent late-season blackbirds on the move, including also some Red-winged Blackbirds and more of Common Grackles.
Raptors still being seen have included Bald Eagle, Sharp-shinned and Coopers Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawks in multiple places as flyovers and perched in parks, as well as the common and regular Red-tailed Hawks, and Peregrine Falcons of the city. Some Black Vultures, and Turkey Vultures were still being noticed this past week. The Black Vulture sightings are not limited only to sightings of birds seen from n. Manhattan, actually flying over adjacent New Jersey, i.e. the Palisades, but have also been noticed elsewhere in the county on occasion.
Many other species have continued to show here and there, including among many others, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Winter Wrens, Purple Finches, Pine Siskins, Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Gray Catbirds, and Hermit Thrushes as well as many Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, the latter 3 species in particular in Manhattan sites, which can include smaller parks and gardens, greenways, churchyards, plazas, and some street-trees or small areas of plantings.
Good end-of-2025 birding to all,
Tom Fiore
manhattan
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