Date: 3/15/26 3:33 pm From: Deborah Allen <dallenyc...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Central Park NYC, Sun. March 15, 2026: Red-breasted (MAX) and Common Merganser, E. Phoebe, Co. Raven
Central Park NYC
Sunday, March 15, 2026
OBS: Robert DeCandido, PhD, Deborah Allen, m.ob.
Highlights: 3 Wood Ducks, 10 Red-breasted and 3 Common Mergansers, Ring-necked Duck, Eastern Phoebe, Common Raven, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Red- and White-breasted Nuthatches, Brown Creeper, Hermit Thrush (reported Saturday).
Canada Goose - 6
Wood Duck - 3 males
Northern Shoveler - 6
Mallard - 10
Ring-necked Duck - 1 male continuing at the Reservoir
Bufflehead - 7
Hooded Merganser - 4-6
Common Merganser - 3 (2 males, 1 female) continuing at the Reservoir
Red-breasted Merganser - 10 (including 1 adult male and at least 4 immature males) - Deb*
Mourning Dove - 15-20
Ring-billed and Herring Gulls - 80-100
Great Black-backed Gull - 1 Reservoir
Cooper's Hawk - 1 immature Shakespeare Garden
Red-tailed Hawk - 1 immature King-of-Poland
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 3 or 4
Downy Woodpecker - 2 or 3
Northern Flicker - 1 male on the Point
Eastern Phoebe - Great Lawn (Sandra Critelli)
Blue Jay - 6
American Crow - flock of 10
Common Raven - 1 Ramble
Tufted Titmouse - 6-8
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1 Top of the Point
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 3 (Caren Jahre)
White-breasted Nuthatch - 2 (Swampy Pin Oak, Top of the Point)
Brown Creeper - 1 Swampy Pin Oak (Liza Meneades)
Hermit Thrush - 1 at Evodia Field feeders (Sandra Critelli on Saturday 3/14)
American Robin - 40-50
American Goldfinch - 2 Swampy Pin Oak
Dark-eyed Junco - 15-20
White-throated Sparrow - 15-20
Song Sparrow - 4
Red-winged Blackbird - 2 or 3
Common Grackle - 40-50
Northern Cardinal - 4 or 5
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*This is a new maximum for Red-breasted Merganser for Central Park. The previous high count was seven from Irving Cantor on April 26, 1940.
Incidentally, there is a prior report of Trumpeter Swan in NYC of a bird at the Reservoir in December 2006 with 3 very competent observers. However, at that time, the bird was not considered countable in NY State because of an introduction program.
