You can also send reports and digital image files via email to nysarc44 (at)nybirds{dot}org.
If electronic submission is not possible, hardcopy reports and photos or sketches are welcome. Hardcopy documentation should be mailed to:
Gary Chapin - Secretary NYS Avian Records Committee (NYSARC) 125 Pine Springs Drive Ticonderoga, NY 12883
Hotline: New York City Area Rare Bird Alert Number: (212) 979-3070
Compiler: Tom Burke Coverage: New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
Transcriber: Ben Cacace
BEGIN TAPE
Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for *Friday, March 20th 2026* at 11pm. The highlights of today's tape are TRUMPETER and TUNDRA SWANS, EURASIAN WIGEON, KING EIDER, BARROW'S GOLDENEYE, BLACK-HEADED and GLAUCOUS GULLS, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, Gambel's WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, and more.
The New York City TRUMPETER SWAN continues along the Brooklyn shore of the East River. Today, it was present with its accompanying Mute Swan for much of the day around the North 5th Street Pier and Park. These birds have frequented this section of the East River north of the Williamsburg Bridge for much of the week and seem to be comfortable there.
An adult TUNDRA SWAN was present today on the East Pond in Moravian Cemetery in central Staten Island. This likely the same swan spotted on Tuesday at High Rock Park.
Two male EURASIAN WIGEON were reported Saturday around The Raunt on the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, and one was noted again Monday on Agawam Lake in Southampton. An immature male KING EIDER was spotted this morning in a Common Eider flock just north of Shinnecock Inlet, and a female type BARROW'S GOLDENEYE was seen again with Common Goldeneye Tuesday in Gravesend Bay as viewed from the middle parking lot off the Belt Parkway.
A BLACK-HEADED GULL acquiring full breeding plumage was present at Plumb Beach at least through Thursday, with another adult still at Terrell River County Park at least through last weekend. A GLAUCOUS GULL visited Sammy's Beach in East Hampton last Saturday, while scattered ICELAND GULLS included one all week at Bush Terminal Piers Park, one at Calvert Vaux Park in Brooklyn today, and one still at Old Field Point Wednesday. A few LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS also continue along the coast.
A RED-NECKED GREBE spent all week around the Mill Basin at Floyd Bennett Field, with another off Pelham Bay Park on Saturday.
An adult RED-HEADED WOODPECKER continued through the week at Marshlands Conservancy in Rye.
A nice find was an immature Gambel's type WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW present in Green-wood Cemetery from Tuesday through today.
A notable gathering of 37 PIPING PLOVERS were counted last Sunday at Fire Island's Old Inlet in Bellport Bay, and other arrivals have featured YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, SNOWY EGRET, CHIPPING SPARROW, and PALM WARBLER.
To phone in reports, call Tom Burke at (914) 967-4922.
This service is sponsored by the Linnaean Society of New York and the National Audubon Society. Thank you for calling.
