Date: 4/15/26 12:58 am From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Central Park, NYC - Mon.-Tues. 4/13 & 4/14 - arrivals incl. 13+ warbler spp. (V. Rail, midtown pickup)
Prothonotary Warbler has arrived in N.Y. City and ought to be on-the-radar for all birders of the area now, and also same regarding Yellow-throated Warbler with arrivals into our region by now. Quite a lot of other birds of neotropical-wintering status have been showing up in our region, and more are reasonably likely in the current warm weather pattern regionally.
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In other-than-Manhattan but within N.Y. County birds, an American Oystercatcher or two were just noted from Governors Island, and still being seen offshore there were Bonapartes Gull, and some other lingerers. All of the islands of N.Y. County have been experiencing influxes of migrants, and further observations will be revealing more at those sites, including from Randalls and Roosevelt Islands, as well as Governors Island, and certainly from the length and breadth of Manhattan island. The waters and some smaller islands, as well as the skies, also offer more possibly-interesting birds, this week of warmer weather.
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Central Park and all-Manhattan, N.Y. City -
Monday, April 13, and Tuesday, April 14 -
Some new arrivals for the year here include Northern Waterthrush, Worm-eating Warbler, Hooded Warbler, and Prairie Warbler, among at least 9 additional warbler species present. Other migrant species increased a bit, some by more than a bit. There were actually at least a dozen warbler species in some total-species tallies but a couple of these may need confirmations. A Northern Parula seen by many at Central Parks north end was just one of several, and seen by most on the 2nd day after an arrival. A Northern Yellow Warbler was ongoing but was not reported by many.
None of the warblers were record-early although several are certainly earlier than their species peak-arrival periods, which is always a bit, or a lot later in spring than first-arrival dates. This is a sometimes misunderstood or even misconstrued aspect of the phenology of migrants, in particular with some birds which have medium to longer distance migrations to make in passing into, or arriving in, our region. And some species are less prone to have ultra-early spring arrival dates, although this is less and less so in modern-recent years. Ex, some flycatcher species, and a very few sparrow spp, and perhaps Mourning Warbler. There are other examples in the array of migrants we find in spring.
On the 13th, an American Pipit was noticed as it flew over at Central Park. That species is a bit more regular on migration than is realized even over Manhattan, and is perhaps an absolutely-annual migrant, but often overlooked. Knowing the flight calls well is a big help in deducing the presence of this species. Also reported recently and in keeping with other sightings regionally, Glossy Ibis, this a Manhattan sighting…
The first -very few- Wood Thrushes were arriving this week, and by now, these are surely actual migrant-arrivals, not individual birds that somehow overwintered here and escaped detection all thru the winter. Also early, but not unprecedented, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak came in and visited a feeder which is rather little watched in northern Manhattan. Almost all of thrush species in the brown-backed, mainly Cathrarus genus set of migrators are still Hermit Thrush, which have been coming thru in high numbers and are still coming thru.
Monday had brought a heavier overflight of migrants than may have been realized as many birders could not be, or were not out in the first hours of day, or before first light for migration-observations. The multiple species which made good showings - and heard-from-below - included a fair number of Myrtle Yellow-rumped Warblers as well as many Pine, Palm, and much smaller numbers of other American Warblers, such as Black-and-white, N. Parula, and some others. Also in very nice numbers were Hermit Thrushes, Golden-crowned -and lower nos of Ruby-crowned- Kinglets, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, and sparrows which especially included Chipping, White-throated, Swamp, and lesser nos of Swamp and Field, as well as more Red Fox Sparrows in migration, all joined with more Dark-eyed Juncos which of course have been moving for weeks by now. Another species on the move for some weeks, but showing a fair increase were N. Yellow-shafted Flicker. By Tuesday there were increases of Ruby-crowned Kinglets, with a definite fresh influx.
The only definitively-identified Night-Herons at Central Park so far this year have all been Black-crowned Night Herons, in varying stages of plumage. Any heron suspected of being a possible Yellow-crowned at Central or elsewhere on Manhattan might be photo-documented for definitive ID.
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Elsewhere in Manhattan, a goodly amount of migration was also being observed - and the possibly season-first Virgina Rail was found, with a pickup in mid-town and then brought to the Wild Bird Fund for at least an evaluation. If that individual is then released and is found in Central Park, thats the bird out of midtown, perhaps - however this and other rallids are certainly pushing thru in the region so more arrivals are very possible. This V. Rail was photographed in situ before it was taken to the rehab center for evaluation.
A modest flight of Common Loon occurred in the early hours of Monday, with most birds noted seeming to exit out of Long Island - Sound or Atlantic waters, and move towards the northwest as they flew and climbed. The Wild Turkey at Battery Park in lower Manhattan was ongoing.
Below are birds noted at Central Park on Monday and Tuesday.
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
Mallard
American Black Duck
Mallard x American Black Duck hybrid
Green-winged Teal - ongoing for many months.
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck
feral Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
American Coot
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
American Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Pied-billed Grebe
Common Loon - good passage on Monday.
Double-crested Cormorant
Black-crowned Night Heron
Snowy Egret - flybys only so far.
Great Egret
Great Blue Heron
Black Vulture - still a rarer species but a few on the wing over Manhattan and Central Park recently, to this week.
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Coopers Hawk
Bald Eagle
Broad-winged Hawk - at least one, Monday flyover.
Red-tailed Hawk
Owl species but some of these have departed now.
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - bit of increase for this week.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern -Yellow-shafted- Flicker
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Eastern Phoebe - still numerous.
Blue-headed Vireo - increasing.
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow - safely-heard as well as seen.
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow - increasing a bit.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - fresh arrivals esp. by Tuesday.
Golden-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
Red-breasted Nuthatch - multiple fresh passage-migrants by Monday.
Brown Creeper
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - regular now.
Northern House Wren - few so far.
Winter Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
Hermit Thrush - many, near-common now.
Wood Thrush - scant.
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
American Pipit - Monday, confirmed, flyover heard.
House Finch
Purple Finch - modest numbers moving thru.
American Goldfinch
Northern Cardinal
Chipping Sparrow - increasing daily.
Field Sparrow
Red Fox Sparrow - still here for now.
Dark-eyed -Slate-colored- Junco
White-throated Sparrow - good increases of passage-migrators lately.
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Rusty Blackbird - multiple in recent days.
Common Grackle
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Ovenbird
Worm-eating Warbler - slightly early.
Louisiana Waterthrush - in multiple parks of Manhattan.
Northern Waterthrush - first photos apparent by Tuesday.
Black-and-white Warbler - more arriving, now in multiple parks of Manhattan.
Common Yellowthroat - several. Early, but not unprecedented.
Hooded Warbler - male, with some singing.
Northern Parula - males.
Northern Yellow Warbler
Palm Warbler - numerous all around.
Pine Warbler - numerous with more females also around.
Yellow-rumped -Myrtle- Warbler - good arrival and passage on Monday.
Prairie Warbler - male. Early, but not unprecedented.
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And probably at least a couple more species in the waves of fresh migration.
Other parks and sites around the county will likely have a bit more of freshly arrived migrants. More reporting in due course. Thanks to many hundreds of independent watchers and photographers and to the dedicated guides and leaders on not-for-profit guided bird walks, such as for the American Museum of Natural History, the NYC Bird Alliance, the Linnaean Society of NY and multiple other not-for-profit institutions and organizations which offer guided bird walks all around NYC, some also beyond NYC, and all thru the spring - observations and reports are in-part in eBird, with alerts also from the Discord birding app, and as-always, by good old word of mouth.
