Where to go birding on Staten Island

Choose coastal or woodland birding on Staten Island, compare seasonal reports, and plan ferry, railway and bus connections with separate park access checks.

Places · Updated October 23, 2026 · Editorial team Sparrow Line

NYC bird checklist by month

235 species reported in the five boroughs. Pick a month and a place; tick what you see (your ticks stay in this browser).

Species reported here, month by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOct99NovDec

99 species reported in October in Staten Island.

  • American Robin Turdus migratorius

    commonfairly common Jan, common Feb–Dec

    Orange breast below gray back, with broken white eye-ring.

  • European Starling Sturnus vulgaris

    commoncommon all year

    Short-tailed, pointed-winged blackbird with iridescent plumage, heavily pale-spotted in winter.

  • Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis

    commoncommon all year

    Pointed crest and thick orange-red bill in both sexes.

  • Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura

    commoncommon all year

    Long, pointed tail with white outer edges.

  • Rock Pigeon Columba livia

    commoncommon all year

    Stocky city pigeon, typically gray with two black wing bars.

  • Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata

    commoncommon all year

    Blue crest and bold black necklace.

  • Canada Goose Branta canadensis

    commoncommon all year

    Black neck and head with a broad white chinstrap.

  • Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

    commoncommon all year

    Blue wing patch bordered in white; breeding males have glossy green heads.

  • White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis

    commoncommon Jan–May, not expected Jun–Aug, fairly common Sep, common Oct–Dec

    White throat patch and yellow spots between bill and eyes.

  • American Herring Gull Larus smithsonianus

    commoncommon all year

    Large pale gray gull with pink legs and black wingtips.

  • Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia

    commoncommon all year

    Bold breast streaks usually converge into a dark central spot.

  • Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis

    commoncommon Jan–May, fairly common Jun–Jul, common Aug–Dec

    Black ring encircles the yellow bill near its tip.

Seasonal data: eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0, 2021–2025. Status is our own index: how often a bird is reported, relative to the most-reported bird that month (reports, not a promise of a sighting).

In short

  • Choose Great Kills for coastal birding, Clove Lakes for woodland walks, and Wolfe's Pond for woods beside Raritan Bay.
  • Great Kills reports emphasize coastal birds in every season, including Bufflehead and Red-breasted Merganser from December to February.
  • Freshkills North Park Phase 1 offers daily access, but most of Freshkills requires a scheduled park program.
  • Plan your onward connection from St. George, including the final walk and return service, rather than treating the ferry as the whole trip.

What is reported at Great Kills Park

Great Kills Park, Staten Island. Most species are reported in May (97, rare ones not counted).

Species reported here, month by month

JanFebMarAprMay97JunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Stand-outs by season

Birds reported often here in that season, and more often than in the rest of the year.

Winter Dec, Jan, Feb

  1. Buffleheadcommon
  2. Red-breasted Mergansercommon
  3. Canada Goosecommon
  4. Ring-billed Gullcommon
  5. Horned Grebecommon
  6. American Black Duckcommon

Spring Mar, Apr, May

  1. Brantcommon
  2. Canada Goosecommon
  3. Fish Crowcommon
  4. Red-winged Blackbirdcommon
  5. Boat-tailed Gracklecommon
  6. American Robincommon

Summer Jun, Jul, Aug

  1. Common Terncommon
  2. Laughing Gullcommon
  3. Bank Swallowcommon
  4. Barn Swallowcommon
  5. Gray Catbirdcommon
  6. Ospreycommon

Fall Sep, Oct, Nov

  1. Yellow-rumped Warblercommon
  2. Northern Flickercommon
  3. Swamp Sparrowcommon
  4. Double-crested Cormorantcommon
  5. Ruby-crowned Kingletcommon
  6. American Herring Gullcommon

Seasonal data: eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0, 2021–2025. Status is our own index: how often a bird is reported, relative to the most-reported bird that month (reports, not a promise of a sighting).

For Staten Island birding, choose Great Kills for coastal waterbirds or Clove Lakes for woodland walks during migration. Wolfe's Pond combines woods, wetland and beach, while Freshkills has a distinct open landscape with restricted public access. Spring and fall suit visits across different habitats, while winter reports at Great Kills lean toward waterbirds.

What the place is like

Staten Island birding destinations offer very different environments. Great Kills Park is a coastal site of Gateway National Recreation Area, managed by the National Park Service. Clove Lakes has freshwater lakes and wooded hillsides. Base your choice on the habitat you want to study rather than a borough-wide species total.

NYC Parks describes Wolfe's Pond as 281 acres of mature upland woods, swamp forest, open marsh, ponds and sandy beach. Freshkills covers 2,200 acres during development, but most of that area remains closed to daily public walking.

Park details reflect information from NPS, NYC Parks, NYC Bird Alliance and Freshkills Park checked October 23, 2026.

Your decision Great Kills Park Clove Lakes Park
Choose it for Coastal water, beach and maritime vegetation Freshwater lakes and wooded hillsides
Birding approach Scan water, then compare birds along vegetation edges Alternate woodland observation with freshwater viewing
Seasonal emphasis Coastal reports, especially winter waterbirds Woodland migration walks
Access authority National Park Service (Gateway) NYC Parks
Separate access check NPS alerts and maps of the fenced closed areas NYC Parks park notices and posted trail restrictions

For a wider comparison, browse other NYC birding destinations.

Season by season

Seasonal patterns below come from our index of the eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology, via GBIF, 2021 to 2025). This data was checked October 23, 2026. Great Kills has park-specific summaries for that coastal hotspot. Do not treat those summaries as counts for Freshkills, Wolfe's Pond or Clove Lakes.

Spring. Great Kills reports for April and May mix coastal and land birds, including Double-crested Cormorant, Song Sparrow and Osprey. For woodland observation, head to Clove Lakes. NYC Bird Alliance describes spring warbler diversity there, though a productive morning is never guaranteed. A migrant is a bird moving between its seasonal ranges.

Summer. Great Kills June and July reports include Laughing Gull, Gray Catbird and Great Egret. Pair open-water viewing with quiet observation along vegetation edges. Summer birding should leave feeding and resting birds undisturbed instead of pressing in for close photographs.

Fall. Great Kills September and October reports include Northern Flicker and Yellow-rumped Warbler alongside coastal birds. Plan a route that covers brush as well as water. Consult the migration timing guide for regional context, keeping in mind that conditions vary each day.

Winter. Great Kills December to February reports emphasize Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, Brant and gulls. Visit this coastal site when waterbirds are your focus. Choose a woodland walk instead if you prefer watching birds around trees and sheltered vegetation.

Open the NYC birding calendar to compare months across the city. Historical reporting patterns, a recent sighting and a migration forecast answer different questions for your trip.

Where to walk

Great Kills. Plan your walk along open public corridors and shoreline viewing areas. NPS notes that suspected contamination areas are fenced and marked with warning signs. NPS says maps of the closed areas are available at the Great Kills Park ranger station and on its cleanup project page (FAQ checked October 23, 2026). Never cross fences or barriers to pursue a bird.

Clove Lakes. Alternate between freshwater shorelines and the wooded hillsides described by NYC Parks and NYC Bird Alliance. This combination offers varied birding without demanding an exhausting route. Avoid turning reported nest locations into destinations.

Wolfe's Pond. Pick this park when you want woods and the Raritan Bay shoreline on a single outing. NYC Parks natural-area guidance, checked October 23, 2026, highlights that habitat mix. Follow established paths rather than trampling marsh or dune vegetation.

Freshkills. Head to North Park Phase 1 unless you have registered for a guided program elsewhere. Freshkills Park lists this 21-acre section as open daily, offering views of Main Creek and William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge. Check the Freshkills Park calendar, verified October 23, 2026, to distinguish open public access from scheduled programs.

Getting there and rules

Plan each trip as separate legs: the ferry crossing, onward transit and the final walk. Access details reflect information checked against transit operators on October 23, 2026. Check service status before you go.

  1. Choose your destination first. Identify the open park entrance or program meeting location before picking your transit line.
  2. Plan your St. George transfer. MTA confirms connections between the Staten Island Ferry and the Staten Island Railway at St. George.
  3. Check the railway schedule. MTA runs trains between St. George and Tottenville 24 hours a day. Check specific departures in the MTA timetable before traveling.
  4. Follow official Freshkills directions. Freshkills Park directs North Park visitors to take the S62 bus toward Travis via Victory. Get off at Victory Boulevard and Glen Street, then walk along East Service Road to the entrance at Wild Avenue.
  5. Budget time for the return trip. Count walking and transfer buffers in your plan rather than relying on vehicle ride times alone.

For Great Kills or Wolfe's Pond, railway stations sit some distance from shoreline birding areas. Check the walking connection from your stop. For Clove Lakes, pick a bus route that serves your chosen gate.

Confirm closures with the managing agency. NPS handles Gateway tracts, while NYC Parks manages municipal grounds. Freshkills Park lists North Park hours as 6:00 am to 10:00 pm, while other sections require program registration.

Birding etiquette here

Give birds ample space to rest and feed. Do not use playback (recorded calls used to attract birds) or approach nests and owl roosts. Keep dogs leashed at all times and avoid blocking trails with tripods.

Obey posted NPS exclusion fences at Great Kills and stay within public borders at Freshkills. A bird seen across a fence line does not give you permission to enter. Keep sensitive nesting details off public forums, and step back if a bird reacts to your presence.

  • Check NPS alerts and the Great Kills remediation map for your intended route.
  • Check NYC Parks notices separately for municipal park areas.
  • Confirm Freshkills public access or your scheduled program registration.
  • Save your ferry connection, onward transit and return itinerary.
  • Bring binoculars, water, weather protection and a charged phone.
  • Keep your route within open paths and respect wildlife buffers.

Questions we get

Does this page report birds seen today?

No. The seasonal information summarizes reports from 2021 to 2025. It does not establish that a bird is present today, and it is not a migration forecast.

Can I use Great Kills reports to predict Freshkills birds?

Not reliably. Great Kills is a coastal site, while Freshkills includes extensive grassland and creek habitats. The Great Kills visual describes that hotspot, not every Staten Island park.

Should I visit all four parks in one day?

Choose one main destination first. Ferry transfers, onward service and walking can consume much of a short visit. Add another park only after checking the full connection and its public access.

Keep reading

How we know

Seasonal patterns are guides, not promises of a sighting. Check current access rules and conditions before heading out. Give birds space, stay on open paths and avoid disturbing nests or roosts.