Credit: Betsy McCully. American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis). Open woodlands. Year-round.
Thank you for visiting my gallery of the wild birds of the New York region. This is a personal gallery of photos I and my birding friends have taken in the field.
Birds are arranged according to the habitats in which they are typically found. They may be found in other habitats, especially in migration. Also, birds are grouped into categories, such as shorebirds, wading birds, etc., and are listed alphabetically by species. Most of the photos are of birds observed in the New York region, but a few are of birds in their breeding territories upstate. Except for my own field notes, I have relied on information from the excellent Cornell website, allaboutbirds.org. I have been birding the New York area for 20-plus years, but I am human and I may make mistakes in ID’s. I welcome your feedback by contacting me at the email address below.
I hope my gallery may help you identify some of the birds you find in the New York region. See the New York Birds page for a list of suggested print guides and websites. This page will be updated regularly, so check back for more. Also take a look at my Flickr photo site, https://www.flickr.com/people/betsymccully/.
If you wish to use any of the photos, please see the Terms of Use page before contacting me at the email address below (scroll to bottom of page).
–Betsy McCully
Birds of Coastal Waters, Wetlands, Shores, and Ponds
Shorebirds
Credit: Betsy McCully.
American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus), Long Island.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola). Breeding male plumage. Long Island. Shorelines. Migrant.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Solitary Sandpiper, Marine Park. In migration, visits pond and stream edges, and temporary puddles. This one is in a puddle. Migrant.
Credit: Betsy McCully. Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima). Male and female, sunning on rock off of Montauk Point. Oceans. Winter visitor.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima). Male and female. Oceans. Winter visitor.
Common Eider (Somateria mollissima). Juvenile male. Oceans. Winter visitor but may remain all year.
Credit: Sam Janazzo.
King Eider (Somateria spectabilis). Male. Oceans. Uncommon winter visitor.
Credit: Sam Janazzo.
Gadwall (Mareca strepera). Marshes. Winter visitor.
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula). Female and juvenile. Lakes and ponds. Winter visitor.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Long-tailed Ducks (Clangula hyemalis). Napeague Harbor, Long Island. Lakes and ponds on breeding grounds, coastal waters in winter. In steep decline.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Long-tailed ducks and Red-necked Grebe (Policeps grisegena). Winter visitors to coastal waters.
Credit: Sam Janazzo.
Redhead duck (Aythya americana). Lakes and ponds on breeding grounds, coastal bays in winter. Winter visitor.
Male Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) and American Coot (Fulica americana). Lakes and ponds. Winter visitor.
Ring-necked Ducks, males and female. Lakes and ponds. Winter visitor.
Credit: Sam Janazzo.
Greater Scaup (Aythya marila). Lakes and ponds on breeding grounds, coastal waters in winter. Migrant and winter visitor. In steep decline.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii) and Canada Goose (Branta canadensis). Marshes. The Cackling Goose is a scarce winter visitor found among Canada Geese. This individual was observed in a ranch grassland on Long Island.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens). Juvenile white morph. Open fields in winter. Feeding with Canada Geese on Montauk ranch.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons). Wetlands, lakes, farm fields in winter. Winter stray. This one found with Canada geese on a Montauk ranch, Long Island.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Tundra Swans (Cygnus columbianus). Estuaries in winter. Winter visitor. Sag Harbor, Long Island.
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus). Shorelines. Year-round.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Bonaparte’s Gulls (Chroicocephalus philadelphia), Long Island. Lakes and ponds on breeding grounds, coastal waters in winter. Winter visitors.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Bonaparte’s Gulls (Chroicocephalus philadelphia). Winter visitors. Feeding with Herring Gulls in tide pool, Montauk, Long Island.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon). Male. Long Island. Rivers, ponds and shores.
Raptors
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Osprey (Pandion heliaetus) on nest, Oceanside, Long Island. Lakes and ponds. Breeder.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Osprey (Pandion heliaetus). Lakes and ponds. Breeder.
Credit: Sam Janazzo.
Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus), immature. Tundra on breeding grounds, shorelines and coastal dunes in winter. Winter visitor, Long Island. Declining.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus), adult. Tundra on breeding grounds, shorelines and coastal dunes in winter. Winter visitor, Long Island. Declining.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis). Grasslands. Fall stray
Game Birds
Credit: Sam Janazzo. Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). Grasslands. In steep decline.
Raptors
Credit: Betsy McCully.
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius). Grassland bird. Feeds on grasshoppers.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius). Grassland bird. Feeds on grasshoppers. This individual was feeding on a grasshopper or dragonfly in late fall.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius). Grassland bird. Feeds on grasshoppers. This individual was feeding on a grasshopper or dragonfly in late fall.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Black-throated Blue Warbler. Male, breeding plumage. Migrant. This individual observed in breeding territory in Neversink, upstate NY.
Credit: Sam Janazzo.
Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera). Open woodlands. Breeder.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Canada Warbler (Cardellina canadensis). Forests. Migrant. This individual observed in upstate NY.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina). Forests. Fall migrant. Declining.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera). Open woodlands. Breeder upstate. This individual at D&H Canal, Wurtsboro, NY. Red watchlist.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Nashville Warbler (Oreothlypis ruficapilla). Forests. Migrant. Breeds upstate. This individual observed in the Adirondacks.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis). Forests. Migrant.Breeds upstate. This individual came to a birdbath during migration.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus). Open woodlands. Year-round.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus). Open woodlands. Year-round.
Credit: Betsy McCully.
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus). Forests. Needs mature forest with dead and downed trees. This individual observed at Ward Pound Ridge, Westchester.
