Thank you for visiting my gallery of the wild birds of the New York region. It’s not meant to be a complete gallery of New York birds, but is a dynamic photo record of birds I’ve personally observed in the region. All photos are taken by me, Betsy McCully, unless otherwise stated.
I’ve arranged the birds according to the habitats in which they’re typically found. In breeding season, their habitat is where they nest; in non-breeding season or in migration, it’s where they find food. For example, downy woodpeckers nest in tree cavities and therefore require a woodland habitat; in winter, however, they may come to your backyard feeder. In addition to arranging birds according to their typical habitats, I’ve grouped them into categories, such as shorebirds, wading birds, raptors, etc., and within each category listed them alphabetically by common name, usually the second part of the name, such as plover, sandpiper, turnstone, willet, etc. Beneath the photo’s caption you’ll find a few details about where and when the bird was observed, its habitat, and its conservation status if declining or threatened. I use the data from Cornell’s excellent site, allaboutbirds.org.
All photos are of birds that can be seen in the New York region, whether year-round, in migration, as occasional visitors, winter residents, or breeders. I’ve been birding the New York area for 20-plus years, but I am human and make mistakes. 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. The gallery 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.
–Betsy McCully
Birds of Coastal Waters, Wetlands, Shores
Shorebirds
Dunlin in spring migration, breeding plumage
Dunlin in spring migration
Dunlin and Willet
Dunlin, non-breeding adult
Hudsonian Godwit. Credit: Sam Janazzo.
American Oystercatcher on summer breeding ground
Five migrating American Oystercatchers on beach
Black-bellied Plover. Male, breeding plumage
Male and female Black-bellied Plovers in spring migration, breeding plumage
Black-bellied Plover female in spring migration
Black-bellied plover in fall migration, non-breeding plumage
Black-bellied plover in fall migration, non-breeding plumage
Piping Plover near protected nesting area
Semipalmated Plover in fall migration
Semipalmated Plover in fall migration
Red Knot in fall migration, breeding plumage
Red Knot feeding with Ruddy Turnstone, both in breeding plumage
Red-necked Phalarope. Credit: Sam Janazzo.
Ruddy Turnstone, breeding plumage
A pair of Ruddy Turnstones in breeding plumage
Ruddy Turnstone in winter
Flock of juvenile sanderlings feeding along shore
Juvenile sanderlings in fall migration
Juvenile sanderlings in fall migration
Sanderlings in winter
Sanderling in breeding plumage foraging on beach
Pectoral Sandpiper
Purple Sandpipers foraging on rocks
Semi-palmated Sandpipers resting on beach
Semi-palmated Sandpiper in fall migration
Solitary Sandpiper in puddle
Spotted Sandpiper juvenile
Spotted Sandpiper juvenile
Willet pair mating
Willet taking flight
Willet in breeding territory
Willet chick swimming toward shore.
Willet chick clambering onto shore.
Greater Yellowlegs in spring migration
Wading Birds: Egrets, Herons, and Ibis
Great Egret, breeding adult
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Snowy Egret on breeding territory
Snowy Egret eating worm. Breeding plumage.
Great Blue Heron foraging in salt marsh
Great Blue Heron feeding in water
Little Blue Heron. Juvenile viewed through digiscope.
Green Heron adult on breeding territory
Glossy Ibis on breeding territory
Black-crowned Night-heron. Adult on right, juvenile on left.
Yellow-crowned Night-heron on breeding territory, stalking prey.
Yellow-crowned Night-heron on breeding territory, with crab
Yellow-crowned Night-heron juvenile
Waterfowl: Loons, Ducks, Geese, Swans
Common Loon, non-breeding plumage
Common Loon in breeding plumage
Pair of buffleheads on coastal pond
Canvasback on coastal pond
Common Eiders, male and female, sunning on rock off of Montauk Point
Common Eider, juvenile male off Montauk Point
King Eider, male. Credit: Sam Janazzo.
Gadwall. Credit: Sam Janazzo
Common Goldeneye, female and juvenile, on coastal pond
Long-tailed Ducks in winter
Long-tailed Duck, male
Mallard pair in winter
Hooded Merganser male on coastal pond
Hooded Merganser female on coastal pond
Hooded Merganser male and female
Red-breasted Merganser, immature male
Northern Pintail
Redhead duck. Credit: Sam Janazzo.
Male Ring-necked Duck and American Coot
Ring-necked Ducks, two males and a female, on coastal pond
Three male Ring-necked ducks, breeding plumage, on coastal pond
Greater Scaup. Credit: Sam Janazzo
Male Black Scoters off Montauk shore
Black Scoter male
Black Scoter immature
Northern Shoveler male on coastal pond
Northern Shoveler male and female on coastal pond
American Wigeon on pond
American Wigeon
Brants on water
Cackling Goose and Canada Goose
Snow Goose, juvenile white morph, feeding with Canada Geese on Montauk ranch.
Greater White-fronted Goose adult
Tundra Swans in migration
Seabirds: Gulls, Terns, and Skimmer
Bonaparte’s Gulls close to shore after storm
Bonaparte’s Gulls close to shore after storm
Bonaparte’s Gulls feeding with Ring-billed Gulls in tide pool
Bonaparte’s Gulls close to shore
Glaucous Gull in winter
Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus)
Great Black-backed Gull foraging on beach
Herring Gull feeding on spider crab
Iceland Gull with snail
Iceland Gull near shore
Iceland Gull on shore
Iceland Gull resting with winter ducks on coastal pond
Black Skimmer. Credit: Sam Janazzo.
Common Tern in breeding plumage
Common Tern. Juveniles.
Least Tern adult resting on beach near protected nesting colony
Least Tern adult calling near protected nesting colony
Least Tern pair displaying and mate-feeding near protected nesting colony
Least Terns mate feeding near protected nesting colony
Roseate Tern resting on rock not far from protected nesting grounds
Waters, wetlands, shores: Belted Kingfisher
We have only one kingfisher species.
Belted Kingfisher male
Waters, wetlands, shores: raptors and an owl
Osprey on nest
Osprey pair on nesting platform
Osprey in flight
Snowy Owl, immature. Credit: Sam Janazzo.
Snowy Owl adult
Snowy Owl adult
Waters, wetlands, shores: Blackbirds and crow
Fish Crow mating pair
Red-winged Blackbird adult male
Common Grackle male
Common Grackle male
Waters, wetlands, shores: Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher on breeding territory
Willow Flycatcher on breeding territory
Waters, wetlands, shores: Sparrows
Saltmarsh Sparrow in breeding territory
Seaside Sparrow in breeding territory
Swamp Sparrow on breeding ground
Waters, wetlands, shores: Swallows
Purple Martins and Bank Swallows resting on bridge during migration
