The Best Places in New York City to Find Warblers
The Prothonotary Warbler is a beautiful spring visitor to New York’s Central park in springtime. Image: ©Wirestock
Get Ready for Annual Spring Warbler Migration
ROBERTA KRAVETTE, EDITOR CONTACT ME
By Roberta Kravette
I live in New York City. You may think it's an odd place for a nature and wildlife enthusiast to live, but we have a surprising number of parks with a range of protected habitats and a soul-filling array of birds and wildlife that call them home. These protected places are especially important in the Spring and Fall when thousands of migrating warblers, songbirds, raptors, and others following the Atlantic Flyway stop over to rest and refresh in our Parks.
NYC Has Five Boroughs of Bountiful Birding
Springtime in Central Park. Image: ©John Anderson
✔︎Tips for NYC Birding
What: Spring Warbler Migration
When: Late April to early June
Where: New York City, Central Park, Prospect Park, Bryant Park, and Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.
Who: Folks who love birds, no experience necessary
Birding Tip: Bring binoculars and a bird ID app. Watch for groups of people looking up.
National Audubon has recognized Central Park as an IBA (Important Bird Area) and one of the best birding spots in the United States. Along with our resident Red-tailed Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, Tufted Titmice, Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, multiple species of woodpeckers, ducks, and other songbirds we see all year, we also have more than 210 migrant species annually!
The wood warblers are my favorites; we host up to 30 different species - plus occasionals like the Kirklands. The spring is ablaze with Tanagers, Grosbeaks, Flycatchers, Vireos, Cuckoos, plus waders and waterfowl- more than 280 species- all stop over here.
Manhattan’s Bryant Park, only 1/100th the size of Central Park, is also a stopover hotspot. Over 133 different bird species have been listed here. In spring 2026, Bryant Park became a hub of “Woodcock” mania when its planted flower beds became the preferred daytime resting place for a couple of migrating Woodcocks.
Swans breed in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, the Warblers don’t mind. Image: ©Angelese Alderez
In Brooklyn, Prospect Park’s woodlands, wetlands, and grassy spaces are another of NYC’s designated IBAs, with 250 bird species regularly visiting or residing year-round. And Green-Wood Cemetery has become so famous for birders that it has its own species list (pick it up at the gate) and a dedicated professional birding guide! Green-Wood is also home to an (invasive but adorable) population of Monk Parrots.
The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in the Borough of Queens is the city’s only federal wildlife refuge. Here we can find wading birds like the beautiful Glossy Ibis, the Yellow-Crowned and Black-Crowned Night Herons, as well as American Avocets, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Red Knots, Willets, and more - as well as yellow and other warblers. I’ve also gotten great looks at Merlins and Thrashers, and spent quality time watching lovely iridescent Tree Swallows feeding chicks in the Refuge’s many nesting boxes.
A couple of Lesser Yellow-legs resting and feeding in Jamaica Bay in the spring. Like the Blackburnian Warblers also found here, their migration can be up to 9,000 miles roundtrip. Image: ©Sekernas
At 2,765 acres, The Bronx’s Pelham Bay Park is New York’s largest park. In 2005, it was designated another of New York City’s Important Bird Areas. This is one of the last areas of the city where Woodcocks still perform their courtship flights in spring. Warblers also find their way here, as do shorebirds.
And in Staten Island, Cloves Lake Park (migrating warblers and tanagers), Great Kills Park, and the Staten Island Greenbelt, 2,800 acres of second-growth forest and more, account for recorded sightings of over 500 different species, including the Sedge Wren, Grasshopper sparrow, a pair of nesting Great Blue Herons, and rarities including Sandhill Crane and Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher.
Warblers Migrate By Land and Sea
The Chestnut-sided warbler winters in Central America and as far south as northern South America. They breed as far North as Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, and some stay to raise families in New York! Image: ©Filipe Pimentel
By the time they arrive in New York, some of these tiny travelers will have come thousands of miles, mostly by night, and have still further to go to get their breeding grounds. Some have come over land, but many crossed the Gulf of Mexico. Over open water, with no place to stop and rest, they have had to fly and keep flying for days – or die.
Keep your eyes open - they will begin to cross our southern borders in the next few weeks. And if we are lucky, we will see them here, in New York, in all their glory a couple of weeks after that. Wood Warblers! They are amazing.
Our New york Parks are in full bloom when the warblers come to town! This is a Cape may. Image ©Vlad Ghiea
Fun Facts About New World Wood Warblers
1. Uncommonly Common: There are over 50 species of New World wood warblers to be found in North America during the warm months.
2. Long Distance Flyers: Warblers spend the cold months in Mexico, Central, and South America and the Caribbean. At least one species of wood warbler migrates over 5,000 miles round trip. (Blackpoll warbler)
4. Delicate Construction Material: Warblers like to build their nests out of spider’s webs, grass, bark, or hair.
5. Confused? A group of warblers can be called: A bouquet, a fall, a wrench, or a confusion of warblers!
6. Prepare for Warbler Neck! That is the crick that you feel at the end of a day searching high into the canopy for these tiny birds. It’s worth the pain!
Central Park in Springtime, perfect for a day of warbler watching. Image: ©John Anderson
Good friend and Central Park consultant, Elise Boeger. Image: Roberta Kravette
D: W Birding Consultant, Elise Boeger says:
The west side of the park can be a good place to start. The Ramble is great for warblers.
And don’t miss the North Woods, including the Loch and Ravine, Sparrow Rock, and Strawberry Fields.
Not a Fun Fact about Wood Warblers
A Precarious Existence: New World Wood Warblers are declining at an alarming rate. Some have lost half their populations or more since 1960.
Habitat Loss, in the form of deforestation, is one overwhelming cause of the decline of warbler species. Forests are being felled for development faster than the warblers can adapt – if adaptation were even possible. Then there is the pesticide problem. When insects are poisoned, the birds that eat them are too.
Climate change is accelerating an already bad situation with unusually strong storms, changed weather patterns, and unstable season start times. We are all connected: humans, birds, bugs, the forests and streams, the climate. Anything that impacts one of us affects us all.
Although migration is precarious for birds in general, fall migration is especially lethal. Many of the birds are young and inexperienced, and the routes can be longer. Light pollution causes exhaustion, confusion, and collisions with buildings. Approximately 1 billion ( yes, that is billion with a B) die during migration from building collisions. The York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Lights Out Initiative
My Favorite 8 Wood Warblers in New York City
Cerulean Warbler: Beautiful & Disappearing Fast
Cerulean Warblers use spider web silk to build their nests, sometimes reusing old web material in new nests. Image: Thanks to Gerry Griffeths
✓ Cerulean Warbler Fun Fact:
Female Cerulean warblers sometimes look like bungee-jumpers. They leave their treetop nests by sitting on the edge for a while, then dropping straight down with their wings folded; at the last minute, the Cerulean opens her wings and flies off parallel to the ground.
✓ Population Status:
Tipping Point Alert: They have lost over 50% of their population in the last 50 years. This little blue beauty is one of the most endangered warblers. Between 1970 and 2014, their population declined by 72%. The Cerulean warbler’s population is dropping faster than any other warbler in the USA; the average population loss between 1960 and 1999 was 4% per year.
✓ Where Do Cerulean Warblers Winter?
Cerulean Warblers winter in South America in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and northern Bolivia, preferring montane evergreen forests and shade coffee plantations on the eastern slopes of the northern Andes from 1,600 to 6,500 feet.
► Where to Look for Cerulean Warblers:
High in the forest canopy, especially in sugar maple, white oak, and magnolia trees, but – I saw my first female (see above) on the ground. She was looking for nesting material.
🐦⬛ Where I Have Seen a Cerulean Warbler in New York City:
Ceruleans are rare, but I’ve seen them in Central Park. They’ve also been seen in Clove Lakes Park in Staten Island.
2. The Prothonotary Warbler
The lovely Protonotary Warbler lost 40% or their population between 1966 and 2015. Image: ©Gerald Deboer
✓ Amazing Migration!
One prothonotary warbler, dubbed “GeoDad,” fitted with a GeoTracker in 2014, traveled over 5000 miles in 8 months (Louisiana to Colombia, South America) through 7 countries, crossing the Gulf of Mexico twice and the Caribbean Sea once. He made one Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Colombia trip in only 3 weeks.
✓ Population Status:
Watch List - Population declined 42% between 1966 and 2015, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Only 50% of migrating prothonotary warblers survive to return to their breeding grounds.
✓ Where do Prothonotary Warblers Winter?
Prothonotary Warblers winter in the mangrove forests and the coasts of Mexico, Central, and in northern South America.
► Where to Look for Prothonotary Warblers:
Wet forests and wetlands in the Eastern US; most breed in the US Southeast, but we have seen them in Central Park and upstate New York.
🐦⬛ Where I Have Seen Prothonotary Warblers in New York City:
Central Park and Prospect Park. They are rare here, but look for them! They have been spotted in Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens
3. The Blackburnian Warbler, Setophaga Fusca
THE BLACKBURNIAN IS THE ONLY WARBLER WITH AN ORANGE THROAT. THIS LITTLE GUY IS A STUNNER DURNING BREEDING SEASON! IMAGE: ©2018 FILIPE PIMENTEL
✓ Population Status:
Least Concern
✓ Where do Blackburnian Warblers Winter?
Blackburnian Warblers winter in the forests of the Andes Mountains in South America.
► Where to Look for Blackburnian Warblers:
Look at the top of coniferous trees. They sometimes will perch on the uppermost twig. They nest up to 80 feet (24 meters) off the ground. They are found in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania) during the summer. The Blackburnian warbler is a solitary bird, forming flocks only during migration; after its young fledge, look for it among foraging flocks of chickadees, kinglets, and nuthatches.
🐦⬛ Where I have Seen Blackburnian Warblers in New York City:
Central Park. You may also spot them in Bryant Park or Prospect Park, Queens.
4. The Northern Parula, Setophaga americana
I saw my first Northern Parula in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. He was hop-skipping on a giant Horse Chestnut tree, a tiny bright and beautiful spot among the oversized leaves. I will never forget him. Image: ©Gerry Griffiths
✓ Northern Parula Fun Fact:
They have one of the prolonged migrations of any bird. The first northern parulas are usually spotted along the Texas coast in February, but they arrive and pass through this area on their way north through May.
✓ Population Status:
Low Concern
✓ Where do Northern Parula Warblers Winter?
Northern Parula enjoy the winter in the West Indies and eastern Central America.
► Where to Look for Northern Parula Warblers:
High up in the trees. These little guys will definitely give you warbler neck. They breed in forested areas with plentiful Spanish moss or beard lichens from Florida to Newfoundland. According to the Boreal Songbird Initiative, 14% of the species' North American population breeds within the Boreal Forest.
🐦⬛ Where I Have Seen a Northern Parula Warbler in New York City:
I have seen Northern Parula Warblers in Prospect Park, Brooklyn; also look in Manhattan’s Central Park and Bryant Park.
4. The Hooded Warbler, Setophaga citrina
HUNDREDS OF BIRDWATCHERS FLOCKED TO CENTRAL PARK LAST MAY (2018) TO SEE THE SURPRISE VISITOR, KIRTLANDS WARBLER. IMAGE: ©2018 DENNIS NEWSHAM
✓ Hooded Warbler Fun Fact:
Male Hooded Warblers each have a slightly different song and can remember their neighbors' songs and where they come from, helping reduce time spent on territorial disputes.
✓ Population Status:
Low Concern
✓ Where do Hooded Warblers Winter?
Hooded Warblers winter in southern Mexico, especially the Yucatan, and in northern and central Central America and the Caribbean.
► Where to Look for Hooded Warblers:
Hooded Warblers like mature deciduous forest. Central Park’s Ramble is a good place to look, as well as the Gill/Azalea Pond.
🐦⬛ Where I have Seen Warblers:
I have seen Hooded Warblers many times in Central Park- perhaps because they are my good friend Elise Boeger’s favorite. She has a magnetic pull for this beautiful bird. Green-Wood Cemetery is another great place to look for them.
5. The Yellow Warbler, Setophaga aestiva
YELLOW WARBLERS USE SPIDER’S WEB TO LINE THEIR NESTS, BUT GETTING CAUGHT IN AN ORB SPIDER WEB CAN BE DEADLY FOR THEM. IMAGE: ©GORDON ELLMERS
✓ Yellow Warbler Fun Fact:
Cowbirds Take Advantage! Yellow warbler nests are the favorite dumping grounds for the much larger Brown Cowbird. These hefty interlopers lay their eggs in yellow warbler nests, leaving the innocent little Yellows to incubate the eggs and raise the chicks as their own. Sometimes they abandon both the nest and the eggs and start again.
✓ Population Status:
Low Concern
✓ Where Do Yellow Warblers Winter?
Yellow Warblers have a big range; they winter from Southern California into South America: the Amazon region, Bolivia, and Peru.
► Where to Look for Yellow Warblers in NYC:
Thickets and other low regrowing habitats, especially near wetlands and streams, and the edges of forests and swamps. They nest in the forked branches of a small bush or tree.
🐦⬛ Where I Have Seen Yellow Warblers in New York City:
Look up; even a non-birder can usually find this ray of sunshine. I have seen them in Central Park, Bryant Park, Jamaica Bay, and north to Fort Edward, New York.
6. The Black-and-White Warbler, Mniotilta varia
To me Black-and-White warblers always look like they are dressed for a formal occasion, then they run headfirst down a tree trunk and i realize that they are not so serious after all. image: ©robert wallace, r.wallace photo.com
✓ Population Status:
Low Concern
✓ Where did They Start Their Migration?
Black-and-white warblers winter in Florida, Central America, and as far south as Peru.
► Where to Look for Black-and-white Warblers:
One of the first warblers to arrive in the north each year, watch for them creeping headfirst along tree trunks, like a nuthatch. They like deciduous forests and mixed forests of deciduous trees and conifers. You might even see them in your garden or lawn. Black-and-white warblers nest low, under a bush or log, sometimes at the base of a rock, tree stump, or fallen log.
🐦⬛ Where I Have Seen Black-and-White Warblers:
Central Park and Prospect Park in Manhattan, and Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn.
7. Black-Throated Blue Warbler, Setophaga caerulescens
The female Black-throated Blue Warbler differs so much from her mate that researchers once thought they were different species. Image: © 2018 FILIPE PIMENTEL
✓ Fun Fact About Black-throated Blue Warblers :
Although the female is drab, mostly greyish with a little olive or buff, both sexes have a white patch on the wings, sometimes called a “pocket handkerchief.”
✓ Population Status: Least Concern
✓ Where Do Black-throated Blue Warblers Winter? They spend the winter in the Caribbean and Central America.
► Where to Look for Black-Throated Blue Warblers in NYC: The black-throated blue warbler likes tracts and forests of hardwood trees. Look for them in the understory (layer of vegetation beneath the main canopy of a forest).
🐦⬛ Where I Have Seen Black-Throated Blue Warblers: Central Park, New York City.
THE RAMBLE IS THE PERFECT PLACE IN CENTRAL PARK TP LOOK FOR WOOD WARBLERS. IMAGE: ©JOHN ANDERSON I DREAMSTIME.COM
More Warblers in New York’s Parks
