Central Park

107th Christmas Bird Count Reveals Nearly 6,400 Birds Of 57 Different Species In Central Park

There are 57 species of birds and 6,380 individual birds in Central Park, according to the final tally of the 107^th Christmas Bird Count held in Central Park on Sunday, December 17. Teams of birdwatchers spent the morning canvassing all 843 acres of Central Park identifying and counting each and every bird in a game of ornithological "I Spy." In the afternoon, the birders gathered at the historic Arsenal building in Central Park to share and analyze their findings. The results of this bird count will be added to the results of other Audubon Society Christmas Bird Counts held across the country during the holidays. Aggregate tallies will help paint a picture of how the continent’s bird populations have changed in time and space over the past hundred years.

"This year’s Christmas Bird Count reveals that Central Park is home sweet home to nearly 6,400 birds," said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. "Beginning birdwatchers and avian aficionados alike did a fantastic job surveying the park and identifying an array of birds, from resident House Sparrows and Herring Gulls to rare Rusty Blackbirds and Great Blue Herons. There were two (Mute) Swans a-swimming, but no partridge in a pear tree. Special thanks to New York City Audubon Society and the Central Park Conservancy for co-hosting this 107^th annual holiday tradition."

The results of this year’s tally indicate that Central Park is presently home to several birds that are either uncommon or rare for this time of year, including one Rusty Blackbird, one Tundra Swan, one Palm Warbler, two Great Blue Herons, and a Kingfisher. Unsurprisingly, the largest flocks spotted were of gulls, house sparrows, and pigeons. Bird watchers particularly delighted in a large flock of over 500 Common Grackles that soared through the park at the time of the count.

The first two bird counts in America took place on Christmas Day 1899—one in Central Park and one in Princeton, New Jersey—and were intended to promote bird counting as an alternative to bird hunting. The 107-year-old count is led by the New York City Audubon Society and jointly organized with NYC Parks & Recreation’s Urban Park Rangers, and the Central Park Conservancy.

Know Before You Go

Harlem Meer Center (formerly Lasker Rink)

Harlem Meer Center