Bronx Backyard Bird List
Backyard birdwatchers have it easy. They can just sit back on their fancy verandas sipping mint juleps while a cavalcade of birds flaunt themselves in succession. Urban birders actually have to leave their homes to spot anything but pigeons. However, thanks to a cosmic convergence of geography and good fortune, Mike once lived in an apartment from which interesting birds could actually be seen.
The picture above is the view from our living room window, what I see from the computer. We are five stories up and overlook a school. Beyond the luxury building in white is the Hudson River. That large tree in the foreground is a popular perch for all kinds of birds. The rules of this list are simple: we can only count birds we see from our apartment. We may move to a different window as long as it looks out over the same view. This Bronx Backyard bird list will be updated regularly as a testament to the unexpected biodiversity of our favorite borough.
There are now 36 birds on this list, with the latest one (Snow Goose) added December 8, 2006.
- American Crow
- American Goldfinch
- American Kestrel
- American Robin
- Bald Eagle
- Baltimore Oriole
- Barn Swallow
- Black-capped Chickadee
- Blue Jay
- Canada Goose
- Chimney Swift
- Common Grackle
- Cooper’s Hawk
- Dark-eyed Junco
- Double-crested Cormorant
- Downy Woodpecker
- Eastern Kingbird
- European Starling
- Great Blue Heron
- Herring Gull
- House Finch
- House Sparrow
- Great Black-backed Gull
- Mourning Dove
- Northern Cardinal
- Northern Mockingbird
- Osprey
- Peregrine Falcon
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Red-bellied Woodpecker
- Ring-billed Gull
- Rock Pigeon
- Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Snow Goose
- Tufted Titmouse
- White-breasted Nuthatch
Why don’t you have pictures of the birds name you’ve listed. I see many different species of birds in the Bronx and I don’t know what species they are. Do you know where I might find a website with picture of the species of birds in the Bronx?
Thanks,
Bob
I really love your site, and especially this section. I enjoy keeping a notebook of my Bronx backyard birds also. I’ll be printing out your (incredible) list to use as a checklist for myself in the future.
Some birds that I’ve actually seen in my backyard, which I didn’t see on your list are: Cedar Waxwings, Golden Crowned Kinglet, Mrytle/Yellow Rumped Warbler, Blue Grosbeak. Your list gives me a lot more hope!
Best regards,
Al