Since the pandemic began, birding has become an increasingly popular hobby for many New Yorkers. Birding is a great way to enjoy the outdoors and connect with nature. It also provides an opportunity to join a growing community of birders in your area.

Madison Square Park is a great birding location for novice and expert birders alike. Over 112 species of birds have been identified in the park! From birds of prey like red-tailed hawks, to songbirds like the black-capped chickadee, many varieties of birds have called the park home. You can see the full list here.

Getting started as a birder is easy and inexpensive. All you need is some time, patience, and awareness of your surroundings. And you can track any of your observations in a notebook, by sharing photos on Instagram, or by using a mobile app like iNaturalist or eBird.

No matter how you choose to document sightings, we invite you to share your discoveries with our team! When you tag us on Instagram or post observations on a citizen-science app, we learn more about the birds living in our park. This knowledge helps us understand migratory patterns and other habits, which in turn helps us ensure the park is properly supporting these species.

You can also help us and bird experts from across the globe learn more about our birds by joining the Great Backyard Bird Count from February 18–21. During these four days, nature lovers from around the world will be watching, counting, and reporting birds from their backyard. Whether you’re looking for a new, relaxing hobby or you consider yourself an expert birder, we welcome you to use Madison Square Park as your backyard not only during this event, but any day that you feel like stopping by for some birding!