Nature Walk with Local Nature Lab, Apr 7th 2024

Loyan Beausoleil, an ornithologist, New York City educator, bird guide for NYC Audubon (name change coming soon), and avid urban birder led participants on a bird outing in McGolrick to look for birds and to discover what makes the park an ideal habitat for our avian neighbors. 

Participants received the NYC Urban Bird Explorer Guide, published by Local Nature Lab, and received a tutorial on how to use binoculars. Shortly after, the group spotted a Red-tailed Hawk sitting on a branch and eating a Pigeon! This gave everyone a chance to practice using the binoculars while getting a good look at the magnificent creature. It is likely that the adult Red-tailed Hawk nests in McCarren Park and came to McGolrick to hunt. The large number of mature trees, combined with human-made structures, means there is an abundance of food for Red-tailed Hawks. Pigeons, rats, and sometimes squirrels are a city Red-tailed Hawk’s favorite meal!

On the North side of the park the group encountered two species of black birds - the European Starling and Common Grackle. This provided an excellent opportunity to notice the similarities and differences between the two types of birds, which often confuse people. European Starling and Common Grackles are shiny, black birds, showcasing an iridescent rainbow in their black feathers when the sunlight hits just right. European Starlings have short tails and dark eyes whereas Common Grackles have long tails and bright, light-colored eyes. To confuse things even more, European Starlings look very different throughout the year! At times they have light-colored spots on dark feathers and during the breeding season a bright yellow bill, as opposed to the dark bill they have during the rest of the year. Bill color can be a good way to tell starlings from grackles as Common Grackles always have a dark, black bill, which is also larger than the bill of starlings.  The group were lucky that the two species cooperated, and sat side by side on a branch providing the perfect opportunity to compare the two. The group also saw breeding behaviors of some European Starlings that were actively using tree cavities in the London Plane trees. Unfortunately, these birds are an introduced species and outcompete many native species for nesting habitat.

McGolrick is also an excellent habitat for woodpecker species! A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was heard during the walk and the group had great views of a Red-bellied Woodpecker who was foraging in a smaller tree.

The last bird spotted, thanks to the keen eyes of one of the participants, was an Osprey flying high and fast above the park. Since McGolrick is situated between the East River and Newtown Creek it is an excellent place to watch the skies for Osprey. They are always near the water and likely fly over McGolrick Park often!

The event was made possible thanks to the support of City Parks Foundation and Partnerships for Parks through the NYC Green Fund, a Blake-Nuttall Ornithology grant, and Local Nature Lab, a Black-founded environmental organization, whose mission is to nurture a love for nature as well as promote biodiversity conservation through education, outreach, and hands-on experience.

When you're in McGolrick this Spring, make sure to look for more birds! 111 species (and counting) have been spotted. Don’t forget to look up, look down, look all around! April and May are peak bird migration months - Happy Spring and good birding!