NYC Bird Alliance

10/29/2026

NYC Bird Alliance was very troubled to hear about work conducted today on the Upper West Side water tower that, up until last night, was home to Manhattan’s first Barn Owl nest. The construction work destroyed part of the tower, removing the roof. There is a high likelihood that this work disturbed the pair and the five or six fledglings.

Active nests of migratory birds are protected under federal and state law and the building is required to pause any work on the water tower and near the nest. The destruction of a nest constitutes a wildlife crime. NYC Bird Alliance responded immediately by alerting the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), and met with the building’s super to ensure all future planned work is halted until the owls have all left this nesting site.

10/21/2026

Given the demolition of Yankee and Lima Piers, NYC Bird Alliance has been working closely with the Trust for Governors Island to protect the colony on Lima Pier. We're delighted to share that there will be a new floating platform installed before next spring, designed specifically to provide safe nesting for the birds.

We're consulting on the design and will monitor the colony, building on 10 years of work protecting these threatened birds. Thank you Governors Island for your collaboration and commitment to the birds' protection!

The Trust for Governors Island today announced the start of a $64 million, City-funded rebuild of Yankee Pier and Lima Pier. The project will establish Yankee Pier as a primary passenger ferry gateway to the Island—doubling its ferry landing capacity, introducing new passenger amenities, and laying the groundwork for expanded ferry service. Lima Pier will be rebuilt as a dependable second access point for deliveries, construction vehicles, and emergency services. The investment comes as Governors Island continues its decade-long transformation from a seasonal destination into a year-round public resource for New Yorkers and visitors.

During construction, Yankee Pier will be out of service, with NYC Ferry's South Brooklyn route and the Trust’s seasonal Brooklyn Ferry service will be diverted to Pier 101 starting November 2, 2026. Public access to the Island’s park and public spaces, including the waterfront esplanade, will not be impacted.

Read the full announcement at govisland.org/blog

Rendering courtesy of Indigo River

10/08/2026

It will be a birding bonanza this Saturday (Oct. 10) as we celebrate World Migratory Bird Day! 🌎🕊️ Celebrate the amazing journeys of migratory at one of our seven FREE bird outings to celebrate. Birders of all skill levels are welcome.

🔗 Link in bio

10/06/2026

HOO doesn't love seeing owls?! The eerie, raspy scream of a has recently been echoing along the Upper West Side and in Central Park, so let's review what it means to be OWL-some🦉

When you see an , remember to:
📏 keep your distance
🗣️ speak softly
📷 avoid flash photography

Great Horned, Barn, Screech, Barred, Northern Saw-whet, and even Snowy Owls can be seen in NYC, and ALL are extremely prone to disturbance.

🐀 Owls are highly specialized predators that rely on keen eyesight to detect slight changes in their environment and locate prey in low-light conditions. Shining a light on an owl at night (including camera flash!) can disrupt this process and even temporarily blind the bird.
💤 Owls sleep during the day and, just like us, need proper rest to thrive. Making excessive noise or moving too close when observing a resting owl can cause stress and harm.

Thank you for supporting these magical birds by observing with care.

📸 Cinnamon the Barn Owl in Central Park ⓒ David Lei

09/22/2026

Reminder: birds are awesome.

is in full swing!🍂🐦 In the next few weeks, spot these migrating species (and more!) throughout NYC. You just have to look 👀

09/19/2026

starts TOMORROW! And there's no better way to celebrate than getting outside and enjoying the fall migrants passing through our city 🐦🐤 Join us on FREE guided outings throughout the five boroughs.

🔗 Link in bio.

09/10/2026

Tomorrow night, on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, NYC Bird Alliance is honored to return to the .

Our scientists will be at the base of the Tribute from 8pm - 6am, monitoring the skies to ensure safe passage for migrating while honoring those we lost on 9/11.

thrives when we work together. Thank you, National September 11 Memorial & Museum, for your longtime partnership.

09/01/2026

Another super summer with and birders 🐦

🌊1: City of Water Day at Marine Park
🐐2-3: Riverside Park Conservancy's iconic Festival
🌿4-5: 10th Annual Kingsland Wildflowers Festival
🐥6-7: Our 1st NYCHA in Nature field trip
🐣8: Promoting NYCHA in Nature family days with Senator Scarcella-Spanton
🏳️‍🌈9-10: Let's Go Birding Together in Central Park outing, in honor of board member Elizabeth Norton
🌷11: Drop-in Ecology Days and our first lecture with Jefferson Market Garden

08/27/2026

In June, we announced an alarming finding that the Black-crowned Night Heron could disappear from NY-NJ Harbor as soon as 2037.

New Yorkers immediately sprung into action! In addition to 1,800+ petition signatures demanding more protections of , countless local photographers shared their favorite Black-crowned Night Heron photos in and pools.

Here are some of our favorites:
📸1 Sean Krepski (Prospect Park)
📸2 Andrea Evans (Hudson River Park)
📸3 Indigo Griffith (Prospect Park)
📸4 Marilyn Stolove (Central Park)

Together, we can save the . You can help by signing our petition and encouraging others to do the same. 🔗 Link in bio.