More Brooklyn Hotspots

More Brooklyn Hotspots

Ridgewood Reservoir's main freshwater basin is a surprisingly wild habitat in western Brooklyn. Photo: Glenn Phillips
With several large inland greenspaces and waterfront on both the East River and Jamaica Bay, Brooklyn has an embarrassment of bird habitats. The additional hotspots of Ridgewood Reservoir in Highland Park, and Canarsie Park both have long histories of multiple uses, and today are popular with both birds and birders. Both are also adjacent to larger natural spaces in Queens, forming large patches of habitat. 
Yellow Warblers nest in Brooklyn's wild spaces. Photo: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/120553232@N02/" target="_blank">Isaac Grant</a>
Yellow Warblers nest in Brooklyn's wild spaces. Photo: Isaac Grant
Wintering Bufflehead dive for fish in Brooklyn's waterways. Photo: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51819896@N04/" target="_blank">Lawrence Pugliares</a>
Wintering Bufflehead dive for fish in Brooklyn's waterways. Photo: Lawrence Pugliares
Sharp-shinned Hawks migrate through and sometimes winter in Brooklyn. Photo: <a href="https://www.fotoportmann.com/" target="_blank">François Portmann</a>
Sharp-shinned Hawks migrate through and sometimes winter in Brooklyn. Photo: François Portmann
These additional Brooklyn hotspots provide a mixture of habitats for both freshwater and saltwater waterbirds. Ridgewood Reservoir, a rich property of woodland and wetlands on the Brooklyn/Queens border that is part of Brooklyn's Highland Park, was preserved after years of advocacy by local conservationists. Canarsie Park, on the northern edge of Jamaica Bay, is a preserved park of uplands and salt marsh between Floyd Bennett Field and Shirley Chisholm Park. ridgewoodhs
Ridgewood Reservoir is a likely spot for wintering Ring-necked Duck. Photo: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/120553232@N02/" target="_blank">Isaac Grant</a>
Ridgewood Reservoir is a likely spot for wintering Ring-necked Duck. Photo: Isaac Grant
Ridgewood Reservoir in Highland Park

Birding Highlights by the Season

(no star = birding is not very productive, = somewhat productive, ✸✸ = productive, ✸✸✸ = very productive)
 
Spring Migration ✸✸✸
Waterfowl; flycatchers, thrushes warblers, tanagers, and other land birds; 
 
Summer ✸✸
Posssible nesting Mallard, Barn and Tree Swallows, Willow and Great Crested Flycatchers, Eastern Kingbird, Warbling Vireo, Yellow Warbler, American Redstart, Cedar Waxwing, Baltimore Oriole, Red-winged Blackbird

Fall Migration ✸✸✸
Warblers, thrushes, sparrows, and other songbirds
 
Winter ✸✸
Wintering waterfowl including diving ducks such as Redhead and Ring-necked Duck; accipiters; songbird feeding flocks
 
Year-Round Highlights
Red-tailed Hawk, common woodpeckers


Get Oriented

View a Google map of Ridgewood Reservoir in Highland Park.

A NYC Parks map is helpful to a good understanding of Ridgewood Reservoir`s three impoundments, only one of which holds permanent water. Photo: Nick Normal/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 "}" data-trix-content-type="undefined" class="attachment attachment--content"> A NYC Parks map is helpful to a good understanding of Ridgewood Reservoir`s three impoundments, only one of which holds permanent water. Photo: Nick Normal/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0


Built in 1858 to provide drinking water to Brooklyn, Ridgewood Reservoir (originally consisting of three basins) was abandoned in 1989. In the 30 years since, the 50 acres reverted to wetlands, meadows, and forests. In 2018, the nearly 30 acres of wetlands at Ridgewood Reservoir were protected under New York State’s Freshwater Wetlands Act, after a long fight by local conservation groups. (Learn more about the preservation of Ridgewood Reservoir).

Officially part of Brooklyn's Highland Park, Ridgewood Reservoir is actually on the Brooklyn/Queens border, so belongs to both boroughs. One of the wildest places in all of New York City, it is home to a broad diversity of plants (over 180 species), insects, reptiles, and animals. Over 170 species of birds have been documented by eBirders, including Philadelphia Vireo, Yellow-breasted Chat, and Blue Grosbeak; 31 warbler species have included rarities such as Kentucky and Connecticut.

American Redstarts may nest at Ridgewood Reservoir. Photo: Isaac Grant "}" data-trix-content-type="undefined" class="attachment attachment--content"> American Redstarts may nest at Ridgewood Reservoir. Photo: Isaac Grant


Of the property's original three basins, only the center basis remains a constant freshwater impoundment, while the basins to the east and west have grown up as forest. The center basin, accessible by a trail that runs along its southern, western, and northern sides, attracts wintering waterfowl including species uncommon in New York City, such as Redhead and Ring-necked Duck.

The park's woodlands and edge habitat attract many species of migrant songbirds, and a good variety stay to nest. Confirmed and likely breeding species include Mallard, Great-crested and Willow Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Warbling Vireo, Yellow Warbler, American Redstart, and Baltimore Oriole--along with loads of Gray Catbirds and Red-winged Blackbirds.

Willow Flycatchers nest at Ridgewood Reservoir. Photo: Kelly Colgan Azar/CC BY-ND 2.0 "}" data-trix-content-type="undefined" class="attachment attachment--content"> Willow Flycatchers nest at Ridgewood Reservoir. Photo: Kelly Colgan Azar/CC BY-ND 2.0

When to Go 

To see birding highlights at Ridgewood Reservoir by the season, see the top of this section.

See "Birding Highlights by the Season" above; the eBird links below also may be helpful. To learn about bird migration times and get other timing tips, see the When to Bird in NYC guide on our Birding 101 page.

 
For park operating hours, see the “Directions and Visiting Info” section, below.
 

eBird

View eBird hotspot records for Ridgewood Reservoir to explore recent bird sightings, species bar charts, and more. (Note that the park is divided into multiple hotspots; click on “Hotspot Map” at left to see even more locations.)
 

Personal Safety

While Highland Park is a well-frequented neighborhood Park, the more remote areas of the Ridgwood Reservoir trails are more remote; birding with a companion is recommended. Come prepared for mosquitoes in summer. 

Guided Bird Walks

NYC Bird Alliance leads occasional trips to Ridgewood Reservoir. Visit our Local Trips page for information on upcoming walks led by NYC Bird Alliance.

The Brooklyn Bird Club, a private nonprofit organization founded in 1909, offers frequent bird walks in Brooklyn and beyond. The club provides a number of other resources for birders as well, including a checklist and map for birdwatchers of Prospect Park, The Clapper Rail newsletter, and an active blog with the latest news and bird reports.

 Directions and Visiting Information

The trails of Ridgewood Reservoir can be accesses from Highland Park. View a Google map of Ridgewood Reservoir in Highland Park.

Visit the NYC Parks page for Ridgewood Reservoir in Highland Park for operating hours, directions, and additional background information. canarsiehs
Semipalmated Plovers stop by the shores of Canarsie Park during migration. Photo: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/120553232@N02/" target="_blank">Isaac Grant</a>
Semipalmated Plovers stop by the shores of Canarsie Park during migration. Photo: Isaac Grant
Canarsie Park

Birding Highlights by the Season

(no star = birding is not very productive, = somewhat productive, ✸✸ = productive, ✸✸✸ = very productive)
 
Spring Migration ✸✸
Flycatchers, thrushes warblers, tanagers, and other land birds; shorebirds and waders
 
Summer ✸✸
Foraging wading birds, gulls, and terns, American Oystercatcher; Osprey; migrating shorebirds; foraging Killdeer, Barn and Tree Swallows; nestin Yellow Warbler, Cedar Waxwing, Baltimore Oriole, Boat-tailed Grackle 
 
Fall Migration ✸✸
Shorebirds; warblers, sparrows, and other songbirds
 
Winter ✸✸
Wintering waterfowl including diving ducks and mergansers; common woodpeckers; mixed songbird flocks; Yellow-rumped Warbler
 
Year-Round Highlights
Gulls, common dabbling waterfowl

Great Egrets nest on islands in Jamaica Bay. Photo: Dave Ostapiuk "}" data-trix-content-type="undefined" class="attachment attachment--content"> Great Egrets nest on islands in Jamaica Bay. Photo: Dave Ostapiuk


Get Oriented

View a Google map of Canarsie Park.

Canarsie Park, like its surrounding neighborhood and Canarsie Pol, the Harbor Heron Island directly south of it, is named after the Canarsie tribe of Native Americans that once resided here. The park's land includes both NYC Parks and National Parks property, and while much of it is devoted to cricket and other sports fields, it also includes substantial natural habitat: upland scrub and woodland, shorefront on a tidal creek and Jamaica Bay, and Canarsie Pier, a fishing pier that juts out in the Bay.

Canarsie Park is traced by several winding trails including the Jamaica Bay Greenway, which follows the southwest border of the park, and provides access under the Belt Parkway to the Jamaica Bay shoreline, and further east, to Canarsie Pier. As it is essentially a northern component of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge like nearby parks such as Shirley Chisholm and Spring Creek Parks, Canarsie Park attracts a good variety of birds throughout the year--almost 200 species, according to eBirders.

A male Red-winged Blackbird on territory. Photo: François Portmann "}" data-trix-content-type="undefined" class="attachment attachment--content"> A male Red-winged Blackbird on territory. Photo: François Portmann


During the warmer months, watch for wading birds such as Great and Snowy Egrets and both Night-Heron Species, whicn nest on the Jamaica Bay islands. Osprey are frequently spotted, as are other species that nest in the bay such as Common and Forster's Terns, American Oystercatcher, and Willet. Nesting land birds include swallows, Willow Flycatcher, Yellow Warbler, and Boat-tailed Grackle.

In late summer, look for migrating shorebirds such as Least, Spotted, and both Semipalmated Sandpipers and Plovers. During the winter, check the tidal creek and bay for diving birds such as Bufflehead and both Hooded and Red-breasted Mergansers.

The Jamaica Bay Greenway leads to the Bay in Canarsie Park. Photo: Robert/CC BY-NC 2.0 "}" data-trix-content-type="undefined" class="attachment attachment--content"> The Jamaica Bay Greenway leads to the Bay in Canarsie Park. Photo: Robert/CC BY-NC 2.0

When to Go 

To see birding highlights at Canarsie Park by the season, see the top of this section.

See "Birding Highlights by the Season" above; the eBird links below also may be helpful. To learn about bird migration times and get other timing tips, see the When to Bird in NYC guide on our Birding 101 page.

 
For park operating hours, see the “Directions and Visiting Info” section, below.
 

eBird

View eBird hotspot records for Canarsie Beach Park to explore recent bird sightings, species bar charts, and more. (Note that the park is divided into multiple hotspots; click on “Hotspot Map” at left to see nearby locations.)
 

Personal Safety

Canarsie Park is well-frequented by locals and generally safe to bird. Come prepared for mosquitoes in summer. 

 Directions and Visiting Information

View a Google map of Canarsie Park.

Visit the NYC Parks page for Canarsie Park and the National Parks page for Canarsie Pier for operating hours, directions, and additional background information.