Scarlet Tanagers are often seen in All only known New York City location for this species. Photo: Ryaney Pond Park during migration—and sometimes stay to nest in the park, the F. Mandelbaum
Alley Pond Park is the most ecologically diverse park owned by the City of New York/Parks and Recreation in Queens. The northern border touches on Long Island Sound’s Little Neck Bay. It contains an entire watershed; kettle ponds in a mature oak and beech forest on the terminal moraine, fresh water wetlands supported by ground water seeps and artesian springs on the outwash plain, and abundant salt-marsh along Alley Creek and its confluence with Little Neck Bay. Over 255 bird species have been documented by eBirders across the many hotspots in Alley Pond Park, including rarities such as Western Kingbird, Ash-throated Flycatcher, and Townsend's Warbler, and unusual breeding species like Scarlet Tanager and American Redstart.
The two best birding areas are in the Upper Alley Woodlands, at the southern end of the park, and the Alley Wetlands, at the northern end of the park near Little Neck Bay (and presided over by the Alley Pond Environmental Center). West of the Alley Wetlands is a third, functionally separate area that includes Oakland Lakeand the John Reidl Wildflower Meadow.
Alley Pond Park’s 635 acres are crisscrossed by the Grand Central Parkway, Cross Island Parkway, Long Island Expressway, and the Long Island Railroad, slicing the park into many segments, some of which comprise athletic fields, tennis courts, and playgrounds. The nationally recognized Alley Pond Environmental Center is located just off Northern Boulevard in the Alley Wetlands section of the Park. With a dual mission of education and restoration, the Environmental Center offers bird walks, nature hikes, and an annual Urban Bird Arts Contest. Pick up the NYC Parks Department's publication Alley Pond Park Trail Map and Travel Guide, which provides detailed information about the trail system for the Wetlands and the Woodlands.
Great Crested Flycatchers find nesting cavities in the mature woodlands of Alley Pond Park. Photo: David Speiser
Green-winged Teal spend the winter in the Wetlands. Photo: Craig McIntyre/Great Backyard Bird Count
Great Horned Owls regularly nest at Alley Pond. Photo: Scott Zimmer/Audubon Photography Awards
Great Crested Flycatchers find nesting cavities in the mature woodlands of Alley Pond Park. Photo: David Speiser
Green-winged Teal spend the winter in the Wetlands. Photo: Craig McIntyre/Great Backyard Bird Count
Great Horned Owls regularly nest at Alley Pond. Photo: Scott Zimmer/Audubon Photography Awards
Birding Highlights by the Season
(no star = birding is not very productive, ✸ = somewhat productive, ✸✸ = productive, ✸✸✸ = very productive)
Spring Migration ✸✸✸
Flycatchers, Vireos, Warblers, Tanagers, Grosbeaks, and other songbirds, American Woodcock, shorebirds, waders
Summer ✸✸✸
Nesting Osprey, foraging wading birds; possible nesting Eastern Wood-Pewee, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird; Warbling and Red-eyed Vireos; Barn and Tree Swallows; Marsh Wren, Wood Thrush, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow Warbler, American Redstart, Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Baltimore Oriole
Several pairs of Ospreys now nest in the Alley Wetlands. Photo: Lawrence Pugliares
The Alley Wetlands
Starting from the Alley Pond Environmental Center, the Cattail Pond Trail leads to an observation deck overlooking Alley Creek and associated wetlands. Breeding birds often seen or heard here include Barn and Tree Swallow, the latter using nesting boxes situated in the salt marshes. The Barn Swallows nest under the bridge that runs along Northern Blvd., where they have been joined in recent years by Cliff Swallows, which are rare nesters on Long Island. The meadows on either side of the salt marshes that flank Alley Creek are nesting habitat for American Woodcock, Willow Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Yellow Warbler, and Baltimore Oriole. In some years, Orchard Orioles may also be found.
Marsh Wrens can usually be heard singing and on occasion seen popping up in the reeds across the creek. Spotted Sandpipers have nested here recently and may even land on the boardwalk. In mid-summer, numbers of Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers highlight the variety of shorebirds and wading birds that feed on the exposed mudflats. Killdeer, Snowy Egret, and Black-crowned Night-Heron are frequent. "}" data-trix-content-type="undefined" class="attachment attachment--content"> Forster's and Common Terns are not rare sights patrolling over the creek. In winter, a flock of Green-winged Teal is usually present in the creek. The brushy areas south of the environmental center building have become fairly reliable for small numbers of Fox Sparrow in recent winters. These can be looked for at the building if the feeder is active.
A larger and less accessible salt marsh is situated at the confluence of Alley Creek and Little Neck Bay. Follow Joe Michael’s Memorial Mile from the Environmental Center to search for nesting Saltmarsh Sparrow and Swamp Sparrow. In 1998, fourteen acres of intertidal marsh were restored here, in an area previously dominated by Phragmites. During construction, an Osprey platform was erected and, in the spring, was immediately occupied. The Osprey fledged chicks in 1998 and in 1999. Until this time, Osprey had not been observed nesting on the north shore of Queens for 80 years or more. "}" data-trix-content-type="undefined" class="attachment attachment--content"> By 2019, four Osprey nests were in use around Little Neck Bay. Bald Eagle may be next, as they are now regularly seen migrating or wandering through the area in early spring. During migration, also keep your eyes to the sky for vultures. Turkey Vulture has been found to be a surprisingly common migrant here, and even Black Vulture, rare on Long Island, is seen on occasion.
During the winter, Little Neck Bay is visited by wintering waterfowl, including Ruddy Duck, Greater Scaup, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, and Horned Grebe. In November, migrants have included Red-throated Loon, Common Loon, all three scoters, Bonaparte’s Gull, and storm-blown Northern Gannet. Recently, the loons have become regular through the winter, with Red-throated often even venturing into Alley Creek. woodlands
The southern Yellow-throated Warbler recently made an appearance in the warbler-filled woods of Alley Pond Park. Photo: Isaac Grant
The Upper Alley Woodlands
The Woodlands (at the southern end of the Park, west of Cross Island Parkway) comprises 100 acres of continuous forest canopy. Many trees here are 200 years old. This is the best spot in the park to look for spring and fall migrating songbirds. On "fall-out" days in May, the woods may seem engulfed with sounds of songbirds. The songs of Yellow-rumped Warbler, Ovenbird, Northern Parula, and Blackpoll Warbler dominate and a keen observer will be able to detect many other warbler species, along with cuckoos, flycatchers, vireos, tanagers, and more. Sought after rarities include Prothonotary, Kentucky, and Yellow-throated Warblers in spring, and Philadelphia Vireo and Connecticut Warbler in fall.
Common breeding songbirds in the woodlands here (though some not that common for New York City) include Eastern Wood-Pewee, Gray Catbird, American Robin, Wood Thrush, Red-eyed Vireo, and American Redstart. More diligent searching may lead to nesting pairs of Great Crested Flycatcher, Scarlet Tanager, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Since 2000, Great Horned Owls have nested most years in the vicinity of Decadon Pond. (Please keep your distance from nesting and roosting owls. Read more about "Reponsible Owl-Watching" on our Birding Laws & Ethics page.) In winter and early spring, Rusty Blackbirds can sometimes be found foraging in leaf letter around the kettle ponds. oakland-lake
Wintering waterfowl at Oakland Lake sometimes include less common species like the Ring-necked Duck. Photo: Isaac Grant
Oakland Lake and John Reidl Wildflower Meadow
West of the Alley Wetlands lies the oblong Oakland Lake, a 15,000-year-old spring-fed glacial kettle pond. Though a creek, pond and marshes that once surrounded the lake were all filled in the 1930s and the lake has been surrounded by development, the ecosystem has been the subject of extensive restoration efforts over recent decades. Its sheltered waters attract a good variety of waterfowl in the wintertime including Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, American Coot, and Pied-billed Grebe, joined on occasion by less common species such as Ring-necked Duck and Redhead. In the warmer months, the pond is visited by wading birds and its forested edges provide stopover habitat for a good variety of warblers and other land birds.reidlThe plot of land between Oakland Lake and Alley Wetlands hosts the John Reidl Wildflower Meadow, a new gem of Alley Pond Park that has been created and maintained through the collaboration of dedicated volunteers and the Parks Department. The meadow is located along Cloverdale Blvd. across the street from Oakland Lake. (When visiting, please stay on the trails.) A great variety of flowers can be found here, including Wild Bergamot, Black-eyed Susan, and various milkweeds, asters, and goldenrods. These attract many species of butterflies and other pollinating insects that can be studied and enjoyed on days when birding is slow. From late September into November, many sparrows and other migrant field birds may also be found here. Orange-crowned Warbler has been documented here, sometimes continuing into January,
To see birding highlights by the season at Alley Pond Park, see the top of this page.
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 Alley Pond Park to explore recent bird sightings, species bar charts, and more. (Click on “Hotspot Map” at left to see the other hotspots within the park.)
Guided Bird Walks
NYC Bird Alliance leads a yearly migration trip to Alley Pond Park. Visit NYC Bird Alliance's Local Trips page for information on upcoming walks led by NYC Bird Alliance.
The Queens County Bird Club, a nonprofit organization founded in 1932, offers frequent bird and nature walks and trips in Queens parks and beyond, along with lectures and presentations focused on birds, natural history, and conservation topics.
Personal Safety
It is best to bird with someone else or a group at Alley Pond Park. Poison ivy is found here and there throughout the Park. It is not a problem if you stay on the trails. Dog ticks may be encountered from mid-April through June in field areas. Again, stay on the trails to avoid them. Mosquitoes breed in the wetlands June through September. They are usually not a problem on cool, dry days with wind.
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