For over 40 years, NYC Bird Alliance scientists have monitored and protected 10 species of herons, egrets, and ibis—collectively known as the Harbor Herons—that nest on wild islands throughout our City’s waterways. These large, charismatic birds bring many New Yorkers into birding and conservation, but more importantly, are critical indicators of the health of our harbor.

Get a view into the world of the fascinating Harbor Herons with our annual State of the Harbor Herons report. Learn about their nesting habits, conservation issues facing the harbor and its wildlife, and the incredible work done by NYC Bird Alliance to protect these magnificent birds.

These secretive harbor herons—egrets, ibises and more—are an integral part of our ecosystem. But they face urgent critical conservation challenges.  

To learn more about the 2023 island surveys and data-gathering process, read our Syrinx blog Q&A with report author Tod Winston and Harbor Herons Nesting Survey Coordinator Shannon Curley, PhD.

NYC Bird Alliance’s Harbor Herons Nesting Survey has been monitoring the Harbor Herons since 1982, using knowledge gleaned to protect, monitor, and preserve these captivating birds—key indicators of the health of our harbor—and bring New Yorkers into the birding and the conservation cause.

We employ data spanning four decades to raise awareness of the vulnerability of these species and fight for their protection, helping to preserve vital habitats like the Bronx’s Brother Islands and those around Staten Island.

Learn more about our City’s Harbor Herons and NYC Bird Alliance’s longstanding efforts to protect them and their habitats, on our Harbor Herons page.  

Help us ensure the survival of these vulnerable species. NYC Bird Alliance is the only organization studying the decline of wading bird species like the Black-crowned Night-Heron in New York Harbor, and using that data to secure greater state and federal protections. You can help protect these endangered birds by giving to NYC Bird Alliance today.