Date: 10/26/25 1:44 am From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Manhattan, NYC - Friday-Saturday, 10/24 & 10/25 - active migration
The mega-news in NYS birds for Suffolk County at Riverhead township, eastern Long Island NY was of course the discovery of a -Common- Cuckoo, a Eurasian-native bird which is ultra rare in eastern North America. Many came to see this rarity starting on Thursday, Oct. 23, and again Friday and also again on Saturday, October 24th thru 25th. More news on this is obviously welcomed to this list as well as the vast multi-reporting in eBird and the Discord, where thanks to alerting there, some who were able to got out to observe by as early as Thursday, far more by Friday and Saturday for the ongoing rarity. The many videos and photos made by hundreds of observers may help to support the expected ID as a Common and not other closely-related cuckoo species of Eurasia.
. . . .
Manhattan, N.Y. City - Friday and Saturday, October 24th and 25th -
Clay-colored Sparrow, E. Meadowlark, at least 15 species of warblers of which 14 species were ongoing at Central Park thru Saturday, plus Friday Vesper Sparrows, and many other highlights, including some fresh waterfowl movement into Saturday.
The lingering Clay-colored Sparrow at Gansevoort peninsula on the Hudson River in lower-west Manhattan was still being seen thru Saturday there, as were a good mix of other native sparrows and other birds. An Orange-crowned Warbler was found at Corlears Hook park on the East River, in Manhattans lower-east side, on Friday.
Vesper Sparrow was perhaps a top highlight for Central Park on Friday, 10-24, with many observers there. A long-lingering White-eyed Vireo was likely the continuing individual thru Saturday at Central Park, photographed there again for the date. This is a species capable of attempting to overwinter in N.Y. City, and the species has fully done so at least rarely in the past. Blue-headed Vireos are continuing to be found in fair numbers all through Manhattan and also thru New York County.
Some thrushes besides the expected numbers of Hermit Thrush have included both Swainsons and Wood Thrush in Central Park and a few ongoing elsewhere in Manhattan, into Saturday. Eastern Bluebird as well as many Purple Finches and very scant Pine Siskins were noted for Saturday. Red-breasted Nuthatches are ongoing for Central Park and some are showing elsewhere in Manhattan.
The warblers found in the collective at Central Park on Saturday included ongoing species such as N. Waterthrush, American Redstart, Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Blue and Black-throated Green Warblers, multiple Cape May Warblers and Nashville Warblers, Black-and-white Warblers, N. Parula, and the flights of Yellow-rumped Warblers on both Friday and Saturday mornings, along with fair numbers of Palm Warblers, plus Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat, Pine Warblers in low-Ish numbers, and possibly other additional species in Cemtral Park besides these 14 noted species, all seen by multiple observers and some nicely photographed. Many other locations through all of Manhattan are still revealing various warblers to observers out and about in a variety of parks, greenspaces such as on waterfronts, and in gardens, courtyards or church yards, plazas, and elsewhere.
At the Dyckman Street pier and adjacent western end on the Hudson River in northern Manhattan, a number of observers conducted a migration watch with good numbers and variety of species on Saturday, 10-25, among the waterfowl coming thru were nice new arrival-passages of Brant, presumably all of the Atlantic form, and one American Wigeon in the Brant fracas, Wood Duck also being noted in the area, and 2 only-distant or rapidly disappearing Duck-species which might possibly have included Lesser Scaup or perhaps Ring-necked Duck, among the far and gone-flybys. Many smaller birds were noted passing over in early hours, and good numbers of E. Phoebe were amongst the wide variety of other species. A minimal passage of Loons nonetheless found both Red-throated and Common Loon for the day, and far more in cormorant movement, featuring several hundred Double-crested Cormorants on the move. A fairly late Barn Swallow was seen and seen well enough to eliminate any suspicions of any rarer or vagrant swallow type. Not especially noted that much by most observers however there was a modest fresh arrival of Tufted Titmouse into Manhattan and some were seen in active flight by the Dyckman pier watchers, as well as modestly by at least a few observers at other areas of Manhattan. American Robins in flight seemed to top the larger passerines as icterids such as Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, or Common Grackle were in so-so numbers for the time of year, in passage on Saturday.
There was diurnal raptor and vulture migration on Saturday and some also on Friday, featuring good numbers of Turkey Vultures, and small numbers of such raptors as Red-shouldered Hawks and various other species expected at this time of autumn.
At Central Park on Saturday, in addition to all of the ongoing waterfowl such as Green-winged Teals, Wood Ducks, Gadwalls, American Blsck and Ruddy Ducks, N. Shovelers and so forth, there were at least 2 Lesser Scaup settling on the reservoir but seemingly not continuing there for the day, and some flyovers which more likely were Ring-necked Duck, but not found settling on any of the parks multiple waterbodies on the day. Pied-billed Grebe also was ongoing at Central Park, and Laughing Gull again showed there - the latter gull species in some numbers at some sites along Manhattan, as well as elsewhere in the county thru Saturday.
A female Wild Turkey has been ongoing at Battery Park at the southern end of Manhattan this weekend.
. . .
Outside of Manhattan but-barely-so, Dickcissels were reported from both Randalls Island and at Governors Island, on Saturday, each isle being part of New York County. There were some nice migrant sightings for Roosevelt Island in New York County as well for Saturday, which included a good array of sparrow species, as also seen thru the county in all recent days.
Thanks to many walking with and in support of not-for-profit guided bird walks led for organizations which support conservation, education, sound science, and natural diversity and outreach, as well as to many independent observers and photographers, for reports and alerts all in non-x apps, and via eBird with the Macaulay library for media. Collectively there were hundreds of observers and photographers out at all hours of the two days of this report, and in all sections of Manhattan, as well as elsewhere in the same New York County.
Good birding,
Tom Fiore
manhattan
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