Each spring, New York City’s parks offer some of the best birding in the world as hundreds of bird species migrate north along the Atlantic Flyway. Many birds have traveled thousands of miles – some will continue to travel farther north, and others will make the city’s green spaces their summer home. To celebrate this year’s spring migration, NYC Parks is launching the agency’s new Spotify playlist, “Good Migrations,” and offering free birding tours led by expert Urban Park Rangers.
“Bird migration is an exciting sign of spring, and our parks are the first destination for all kinds of feathered friends, from warblers to raptors and more,” said New York Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “As birds and New Yorkers flock to the parks this spring, we invite everyone to listen to our new soundtrack for the season and bring a pair of binoculars on a birding excursion with our Urban Park Rangers.”
LISTENING: “GOOD MIGRATION” PLAYLIST
NYC Parks celebrated the connection between green spaces and music with its series of specially curated playlists, available on Spotify. The latest playlist, “Good Migrations”, is a playful tribute to springtime migratory birds with hit songs such as:
- “Travelin’ Thru” by Dolly Parton
- “Working My Way To You” van The Spinners
- “Go Your Own Way” van Fleetwood Mac
- “Fly” by Nicki Minaj and Rihanna
- “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton
- “Fly Like an Eagle” door Seal
- “I am like a bird” by Nelly Furtado
- Edward Sharpe’s “Home” and the Magnetic Zeros
- “Welcome to New York” by Taylor Swift
Additional NYC Parks playlists include “In Bloom” and “Wild Wildlife”, which feature songs named after flowers and music inspired by many of the creatures that inhabit New York City.
URBAN PARK RANGER TOURS
NYC Parks Urban Park Rangers offer guided tours to some of the best lookout spots to help New Yorkers locate and identify spring migratory birds in New York City. These birding programs are suitable for all skill levels and beginners are welcome, but participants are asked to bring their own binoculars.
Here are some highlights:
Fort Greene Park – Brooklyn
Sunday, April 17, 2022
10 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Van Cortlandt Park – Bronx
Sunday, May 1, 2022
11am-12pm
Clove Lakes Park – Staten Island
Sunday, May 15, 2022
9am–10am
Inwood Hill Park – Manhattan
Sunday, May 15, 2022
Noon–1 p.m.
Kissena–Queens Park
Saturday, May 21, 2022
9am–10am
Learn more about New York’s bird migration with Parks’ new Learning Hub page. For all upcoming birding tours and a list of some of the best birding spots in New York, visit the Parks website.