All 4 in 3 days here: ~90%
City
New York City
🇺🇸 United States
North America, United States 467 spp. recorded
New York, often called New York City, is the most populous city in the United States. It is located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs—Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island—each being coextensive with its respective county. Wikipedia
40.732° N 73.909° W
🦜 Nature
467 Species sighted
3,854,759 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Jul Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
🌙 Most active after dark
LC
Oriental Magpie-Robin
Copsychus saularis
Takhi
Equus przewalskii
LC
Gold Dust Day Gecko
Phelsuma laticauda
Challenges you can complete here
All 3 in 3 days here: ~30%
All 6 in 3 days here: ~20%
Recent sightings in New York City
LIVEiNaturalistWhere to look
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
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Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn
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Central Park · The Ramble
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Richard W. DeKorte Park
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Brooklyn Bridge Park
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Bryant Park (5th-6th Ave. btwn 40th-42nd St.)
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Central Park · North End (N of 97th St. Transverse)
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Central Park · The Pool
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Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
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Garret Mountain Reservation (Park)
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
28Jan
29Feb
37Mar
49Apr
67May
75Jun
81Jul
79Aug
70Sep
58Oct
43Nov
31Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
High
Protected land
1.0%
Protected sea
2%
Protected areas
197
areasWildlife spots
12
spotsZoos & centres
11
placesClimate
Humid subtropical
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Zoos & rescue centres
0.0 Excellent
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this city for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
5.0
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 603
🐒 Mammals 103
🦎 Reptiles 66
🐸 Amphibians 49
821 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
48 Threatened 29 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
4.0
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
65% 📊
Coverage (135 species at ≥5% of 821 in the inventory)
16% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (11 bird, 1 mammal)
20% 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
1 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
18 🏕️
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
4.4
Climate Mixed Medium
Green cover High High
Protected land & sea 1.0% land · 2% sea Medium
Protected areas 197 High
Wildlife spots 12 High
Zoos & centres 11 High
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in New York City?
467 species
New York City's urban area has 467 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are American Robin (about 80%), House Sparrow (about 80%), Northern Cardinal (about 80%), Mourning Dove (about 70%) and European Starling (about 70%). Among mammals, the most-seen is Eastern Gray Squirrel (about 60%); among reptiles, Pond Slider (about 40%); among amphibians, American Bullfrog (about 20%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in New York City?
February–May, October and December
In those months the city's 12 most-seen species average about 70% on a given day, against about 60% in January, June–September and November.
Can you see a Northern Cardinal in New York City?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Cardinal sighting in New York City on a given day, based on 124,108 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is March to May (about 80%).
Can you see a Blue Jay in New York City?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Blue Jay sighting in New York City on a given day, based on 110,588 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is April and October (about 80%).
Can you see an American Robin in New York City?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report an American Robin sighting in New York City on a given day, based on 135,744 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is March to June (about 90%).
Where in New York City is wildlife easiest to see?
Prospect Park
The spot where most wildlife watchers record their sightings is Prospect Park (231 bird species recorded), followed by Central Park and Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn. See them on the map.
Is New York City good for wildlife watching?
4.3 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, New York City gets 4.3/5: 147th of 380 cities worldwide and 17th in North America. 23 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
Nearest Cities
Nearest Parks
Nearest Zoos & Centres
Sources: urban area GHSL Urban Centre Database R2024A, European Commission JRC (CC BY 4.0) · protected land WDPA, UNEP-WCMC & IUCN (via GHSL) · climate NASA POWER · wildlife GBIF.org citizen-science data