Birds of Central Park

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The Birds of Central Park

Wildlife Photography in Central Park
by Cal Vornberger

When I tell people I have spent the last three years photographing birds in New York City’s Central Park I usually get a response like "You sure must like pigeons." While it's true there are quite a few pigeons in the park, an abundance of warblers, egrets, hawks, ducks, woodpeckers, vireos, cuckoos, sandpipers, flycatchers visit the park. In fact, as many as 250 different species regularly pass through Central Park in any given year. Since its creation over 150 years ago the park has become a magnet for migrating neo-tropical songbirds and other species that winter in the south. Over 325 different species have been observed within the park’s 840 acres over the past century and many bird watchers consider Central Park one of the top birding spots in the United States.

This is a happy accident of geography and nature. Central Park is located on the Atlantic Flyway, the migration route favored by more than 150 species of birds that move back and forth to their breeding grounds in the north in the spring and fall. Since most of these species migrate at night, the large dark area among the light-filled concrete canyons must seem like an ideal place to rest and find the nourishment required to continue their journey. The park attracts and holds these birds because it provides a smorgasbord of food and water for these weary travelers. Some spring mornings when the winds have been steady from the southwest, hundreds of warblers seem to drop out of the sky and perch everywhere.

Beginning with the first Eastern Phoebe in mid-March and continuing through late May, a steady stream of migrating birds moves through the park. Most interesting to me are the small, brightly-colored wood-warblers. In the past three years I have photographed over 25 different species of these in Central Park including such rarities as Cape May, Prothonotary, Yellow-throated, Worm-eating, and Hooded Warblers. While less colorful in their non-breeding plumage, these same birds stream back through the park beginning in August and continuing through early October. Other migrants include American Woodcocks, Spotted and Solitary Sandpipers and numerous varieties of sparrows. I have also photographed Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Eastern Bluebirds during both spring and fall migration.

In addition to migrating birds a 1996 New York City Audubon study confirmed there were more than thirty species of birds breeding in Central Park. Along with the ubiquitous robin, starling, sparrow and grackle nests, the careful observer can find House Wrens, Gray Catbirds, Downy Woodpeckers, Tufted Titmice, Warbling Vireos, Cedar Waxwings, Wood Thrush, Northern Flickers, American Kingbirds, and White-breasted Nuthatches nesting in the park. The Mallards can also be counted on to provide several broods of ducklings on just about every body of water in the park. Some of the more unusual nesters are the Green Herons that return to the Upper Lobe every year and the Eastern Screech-owls that nest in several places in the park. There are usually 2-3 Red-tailed Hawks nesting in the park during any given year and American Kestrels and Merlins make their nests in the buildings adjacent to the park.

Summer in the park can be a bit slow. There are, however, plenty of egrets and herons and most of my time is spent photographing these long legged waders and the various nesting birds. In late July a flock of Cedar Waxwings will usually show-up at the Pool and provide plenty of photo opportunities. In late July a trickle of warblers starts to move south through the park.

Fall brings migrating warblers back to Central Park in large numbers and although the males have shed their brightly colored plumage they are still fun to photograph. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds also visit the park in the fall, attracted by the many long-throated flowering plants. These tiny birds extract nectar from the deep-throated flowers with their long, thin bills and are very active feeders. It’s hard to get more than 2-3 shots before that dart to another flower. I usually use my Canon 1D Mark II on AI servo with a 400mm f/5.6 lens to capture these small, quick birds. My favorite spot for finding hummingbirds is the Shakespeare Garden. Landscaped with plants mentioned in Shakespeare’s work, this garden has an abundance of several species of flowering plants that hummingbirds love. Fall also brings a steady supply of ripening fruits and berries that attract more Cedar Waxwings and other fruit-eating birds.

Winter is ideal for getting spectacular shots of hawks and owls. Since there are no leaves on the trees these predators are relatively easy to find. Extra help is provided by Central Park’s squirrels that make a low mewing sound when they spot a hawk perched in a tree. Owls are also frequent winter visitors; Long-eared Owls and Saw-whet Owls are the two most common species found in the park. Although nocturnal, they can usually be found during the day roosting high-up in the park’s many pine trees. The Pinetum, an area planted with different varieties of pine trees, is a good place to start looking for owls.

In winter a dedicated group of birders maintains several feeders at the Evodia Field in the Ramble. Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, Fox Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, Carolina Wrens, Common Redpolls, Black-capped Chickadees, and Tufted Titmice are frequent visitors to the feeders. The benches near the feeders are a good place to sit and wait for the hawks that are inevitably drawn to the large numbers of smaller birds feeding there.

It's not unusual to find Wood Ducks, Hooded Mergansers, Ruddy Ducks, Grebes and other fresh-water wildfowl on the Meer or Central Park Lake in winter. Two years ago, during a cold snap, the open water on Central Park Lake was reduced to a small area and all the waterfowl were concentrated very close to shore. Although wary, they came much closer to humans than they would in the wild. By lying on the ground I was able to get some very nice eye-level shots of Wood Ducks and Hooded Mergansers. This past winter a brightly colored male Wood Duck appeared one day on Central Park Lake and stayed for two weeks.

I have certain areas of the park I frequent during different times of the year. Spring and fall usually find me in the Ramble or North Woods photographing warblers. During those seasons I also regularly visit The Pool, the Harlem Meer, and The Loch. On warm spring days I will spend several hours during the afternoon at the fast flowing stream in the Loch waiting for birds that show up to bathe in its cool waters. Tanner’s Spring is favored by many birders and photographers for this same reason but it is usually in heavy shade so a flash is required. In spring and summer the Harlem Meer is a great place to photograph herons and egrets. The first Great Egret usually shows up at the Meer in late March. By late April it’s not uncommon to find Snowy Egrets there very early in the morning. These skittish birds don’t like people or dogs so you have to arrive before sunrise in order to get any shots of them.

The Harlem Meer is a productive place year round. It is a favorite fishing spot among Central Park anglers and although it is “catch-and-release”, several Black-crowned Night Herons have learned that if they hang out near a particular fisherman eventually he will toss them a fish. These birds have become accustomed to people (but not dogs) and will come much closer than they would in the wild. Although Great Egrets are not fed by the fishermen, they too have become acclimated to human presence and don't mind fishing in the shallows within 15-20 feet of people. There is one Great Egret that visits Turtle Pond on a regular basis looking for fish and wading within fifteen feet of sunbathers and picnickers.

One thing I watch for during spring and fall migration are termite hatch-outs. When termite larvae mature they fly out of their nests in large numbers providing a feast for hungry migrants. During a hatch-out it’s not uncommon to see 20-30 warblers swooping down on the emerging larvae. I have several termite nests I check on a regular basis and am often rewarded by some spectacular shots. When a termite hatch-out occurs it only lasts 20-30 minutes so it's important to get there as quickly as possible.

There are always a few rare birds that show up in Central Park. Last year's Boreal Owl was the highlight although this spring's male Prothonotary, Cape May and Yellow-throated Warblers were also a treat. The Prothonotary and Yellow-throated Warblers stayed around at least a week and were quite easy to see and photograph. The Cape May was around for a few hours and then moved on. Two years ago there were juvenile Red-headed Woodpeckers that wintered in the park and in late November that year five Long-eared Owls perched in a tree about ten feet above a very active walkway near Bow Bridge. They stayed for several weeks and attracted large crowds. Around Thanksgiving last year a Female Rufous Hummingbird (native to Northern California) appeared in Strawberry Fields. These western hummingbirds are being seen more frequently in the east. This very cooperative hummingbird visited the same spot at the same time of day like clockwork. All I had to do was set-up my tripod and camera and wait.

The park even has its own celebrity bird, Pale Male. So named because of his very pale coloration this Red-tailed hawk made headlines last year when he and his mate were summarily evicted from their lofty Fifth Avenue nest by a heartless co-op board. The hawks had nested above a window on the seventh floor of the same building for the past 13 years. With the help of Mary Tyler Moore (a resident of the building) and crowds of vocal protesters Pale Male’s nest was returned. What’s remarkable about these Red-tails is that they built their nest on a building. According to experts Red-tails just don’t do that.

Three years ago I bought a Canon D30 and I haven’t shot film since. Today my standard rig includes a Canon ID Mark II and a Canon 600mm f/4 IS lens. I find the burst rate of the Mark II essential for capturing moving birds. I usually carry this along with my Canon 550 EX flash and Quantum Turbo power pack and other accessories around in my Lowepro Trekker backpack. I bring my Gitzo 1348 tripod with Wimberley head in a separate tripod bag. I always have my 1.4 and 2x teleconverters, a set of Kenko extension tubes and a Better Beamer flash extender and Wimberley flash bracket with me. A Really Right Stuff quick release plate completes the package. This set-up weights around 50 lbs. but because the Lowepro Trekker is so well designed I can easily carry it around all day.

On days when I went to be more mobile I take the Mark II and my Canon 400 f/5.6. I think the 400 is one of the sharpest lenses Canon ever made and it is ideal for flight shots. It also works surprisingly well as a macro lens with the Kenko extension tubes. I can use the 1.4 teleconverter with this lens for an effective focal length (the Mark II has a 1.3 conversion factor) of 728mm. 

Although Central Park is completely man-made, it was designed to be part wilderness and these wild areas are ideal for wildlife photography. An abundance of food and water and a happy fluke of geography combine to make Central Park a wildlife photographers must visit venue. I don’t think there’s been a day when I didn’t return home from the park with at least on “keeper.” But I’d rather keep this our little secret so if you visit the park and agree with me, please don’t tell anyone else.