Birding is a fun activity that everyone can enjoy! From Montauk to Buffalo, New York is home to a vast array of amazing habitat that supports over 450 different bird species. Birding, or birdwatching, is one of the fastest growing outdoor recreational activities that can be enjoyed by all ages and experiences, plus it’s a great way to get outdoors. Join the fun! Get out and try birding in your neighborhood today. It’s easy to get started!
Birdwatching has quickly become one of New York’s fastest-growing recreation and tourism activities. On February 13, 2022, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced the grand opening of the Greater Niagara segment of the New York State Birding Trail to highlight the State’s world-class and wide-ranging birding opportunities. The Greater Niagara segment includes 36 locations throughout Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming counties, providing a variety of quality birding experiences for New Yorkers and visitors to enjoy.
The New York State Birding Trail is managed by DEC in collaboration with partners including the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. The statewide trail includes a network of promoted birding locations that can be accessed by car or public transportation, providing an inclusive experience for all visitors to enjoy birds amid beautiful natural settings with little or no cost or investment in equipment.
Looking for other birding trails to explore? Check out some of these:
Getting Started and Birding Resources
You don’t need a lot to get started birding-just a good pair of binoculars, a desire to be outdoors, and a destination. Some people like to use a checklist/life list of common species they might find around their home so they can keep track of what they have observed. Check out some of these links:
- I Bird NY Booklet (English and Spanish)
- Merlin Bird ID – a downloadable app to help identify the birds you see or hear.
- eBird – online tool by Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society to keep track of bird lists.
- New York State Ornithological Association (NYSOA)
See the NYSDEC list of bird species fact sheets for information about some species you may see nearby.
Backyard Birding
One of the best things about birding is that you can do it anywhere! Birds can be observed in our neighborhoods, around schools, and work places so there’s always a chance to practice your birding skills.
Breeding Bird Atlas
Birders of all backgrounds are invited to participate from 2020 to 2024 in the New York State Breeding Bird Atlas to help conduct a statewide inventory of all the birds breeding in the state. A Breeding Bird Atlas occurs every 20 years in New York. The third atlas will continue to improve our understanding of changes in the distribution of breeding birds in the state and provides the basis for more informed conservation and management practices for birds and their habitats.
Birdability
Birding truly is for everybody regardless of disability or other health concerns. Learn more about Birdability go to: https://www.birdability.org/
Kevin C. Murphy is a member of the Wladis Law Firm, P.C., located in Syracuse, New York. Should you have questions regarding environmental site assessments, or the applicability of environmental laws and regulations on you, your business or your property, please feel free to contact Attorney Murphy or Attorney Timothy Lambrecht of the Wladis Law Firm.
Kevin C. Murphy
Kevin C. Murphy concentrates his practice in the areas of environmental compliance and litigation; environmental and white-collar criminal defense, and complex litigation matters. Mr. Murphy is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law and a former senior trial attorney with both the Kings County (NY) District Attorney’s office and the U.S. Department of Justice Environmental Crimes Section in Washington, D.C. He previously taught a seminar on environmental criminal enforcement at the Syracuse University School of Law and has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America.