Birds of Ward Pound Ridge Reservation

The Ward Pound Ridge Reservation is a birdwatcher's paradise. From the gently sloping banks of the Cross river in the northern quarter to the high cliffs of Raven Rocks which loom above the Stone Hill River three miles to the south, birds of field and forest abound throughout the year.  This pamphlet contains a useful checklist of the 184 species which have been recorded in the park to date.

The reservation is rich in bird life because its borders circumscribe a wealth of habitats:  deciduous woods, pine and spruce groves, meadow, old fields, high ridges, deep hemlock ravines, steep cliffs, lonely swamps, sunny marshes, quiet rivers, rushing streams and a few scattered ponds.  Maps and trail information are available at the Trailside Nature Museum, located in the heart of the park.  The museum's naturalists are happy to pass on reports of recent sightings of particular interest.  If you need advice, or if you encounter a bird or birds of particular interest, please stop in at the museum.  Your reports will be added to park records and will help in revising this list in the future.

Reservation Specialties
Eastern bluebirds, uncommon in most of Westchester County, can be seen in Pound Ridge throughout the year.  The utility wires along Boutonville and Michigan Roads are the best place to look. Kingfishers, tree swallows, barn swallows, bank swallows, rough-winged swallows, sparrows and starlings also perch on the wires, so keep an eye out for these while hunting for bluebirds.  Bluebirds raise young in nest boxes, which hang from poles and trees throughout the park.

At dawn and dusk and on rainy days, the meadows along Boutonville and Michigan Roads are good places to watch for wild turkey.  After an absence of nearly 200 years, wild turkey resumed nesting in Pound Ridge woodlands in 1895.  Turkeys may be seen throughout the year.

During spring and summers, Wildcat Hollow is usually home to nesting barred owls, winter wrens, solitary vireos, hermit thrushes and black-throated green warblers.

The marsh at the Michigan Road trailhead is one of the best all-round birding sites in the park, particularly during migrations.

The footpaths, which follow the banks of the Cross River provide good birding year-round.  Each spring, one of the first warblers of the year, the Louisiana water thrush, can be found here, bobbing its tail as it runs along, occasionally stopping to belt out a high piping song.

The big sandpit near the junction of Michigan and Boutonville Road is home to nesting bank swallows, rough-winged swallows and kingfishers.

Good hawk watching can be had in autumn from the field just uphill from the parking lot at the Meadow Picnic Area.  Other good sites to see hawks, eagles, falcons and vultures during their southbound flights include the hilltop above the Leatherman's Cave. and the summit of Cross River Mountain.

Inquire at the museum about bird walks and other nature programs, which are offered in the Reservation throughout the year.  Beginners, experts and middle-of-the-roaders are all encouraged to participate.

Good luck and good birding!

Special Note
The casual use of tape recordings to attract birds is forbidden in Ward Pound Ridge Reservation.  Studies have shown that such techniques may place great stress on territorial birds, and in some cases may cause parent birds to abandon eggs or young.  Recording may be used for serious scientific purposes only.  Written permission is required.  Please inquire at the museum. 

s-March-May
S-June-August
F-September-November
W-December-February

C-common
U-uncommon
O-occasional
R-rare
*-breeding

 

Common

present in proper habitat, often in good number, though not necessarily throughout the period if a migrant.

Uncommon likely to be present in proper habitat under proper conditions, but usually in limited numbers, and may not be encountered.
Occasional occurs at certain times during the period, but only on an irregular basis or for a very limited period. 
Rare seen only very infrequently and not necessarily every year.
Breeding

recorded at least once since 1970.

 

    s S F W
  Common Loon O   O  
  Double-crested Cormorant R      
  American Bittern R   R  
  Great Blue Heron O O O  
  Cattle Egret R      
  Green-backed Heron O O    
  Black-crowned Night-Heron   R    
  Snow Goose     O  
  Brandt R      
  Canada Goose* C C C O
  Wood Duck* U U U  
  American Black Duck R   R  
  Mallard* O O O  
  Black Vulture R      
  Turkey Vulture* C U C U
  Swallow-tailed Kite R      
  Osprey U R C  
  Bald Eagle   R R R
  Northern Harrier C O C  
  Sharp-shinned Hawk C O C O
  Cooper's Hawk O O U R
  Northern Goshawk* R R O O
  Red-shouldered Hawk U R U  
  Broad-winged Hawk C U C  
  Red-tailed Hawk C C C C
  Rough-legged Hawk     R R
  American Kestrel* C U C O
  Merlin R R O  
  Peregrine Falcon       R
  Ring-necked Pheasant* U U U U
  Ruffed Grouse* C C C C
  Wild Turkey* U U U U
  Northern Bobwhite R R    
  Killdeer* O O O  
  Solitary Sandpiper O O O  
  Spotted Sandpiper O O O  
  Upland Sandpiper R R    
  Common Snipe U R U R
  American Woodcock* C U U R
  Herring Gull U U U U
  Rock Dove C C C C
  Mourning Dove C C C C
  Black-billed Cuckoo* O U R  
  Yellow-billed Cuckoo* O U R  
  Eastern Screech Owl* U U U U
  Great Horned Owl* U U U U
  Barred Owl* U U U U
           
    s S F W
  Long-eared Owl R     R
  Northern Saw-whet Owl R   R R
  Common Nighthawk U U U  
  Whip-poor-will O O O  
  Chimney Swift* C C C  
  Ruby-throated Hummingbird* U U U  
  Belted Kingfisher* C C C  
  Red-headed Woodpecker     R  
  Red-bellied Woodpecker* U U U U
  Yellow-headed Sapsucker U   U R
  Downy Woodpecker* C C C C
  Hairy Woodpecker* C C C C
  Northern Flicker C C C O
  Pileated Woodpecker* U U U U
  Olive-sided Flycatcher R R R  
  Eastern Wood-Pewee* C C C  
  Yellow-bellied Flycatcher O   O  
  Arcadian Flycatcher* R R    
  Willow Flycatcher* U O U  
  Least Flycatcher* C O U  
  Eastern Phoebe* C C C R
  Great Crested Flycatcher* C C U  
  Eastern  Kingbird* C C C  
  Horned Lark O   O O
  Purple Martin O O O  
  Tree Swallow C C C  
  No. Rough-winged Swallow U U    
  Bank Swallow C C U  
  Cliff Swallow O O O  
  Barn Swallow C C C  
  Blue Jay C C C C
  American Crow* C C C C
  Black-capped Chickadee* C C C C
  Boreal Chickadee     R R
  Tufted Titmouse* C C C C
  Red-breasted Nuthatch U R U O
  White-breasted Nuthatch* C C C C
  Brown Creeper* C U C U
  Carolina Wren* O O O O
   House Wren* C C C  
  Winter Wren U R C R
  Marsh Wren   R    
  Golden-crowned Kinglet* C O C O
  Ruby-crowned Kniglet C   C R
  Blue-gray Gnatcatcher* U U U  
  Eastern Bluebird* C C C U
  Veery* C C C  
  Gray-checked Thrush O   O  
           
    s S F W
  Swainson's Thrush C R C  
  Hermit Thrush* C U C O
  Wood Thrush* C C C  
  American Robin* C C C U
  Gray Catbird* C C C R
  Northern Mockingbird* C C C C
  Brown Thrasher* C C C R
  Water Pipit     U  
  Cedar Waxwing* C C C U
  Northern Shrike R   R R
  European Starling* C C C C
  White-eyed Vireo U O O  
  Solitary Vireo* C U C  
  Yellow-throated Vireo* C U R  
  Warbling Vireo* O O O  
  Philadelphia Vireo       O
  Red-eyed Vireo* C C C  
  Blue-winged Warbler* C C C  
  Golden-winged Warbler* R R    
  Tennessee Warbler C R C  
  Orange-crowned Warbler       R
  Nashville Warbler U R U  
  Northern Parula C O C  
  Yellow Warbler C C U  
  Chestnut-sided Warbler* C U C  
  Magnolia Warbler C O C  
  Cape May Warbler O R U  
  Black-throated  Blue Warbler C O C  
  Yellow-rumped Warbler C   C O
  Black-throated  Green Warbler* C U C  
  Blackburnian Warbler C O C  
  Pine Warbler R   R  
  Prairie Warbler* C C U  
  Palm Warbler U   U  
  Bay-breasted Warbler U   C  
  Blackpoll Warbler C O C  
  Cerulean Warbler R R    
  Black-and-white Warbler* C C C  
  American Redstart* C U C  
  Prothonotary Warbler R      
  Worm-eating Warbler C C O  
  Ovenbird* C C C  
  Northern Waterthrush C O C  
  Louisiana Waterthrush C C    
  Connecticut Warbler     R  
  Kentucky Warbler R R    
  Mourning Warbler R R R  
  Common Yellowthroat* C C C R
           
    s S F W
  Hooded Warbler* O O R  
  Wilson's Warbler U R U  
  Canada Warbler C O C  
  Yellow-breasted Chat R R R  
  Scarlet Tanager* C C C  
  Western Tanager   R    
  Northern Cardinal* C C C C
  Rose-breasted Grosbeak* C C C  
  Indigo Bunting* C C U  
  Evening Grosbeak U U U  
  Rufous-sided Towhee* C C C O
  American Tree Sparrow C   C C
  Chipping Sparrow* C C C  
  Clay-colored Sparrow R      
  Field Sparrow* C C C U
  Savannah Sparrow* U O U  
  Henslow Sparrow R   R  
  Fox Sparrow C   C U
  Song Sparrow C C C C
  Lincoln's Sparrow O   U  
  Swamp Sparrow C C C O
  White-throated Sparrow C   C C
  White-crowned Sparrow O   U  
  Dark-eyed Junco C   C C
  Snow Bunting     O O
  Bobolink C O C  
  Red-Winged Blackbird* C C C U
  Eastern Meadowlark* U U U  
  Common Grackle* C C C U
  Brown-headed Cowbird* C C C O
  Orchard Oriole O O    
  Northern Oriole C C C  
  Pine Grosbeak       R
  Purple Finch* C O C C
  House Finch* C C C C
  Red Crossbill R     R
  White-winged Crossbill R     R
  Common Redpoll R     R
  Pine Sisken O   O O
  American Goldfinch* C C C C
  House Sparrow* C C C C