Birding in Westchester
There's a wealth of places to go birding in Westchester. We are lucky to be on the Atlantic Flyway; during migrations many birds follow the course of the Atlantic coastline. We also have an excellent county and state park system. Hudson River Audubon is based at Lenoir Nature Preserve, a passive use park established in 2001 by Westchester County. Bedford and Saw Mill River Audubon Societies together have 12 sanctuaries managed for maximum bird attraction. We also have richly varied habitats - fresh and saltwater marshes, river front, lakes, forests, estuaries and a sea coast.
We've divided our recommendations into 3 categories. The first: Important Bird Areas, a designation by Audubon for places of special note for bird life. The second: places where over 100 species have been found. The third are smaller places where less than 100 have been found. But don't ignore them - they are often beautiful places worth your attention. Any of the 44 places listed will provide special discoveries.
Each of our recommendations has a link to it eBird.org hotspot. There you can find a list of species seen, when, and get directions. More about eBird can be found on our Resources link.
Parks/Preserves with over 100 species
Parks/Preserves with under 100 species