Birding in the Bronx
Spring was in the air, and birds were in the sky, water, and on the ground on Saturday, May 11th, when Christodora New Youth Conservationist students, volunteers from Yale Day of Service, and Christodora staff and board gathered in Crotona Park in the Bronx for a volunteer day. The group had come for a fun and informative service day in the park—the morning was dedicated to bird watching around Crotona Park’s lake, and the afternoon was for park beautification.
After an opening raccoon circle, which included self-introductions, the groups split into two groups—one peanut butter and the other jelly. Circumnavigating the pond in opposite directions, students and adults alike got a crash course in birding. In just an hour, the two groups recorded over 24 different species of birds, including a rare green heron standing in the shallows. Christodora board member Chris McKenzie led the bird walk and reminded our birders that it isn’t just what you see but what you hear around you that lets you know which birds are nearby.
Following a midday break, the group supported the park through stewardship. One group helped mulch underneath benches and in picnic areas, while another helped weed the garden. Volunteers learned to identify several different common “weeds,” including mugwort. The day concluded with a closing raccoon circle, where each volunteer shared how they felt after the day’s events. Some of the words people shared were — content, proud, and happy.
Birds Spotted on 5/11/2024 at Crotona Park in the Bronx
Northern flicker
Canada goose
House Sparrow
Red-winged blackbird
Mallard duck
Green heron
European starling
Rock dove
Warbling vireo
Double-crested cormorant
Northern flicker
Common grackle
Gray catbird
Red-bellied woodpecker
Chimney swift
American Crow
Chipping sparrow
Red-tailed hawk
Barn swallow
Hawk sp. (Cooper’s?)
Mourning dove
Baltimore oriole
American restart
Ovenbird
Non-Avian Wildlife
Lizard skink
Tadpoles
Red-eared slider turtles
