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Photo by Steven Severinghaus

Winter birdwatching along our park in the sky

January 3, 2025

If you enter the High Line from the northern end of the park, you’ll be greeted by one of our friendly overwintering birds—Iván Argote’s colossal, hyper-realistic pigeon sculpture Dinosaur! Towering 21 feet over the High Line’s Spur, Dinosaur is hands down the largest bird on the park—but Dinosaur and its fellow pigeon friends are far from the only species of birds that visit or call the High Line home during the colder months of the year.

Continue your journey along our 1.5-mile-long path. You may be surprised to find the High Line is a winter wonderland for New York City’s migrating and overwintering birds. About half of more than 650 species of North American birds stick out the winters in their native areas. This means many avian New Yorkers hunker down throughout the park during winter months.

Whether you are a budding birder or an expert ornithologist, we hope you get to experience the magic and beauty of our wildlife throughout the winter months. Just remember to be patient and keep your eyes peeled!

Mark your maps and bring your binoculars!

Resources for wildlife are generally scarcer in the winter. With its berry-laden shrubs and trees and tall grasses and dried flowers full of seeds, the High Line’s gardens resemble a boutique “bed and breakfast” for birds on the hunt for food during these leaner months.

As a part of the horticulture team’s naturalistic gardening practices, plants are left intact after they flower, allowing them to produce seeds and brown naturally as we go from summer to fall to winter. Not only does this provide structural and textural interest in the winter gardens, but it also provides valuable food sources in the form of protein-, fat-, and carbohydrate-rich seeds that birds need to sustain themselves over the winter. Overwintering birds will also be delighted to find shrubs and trees throughout the park filled with plump fruit: juniper berries from Eastern red cedars, (Juniperus virginiana), winterberries (Ilex verticillata), sumac (Rhus species), chokecherries (Prunus virginiana), and even crabapples (Malus floribunda).

Looking to plan your next birdwatching expedition? We’ve outlined the sections of the park with wintering birds’ preferred sources of food and shelter. Bundle up, and meet us in the gardens with your binoculars at our favorite birdwatching spots on the High Line!

Wildflower Field
Between 28th St. and 30th St.

The High Line’s tall, ornamental grasses offer a safe habitat for winter birds that stick closer to the ground. you may see some dark-eyed juncos and white-throated sparrows (the latter of which only winters in NYC before returning north to breed) taking respite from the cold.

The Wildflower Field on the High Line.

The Wildflower Field on the High Line.Photo by Steven Severinghaus

Chelsea Thicket
Between 21st St. and 22nd St.

In the winter, be on the lookout for a songbird nestled in between tall, evergreen stalks of Eastern red cedars. In addition to serving as a safe source of shelter, the tree’s juniper berries are a critical, hearty source of food at a time when resources are scarcer.

A robin nestled in an Eastern red cedar.

A robin nestled in an Eastern red cedar.Photo by Steven Severinghaus

Chelsea Grasslands
Between 18th St. and 19th St.

The dense shrubbery and grassy vegetation in the Chelsea Grasslands make a perfect landing spot for our fellow overwintering New Yorkers. You might find birds like this mourning dove tucked away in between the seasonal grasses picking at seeds—or even perched on the tracks with their feathers puffed up for warmth.

A mourning dove on the tracks of the High Line

A mourning dove on the tracks of the High Line.Photo by Oliver Rich

Gansevoort Woodlands
At Gansevoort St.

Before exiting the southern end of the park, linger in the Gansevoort Woodlands for a sight of one of our beloved mockingbirds or sparrows. The gardens’ Red Sprite winterberries are a vibrant pop of color—and a favorite spot to see one of the wintering birds who enjoy them as scrumptious snack.

A Northern mockingbird enjoying winterberries.

A Northern mockingbird enjoying winterberries.Photo by Mike Tschappat

Getting down to (bird) business

Once you’ve settled in and identified a comfortable nook for birdwatching, it’s time to turn your attention to the gardens and pathway. Here are some of the most common wintering birds to be on the look out for:

Northern mockingbirds, house sparrows, pigeons, Northern cardinals, and robins all call the High Line home. Robins are unique in that some members of the species will migrate, while others won’t. What determines whether or not they migrate? It’s the presence of reliable sources of food in an area they inhabit.

If you’re lucky, you might even catch a rare sighting of a peregrine falcon, kestrel, or even a western tanager on the High Line. While these birds don’t make everyday appearances at our New York City park, they have all been spotted by our park staff and fellow parkgoers and have been the highlights of birdwatching sessions at the park!

A common starling walking on the High Line.

A common starling walking on the High Line.Photo by Steven Severinghaus

A mockingbird perched on the railing on the High Line.

A mockingbird perched on the railing on the High Line.Photo by Steven Severinghaus

A cardinal resting high above the High Line’s path.

A cardinal resting high above the High Line’s path.Photo by Steven Severinghaus

We encourage you to join us on the High Line for a joyous and tranquil birdwatching session. While we’ve named some of the most common birds you’ll encounter above, there are dozens of other birds that stop by. Let us know who you spot and please tag us @highlinenyc in any photos or videos you post to social media so that we can share in the fun!

The High Line in winter.

The High Line in winter.Photo by Beverly Israely

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