Nesting season is here

Baltimore Oriole in Central Park -- an annual nester
Photo by Cal Vornberger

A look at Jack Meyer's list of birds seen today [see below] gives a good idea of Central Park's nesting birds. Birds known to nest in the park in past years are marked with an asterisk. Possible nesters are marked with a question mark. Missing from Jack's list, but usual Central Park nesters, are: Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, American Crow, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Northern Mockingbird, Cedar Waxwing, and Song Sparrow [near the Ladies Pavillion, most years]

Site = Central Park
date = 6/14/08
observers = Jack Meyer

Double-crested Cormorant (Lake)
*Green Heron (Azalea Pond)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Lake shore, 2)
*Mallard
*Rock Pigeon
Eastern Wood-Pewee (Heard, ramble)
*Eastern Kingbird (Turtle Pond)
*Blue Jay
?Tree Swallow (Over lake, early AM)
?Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Over Lake, a few early AM)
?Barn Swallow (Over Lake, several)
*House Wren (Heard, west of Shakespeare Garden)
*Wood Thrush (Ramble, on nest)
*American Robin
*Gray Catbird
*European Starling
Chipping Sparrow (Maintenance Field)
*Northern Cardinal
*Red-winged Blackbird
*Common Grackle
*Baltimore Oriole (West of Shakespeare Garden)
*House Sparrow

Note from MW: Every year a wood pewee is heard singing in the park until mid-June, leading to the idea that it must nest in the park. But no sign of a nest, or fledgling young has ever been found.