Jones Beach State Park
New York · Northeast
Easy
November-March
$10 per vehicle (seasonal)
Dawn to dusk daily
About This Location
Jones Beach State Park on Long Island's south shore barrier island is one of the premier coastal birding sites in the New York metropolitan area. The park's 6.5 miles of ocean beach, tidal marshes, dune habitat, and the nearby Coast Guard station attract an impressive diversity of shorebirds, terns, gulls, and raptors throughout the year.
The West End of Jones Beach is legendary among birders for wintering Snowy Owls and concentrations of sea ducks including Long-tailed Duck and all three scoter species. During fall migration, the dune crossings and bayberry thickets can hold impressive numbers of sparrows, warblers, and raptors. The Theodore Roosevelt Nature Center provides educational programs and easy birding access.
Location
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Notable Species
Live Bird Data
Powered by eBird / Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Notable Sightings
American Woodcock
Scolopax minor
American Woodcock
Scolopax minor
Trumpeter Swan
Cygnus buccinator
Tundra Swan
Cygnus columbianus
Common Goldeneye
Bucephala clangula
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Barrow's Goldeneye
Bucephala islandica
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Corthylio calendula
Trumpeter Swan
Cygnus buccinator
Mute Swan
Cygnus olor
Fish Crow
Corvus ossifragus
Snow Goose
Anser caerulescens
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostra
Cackling Goose
Branta hutchinsii
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
Greater Scaup
Aythya marila
Lesser Scaup
Aythya affinis
Boat-tailed Grackle
Quiscalus major
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostra
Trumpeter Swan
Cygnus buccinator
Birding Tips
- 1
The West End is best for wintering Snowy Owls and sea ducks from November through March
- 2
Check the Coast Guard station jetty for Purple Sandpipers and Harlequin Ducks in winter
- 3
Bring a spotting scope for scanning offshore rafts of sea ducks and loons
Amenities
Nearby Attractions
- Theodore Roosevelt Nature Center
- Long Beach Boardwalk
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