flycatchers, cuckoos, warblers and other songbirds; lingering waterfowl; American Woodcock courtship in early April

 

Nesting American Woodcock, Killdeer, Willet, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Willow Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Tree Swallow, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow Warbler, American Redstart, Baltimore and Orchard Oriole, Savannah Sparrow, possible Indigo Bunting; foraging wading birds, gulls, and terns; Chimney Swifts

 

Raptors; warblers, thrushes, sparrows, and other songbirds
  

Possible Snowy Owl, Horned Lark, Snow Buntings, Lapland Longspurs; Loons, grebes, scoters and other diving ducks; accipiters, mixed songbird feeding flocks

 

Year-Round Highlights
Grassland birds, sparrows, Great Horned Owl, American Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Northern Harrier

View a Google map of Floyd Bennett Field

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In 1931, New York City built its first municipal airport, Floyd Bennett Field, on a group of marshy islands at the mouth of Jamaica Bay by landfilling with garbage, rubble, and dredge spoil. The maintained grassland areas between runways inadvertently provided habitat for grassland birds. When Floyd Bennett Field was decommissioned 40 years later, in 1971, the management practice of suppressing woody vegetation by frequent mowing ceased; natural succession started to occur. Very good birding is found at the North Forty and along Floyd Bennett Field’s shorefront as well as in the grassland areas. Observers have recorded up to 30 species nesting in these areas.

 

In 1985, the United States Department of Interior’s National Park Service (NPS) and the NYC Audubon initiated a grassland restoration project (GRAMP) for 130 acres (out of 1,500) of Floyd Bennett Field. Trees and shrubs were removed and mowing was resumed. The managed grasslands are particularly lovely in spring when the wild flowers and grasses display hues of green, red, blue, and yellow.

Bennett Field became part of the Gateway National Recreation Area in 1972. The airport administration building and flight tower are landmarked, as are the runways, saving a piece of the City’s history. The administration building is home to the Ryan Visitor Center, adjacent to the Aviator Sports and Events Center—a concessionaire of NPS, which has combined several former hangars. A third hangar, Hangar B, at the park’s eastern edge, houses the Historic Aircraft Restoration Project (HARP) . 

 

The NPS Ecology Village offers nature programs and overnight camping, while the abandoned runways are now used on occasion for bicycle races and skating. Floyd Bennett Field’s other recreational areas include sport fields, a model plane flying field, and community gardens.

During spring migration, Floyd Bennett Field is the place to look for the relatively common Savannah Sparrow, and the rare Grasshopper Sparrow, Bobolink, and Eastern Meadowlark. Northern Harrier, occasional nesters, can be occasionally seen hunting the fields and open shrubland. The Savannah Sparrow is the only grassland species still nesting here regularly, reflecting a wider decline of these species throughout the region as a result of habitat loss. Other nesters are American Woodcock, Northern Flicker, White-eyed Vireo, Tree Swallow (in man-made nest boxes), Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow Warbler, and American Redstart.

 

In early October, migrating tree swallow flock in swarms of more than 1,000 birds, feed on the Northern Bayberry shrubs around the field. And, in the fall, as many as six American Kestrels have been sighted at one time sitting along the fence that encloses the New York City Police Department’s runway (formerly used by the U.S. Coast Guard).

 

Hawks are seen in the small stands of tall cottonwoods trees between runways.

Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, and Merlin are winter residents, while Rough-legged Hawk and Short-eared Owl have become rare visitors. Floyd Bennett Field is one of the best places in the City to look for Snowy Owl, in January through early March; several birds were seen here regularly in the winter of 2015-16, when a particularly large irruption of this northern species delighted birders across the U.S.

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Scattered about the fields are Japanese black pines of various sizes and densities; many of which are dying. In the Ecology Village, an educational environmental center, the existing pine grove provides nighttime winter roosts for Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks and, from time to time, day roosts for Barn Owl. Because the pines are neither tall nor dense, owls do not feel secure among them. These birds of prey are easily flushed from their roosts, before birders get a good look. In the winter, these pines should also be checked for irruptive finches such as crossbills.

 

The many runways and roads that crisscross Floyd Bennett Field make walking easy, but the distances are long. In winter, the wind is cold, and in summer, there is little shade. Birding by car is a consideration, although limited, because two of the main runways are closed to motorized vehicles. Besides providing mobility and shelter, a car can act as a blind that allows you to get close to birds. When the car is not in motion, harriers, kestrels, and owls may fly within 20 feet of you. But if you get out of your car, a Cooper’s Hawk as far as 100 yards away will be frightened off its perch. Try using a scope on a window mount. And as always, please keep a respectful distance from owls.

Besides the grassland area, there is a remote section at the north end, west of the model airplane area, called the North Forty. It is accessible by a trail that winds through shrubland and Phragmites to a man-made, two-acre pond named the Return-A-Gift Pond. (The trail and pond were paid for in part by taxpayers who checked “return-a-gift-to-wildlife” on their New York State tax returns.) 

 

During Spring migration, the trees and vegetation opposite Return-A-Gift Pond (near the yellow fire hydrant) can be very good for warblers and other passerines. During spring, summer, and fall, look for American Robin, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Common Yellowthroat, Eastern Towhee, and Northern Cardinal in the shrubbery at the beginning of the trail. Some of these birds nest nearby. 

 

The Jean Bourque Memorial Bird Blind looks out onto the pond itself. (Jean Bourque, who passed away in 2014, was a longtime volunteer and fierce advocate for Floyd Bennett Field’s grassland habitat, along with her husband Ron.) On Return-a-Gift Pond, you may see Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Glossy Ibis, Wood Duck, Gadwall, American Black Duck, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, Hooded Merganser, and Solitary, Spotted, and Least Sandpipers.

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Good birding (best in spring) is also found at the northeastern end of the north runway (Raptor Point). When you reach this point, walk around to the right, look south to the beach and marsh for waterfowl and American Oystercatcher. Although you are permitted to walk this beach, it is recommended that you do not. View the birds from the bulkhead area, so you do not disturb them.
 
Across the bay are two large uninhabited islands (which are off-limits), Canarsie Pol and Ruffle Bar. The islands host nesting Osprey and Barn Owls (making use of nest platforms and boxes put up by the National Park Service), Willet, and songbirds such as Brown Thrasher and Willow Flycatcher. Canarsie Pol, once the largest wading bird colony in the harbor, has not hosted waders in recent years. 

 

Other islands in Jamaica Bay still host these birds however; in spring and summer, you may spot foraging Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, and if you’re very lucky, a Little Blue or Tricolored Heron.

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To see birding highlights at Floyd Bennett Field by the season, see the top of this page. 

To learn about bird migration times and get other timing tips, see the When to Bird in NYC guide on our Birding 101 page. 

For Floyd Bennett Field operating hours, see the “Directions and Visiting Info” section, below.

 

View eBird hotspot records for Floyd Bennett Field to explore recent bird sightings, species bar charts, and more.

 

 It is always best to bird with at least one other person in Floyd Bennett Field, as some areas are quite remote. When you are on the North Forty Trail or on trails through and around the Ecology Village campgrounds, be on the lookout for poison ivy. After leaving the trail, check yourself and your clothing for dog ticks

 

Obey the speed limit (25 MPH) and stop signs when driving the roads and runways. Caution should be exercised when driving on the runways during bicycle races. Extra caution should be exercised when approaching runway intersections where there are no stop signs.
 

NYC Audubon leads several trips to Floyd Bennett Field each year. Visit our Local Trips page for information on upcoming walks led by NYC Audubon.

The Brooklyn Bird Club, a private non-profit organization founded in 1909, offers frequent bird walks in Brooklyn and beyond. The club provides a number of other resources for birders as well, including a checklist and map for birdwatchers of Prospect Park, The Clapper Rail newsletter, and an active blog with the latest news and bird reports.

 

There are two entrances to Floyd Bennett Field:

 

Parking Note: At certain times of the year, parking areas may be restricted to fishermen with special permits or to special events’ participants. For advice, check at the information desk at the Contact Center just inside the main entrance to the field.

 

View the National Park Service page for Floyd Bennett Field for operating hours, directions, and additional background information.

 

View a hiking trail map of Floyd Bennett Field.

 

See information for the Ryan Visitor Center.

 

View a Google map to Floyd Bennett Field for public transportation and driving directions.

To read Mixed Woodlands of Floyd Bennett Field from the National Park Service.

NOTE: Dead Horse Bay is currently closed to visitors due to potential exposure to radiological contamination in the area while National Park Service conducts investigations under Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (a.k.a. the Superfund Act). Learn more about the closure.