• Miles of uncrowded white sandy beaches extend to the horizon, separating the clear blue ocean and undulating grass-covered dunes.

    Fire Island

    National Seashore New York

There are park alerts in effect.
show Alerts »

  • More Park Facilities Reopen During May 2013

    Watch Hill and Sailors Haven marinas open May 10. Limited ferry service from Sayville to Sailors Haven resumes May 13 and ferries from Patchogue to Watch Hill start on May 18. Remaining park facilities to reopen by May 25, 2013. More »

Birdwatching

Late autumn birdwatching along Watch Hill Nature Trail.
While birdwatching can be enjoyed throughout the year, late fall through early spring are the best times to linger along salt marsh trails.
 
A singing towhee sits on top of shrubs.

The Eastern Towhee is one of the summer resident birds that breeds on Fire Island. 

Fire Island's barrier island habitats and location on the Atlantic Flyway make this a good home for both resident and migratory birds.

The tidal marsh on the Great South Bay, especially at Watch Hill, is a good place to look for waterfowl, herons and egrets, and red-winged blackbirds.

The Sunken Forest, a mature maritime forest at Sailors Haven, provides dense cover for migrating warblers. Other birds, such as the towhee, can be heard rustling the leaves on the forest floor.

Near the Fire Island Lighthouse, the fall migration of hawks is monitored by the Fire Island Raptor Enumerators (FIRE) from September through mid-November.

Varied habitats of the William Floyd Estate include woods and fields, creeks and salt marsh, providing additional opportunities for bird watching.

 
Gulls and cormorants rest on rock jetties.

While the Double-crested Cormorant is seen on the Great South Bay from spring through fall, the Great Black-backed Gull is abundant all year long.

Local Audubon Society groups participate in "citizen science" by conducting annual Christmas Bird Count censuses and the Summer Breeding Bird Census in parts of the park.

The National Audubon Society and Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology sponsor an annual Great Backyard Bird Count in February. Participants can log on and get the easy-to-follow instructions and checklists needed to submit a report from their own backyard or local park or refuge. If Fire Island National Seashore is a part of your "backyard," join the count and provide your observations.

For the rare bird alert recording for New York City and Long Island Region (New York State Ornithological Association's Kingbird Region 10), phone:
212-979-3070

 
Long-legged shorebird walks over dune through beach grass.

Occasionally uncommon birds like the whimbrel are sighted in the park.

For More Information

Learn more about Fire Island National Seashore's birdlife.

Join a guided bird walk. Several programs are scheduled during the spring and fall at the Fire Island Lighthouse, Wilderness Visitor Center and at the William Floyd Estate (Old Mastic).


  • Birding for Beginners at Wilderness Visitor Center
  • Old Mastic Late Autumn Bird Walk
    • Sunday, November 20, 2011

  • Great Backyard Bird Count at the William Floyd Estate & on Fire Island
  • Old Mastic Winter & Early Spring Bird Walks
    • Sunday, January 22, 2012
    • Saturday, March 10, 2012
    • Sunday, April 1, 2012

  • Early Spring Bird Walk at the Wilderness Visitor Center
    • Sunday, March 25, 2012

  • International Migratory Bird Day Event:
    • Birdwatching in the Fields and Woods of the William Floyd Estate
      • Saturday, May 12, 2012

Check the on-going Calendar of Events and Activities for additional programs offered at Fire Island National Seashore.

  • Birdlife Birdlife

    at Fire Island National Seashore Read More

  • Bird Checklist Bird Checklist

    This 1999 folder will provide a head start on identifying birds on Fire Island. Read More

  • Use Caution Around Sick or Dead Birds Use Caution Around Sick or Dead Birds

    Dead birds—especially crows, jays, and raptors—may have succumbed to West Nile virus. Read More

  • Learn More About Fire Island Birds Learn More About Fire Island Birds

    Diverse habitats along the Atlantic flyway support a variety of avian species. Read More

Did You Know?

Crowd of people form a line at ferry terminal building.

The Patchogue-Watch Hill Ferry Terminal is a short, 2-block walk from the Long Island Railroad Station in Patchogue, New York. From there, you can enjoy a delightful 25-minute passenger ferry trip across the Great South Bay to the facilties at Watch Hill. (Open mid-May to mid-October only.) More...