More Than 12K Migrating Birds To Fly Over NYC Monday Night

NEW YORK CITY – Fall migration season combined with perfect weather conditions are expected to send more than 12,000 birds winging south across New York City Monday night.

Experts at BirdCast, a project combining ornithologists at The Cornell Lab, Colorado State University and UMass Amherst, predict it could be one of the heaviest nights of the season.

"The BirdCast model predicts a peak bird migration night with high intensity migration," it said.

Among the many birds moving south for the winter are ruby throated hummingbirds, many types of warblers, orioles and tanagers.

New York City is on the Atlantic Flyway, a type of highway used by migrating birds that have spent the summer in Canada and the northern United States and are moving to their wintering grounds in the southern U.S. and the tropics.

Though the bulk of the flight happens at night, many birds use the city's green areas to rest and feed, making this an excellent time for birdwatching.

The experts at BirdCast use weather forecasts and highly detailed radar monitoring, along with other science, to predict the heaviest migration days. As well as forcecasts, they produce live migration maps showing where birds are.

Here are some of New York City's best birding spots to head to this spring, identified by the NYC Audubon:

• Bronx: Van Cortlandt Park, Pelham Bay Park
• Brooklyn: Prospect Park, Marine Park Salt Marsh Nature Center
• Manhattan: Central Park, Inwood Hill Park
• Queens: Forest Park, Jamaica Bay
• Staten Island: Clove Lakes Park, Great Kills Park (and the Staten Island Greenbelt)