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Fire Island National SeashoreFlock of gulls and terns feasts along the bay shoreline.
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Fire Island National Seashore
Birds
 
Adult piping plover stands at edge of wrack line on white sandy beach.
The piping plover is among the threatened and endangered species of birds that nest on Fire Island. Efforts to protect the piping plover—such as restrictions on pets, kites and pedestrians in some areas and reduction of beach driving during the mating and nesting season—also help protect the beach grass and other plants that stabilize the dunes.

More than 330 species of birds have been recorded on Fire Island, more than 1/3 of all species found in North America. Fire Island is without a doubt one of the best birding locations in the New York area, particularly during the spring and fall migrations.

Located along the Atlantic migratory flyway, Fire Island plays host to a wide variety of both migratory and resident bird species. The island's rich mosaic of forest, dune, and marsh habitats offers feeding and nesting opportunities for a wide array of shorebirds, songbirds, raptors, waterfowl, and waders.

Fire Island National Seashore is one of more than 40 National Park Service sites that are recognized as "Globally Important Bird Areas" by conservation organizations. The Seashore's Atlantic coastline is a part of the American Bird Conservancy's designated Long Island Piping Plover Nesting Beaches.

 

 
Title of park folder: Birds of Fire Island National Seashore.

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You can watch the fall migration of raptors (hawks, etc.), viewed from the raptor-viewing platform (just east of Robert Moses State Park, Field 5). The Fire Island Raptor Enumerators (FIRE) is a group of dedicated individuals who collect data and keep records on the numbers of raptors and their flight patterns in this region. Raptors tend to fly in a pattern across the island near the raptor-viewing platform.

 
Raptors, crows and jays are among the birds that are monitored each year for the presence of West Nile virus. These birds, if infected, may transmit the virus to certain mosquitoes that bite—and infect—humans.  
 

For More Information

Recent studies and inventories of birds on Fire Island include:

Final Avian Survey Summary Report, May 2002 – May 2003
for the Reformulation of the Shore Protection and Storm Damage Reduction Project South Shore of Long Island, New York - Fire Island Inlet to Montauk Point
October 2003
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers

 

 

Cover of park folder: Birds of Fire Island National Seashore
Bird Checklist
This 1999 folder will provide a head start on identifying birds on Fire Island.
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Two birdwatchers look through binoculars.
Birdwatching
is a great way to enjoy Fire Island's wildlife.
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Plover on nest.
Biennial Science & Resource Management Conference
Sponsored by the park, this program provides a public glimpse into current research and planning.
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Close view of sand showing bands of colors: white, dark grey, and reddish purple.  

Did You Know?
New York's state gem—the garnet—may be found among the sands that comprise Fire Island's beaches. Due to differences in size and weight of the grains of sand, you may sometimes see ribbons of garnet and magnatite among the white quartz, as the sand settles on the beach.
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Last Updated: May 04, 2009 at 14:24 EST