Birds of Inwood

Seeing a Killdeer is one of the pleasures of shorebird season. The North American plover is easy to spot with its two dark breast bands, long wings, slender tail, and large eyes. It’s often running and seemingly skittish.

Hearing a Killdeer is pleasurable as well. Its voice is a high-pitched and fast squeak, matching its fast flitting and running behavior. These birds are named after their loud “kill-deer” call.

I’ve only started birding at Sherman Creek Park in the past month, and I’ve seen Killdeer on every visit, sometimes four or five at once. They may constitute a family, with juveniles in tow, having found an excellent place along the Harlem River to raise their young.

The Killdeer keep to the muddy flats at Sherman Creek, especially along the edges of the water. They may often be seen with the sandpipers and plovers. The Semipalmated Plover sports just one black breast band. 

These birds have big eyes, accentuated by a thin orange-red outline. In flight, or as a signal to others, Killdeer will reveal black and white flight wing feathers, most often hidden while just running around. In the picture above, the Killdeer on the left provides a glimpse of these feathers.

Fall migration for shorebirds in New York begins late July and continues through November. Many of these birds will seek out the waters of Inwood Hill Park as well as the shoreline in Sherman Creek Park.

As of this posting, a large Atlantic hurricane is passing the NYC coastline 350 to 450 miles offshore. Small shorebirds employ various tactics for withstanding high winds and surf, including hunkering down in place or finding alternate migration routes. A coastal flood advisory is in effect this evening until early Friday. 

Cover: Killdeer at Sherman Creek Park. August 19, 2025. 9:10 a.m.

An Uncommon Raven

While American Crows are regulars here, the Common Raven is a less common sighting. On the morning of August 17, 2025, a pair of Common Ravens were flying about and vocalizing over the northernmost streets of Inwood. I located one of them atop one of the light towers at Columbia University’s athletic facility.

The sight of the silhouetted raven in the warm glow of early morning seemed to herald the fall season, if not an early Halloween.

Recent Sightings

With cooler air wafting through from the north and migratory birds starting to pass through, it’s starting to feel like an early start to fall birding. The presence of Red-tailed Hawks signals the arrival of raptor season. It’s still full season for herons, as the fish grow larger for their foraging ways. The August 2025 Sightings page is basically a heron fest at this point. See also the Bird List page for a list of all the posts about the birds observed in this part of New York City.

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