NYC wild animals are New Yorkers too: ‘Give them plenty of space’

Matthew Euzarraga
·2 min read

NEW YORK (PIX11) – A coyote in Central Park and a whale under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge are just a couple of the thousands of animal species that call New York City home.

“Most of NYC’s wildlife is not dangerous; however, maintaining a safe distance is the best way to protect your safety and the safety of our wild neighbors,” the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation said in a statement.

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You might be surprised to learn that you can find wildlife in a concrete jungle, including aquatic mammals at Coney Island and foxes and wild turkeys on Staten Island. Wildlife is all over the five boroughs.

Here is a list of animals you could encounter in New York City:

Mammals

  • Bats

  • Coyotes

  • Eastern chipmunks

  • Eastern gray squirrels

  • Raccoons

  • Red foxes

  • Seals

  • Skunks

  • Virginia opossums

  • White-tailed deer

Birds

  • American kestrels

  • Bald eagles

  • Canada geese

  • Eastern wild turkeys

  • Great egrets

  • Mallards

  • Ospreys

  • Owls

  • Peregrine falcons

  • Pigeons

  • Piping plovers

  • Red-tailed hawks

  • Terns

  • Woodcocks

Reptiles

  • Eastern box turtles

  • Diamondback terrapins

  • Painted turtles

  • Red-eared sliders (introduced species)

  • Snapping turtles

Amphibians

  • Atlantic coast leopard frogs

  • Red-backed salamanders

  • Spotted salamanders

  • Spring peepers

“Wildlife sightings in New York City are not confined to land or air,” said a spokesperson for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. “New Yorkers can look out from our shores for a chance at spotting aquatic wildlife including whales, seals, and dolphins. While some marine mammals can be spotted year-round, others migrate to warmer waters up north for the winter.”

Animals that call New York waters home:

Aquatic wildlife

  • American eels

  • Horseshoe crabs

  • River herring

  • Sunfish

Marine life

Experts say if you cross paths with wildlife, respect them the same way you would any other New Yorker, and give them plenty of space. If you see a healthy wild animal, report the sighting to the WildlifeNYC website. If you see a sick or injured animal, call 311.

Only call 911 to report wildlife sightings if there is a clear threat to public safety.

Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.

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