Critters 101

By Keith Michael

Whoa! A raccoon’s crawling up that construction shed, dragging a white garbage bag with him for dinner under the stars. What a romantic! At least someone’s making an amenity from all the summer scaffolding in the West Village.

I’m frequently known as The Bird Guy, but I’m easily distracted by any other fauna or flora that might be around other than birds. It continues to surprise me that most people are still skeptical to learn how much birdlife and wildlife, in general, there is in NYC.

When it comes to mammals, nearly everyone can raise their hand that they’ve seen rats, mice, or squirrels, but after that, the number of people who have to sit down with their hands in their laps starts increasing exponentially. Because I’m out and about the whole city chasing birds, I consider myself lucky to have seen a small ark of urban wildlife. After coming upon something new, city destinations literally vibrate for me: What might I be missing by staying home? Since it’s the summer birding doldrums anyway, here’s my short list of urban mammals (buy me a martini to elaborate if you dare).

Humpback Whale Yes, you can go whale watching in New York City! I’ll champion American Princess Cruises out of Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, for their responsible, knowledgeable, enthusiastic approach to viewing the 464 individual whales that they’ve cataloged since 2011 in the New York Bight. Full body breaching, lunge-feeding, and tail-slapping are just a few of the boat-side WOWs that’ll knock your socks off!

Bottlenose Dolphin These can be seen by the dozens to hundreds, sometimes just surfing the waves right off of the beaches of Queens and Brooklyn.

Seal While you’re sweating in the summer heat, try to conjure up these winter-time guests plying the frigid waters around the city. A few do hang around all year, and might be seen popping up in Jamaica Bay or even on a dock in Hudson River Park.

Red Fox These elusive, shall I say sly, charmers have a stronghold on Staten Island. Likewise sly, my ramblings have brought me to vivid encounters multiple times.

Groundhog Not only on February 2nd do they come out to play, shadow or no shadow. Every borough has their own adorably chubby residents.

Skunk What a beautiful animal with their black and white striped lush fur! I once watched one clear a basketball court in Inwood (no one got sprayed) and another mosey along a fence in broad daylight in Pelham Bay Park, The Bronx. Check out Riverside Drive after dark for the after-hours parade.

Opossum My favorite sighting was at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens: a mother with a raft of babies clinging to her back. Others have crossed my path in Van Cortlandt Park, The Bronx and Shirley Chisholm State Park, Brooklyn.

Chipmunk Find a woodland, and you’ll see these brown-striped bundles of activity. Their cheerful chirps and chatters confuse bird-watchers searching for that elusive, nearby chatty bird.

Bat Ooh, I love to see bats. I’ve seen several sleeping during the day in Bryant Park, right off of 42nd Street, of all places, but getting to watch their mosquito-elimination dexterity at dusk is thrilling. Find free front row seats close to home in Hudson River Park. Watch the winking fireflies while you’re at it.

White-tailed Deer Probably most people don’t get too excited about seeing deer, but if you still do, head to western Staten Island or Hunter Island in Pelham Bay Park, The Bronx. They might follow you through the woods.

Cottontail Rabbit Bunnies trigger a higher cuteness-response from the general public than many of our four-legged denizens. They’re shy but populous throughout the city’s green spaces. You’d be shy too if you were trying to avoid becoming lunch for our urban raptors.

Coyote Nothing conjures up the image of wilderness like a coyote, but they are also a staple of urban life. My best views have been in Van Cortlandt Park, The Bronx, and much further north at Croton Point Park in Westchester. Did you know there’s been a resident couple, Romeo and Juliet, in The Ramble of Central Park for over two years?

Muskrat I haven’t built dams with the Bronx River beavers, Jose and Justin, but muskrats are fairly common in wetlands around the city. I like seeing their furry brown noses parting the water as they swim back to their lodges.

Squirrel I know, I know, gray squirrels are everywhere swindling peanuts from the tourists, but head further north and you’ll see less entrepreneurial black squirrels. For a really memorable sighting, hang out at the Vale of Cashmere in Prospect Park, Brooklyn to wait for Bumble, the all-white, leucistic not albino, squirrel to make his showstopping appearance.

Flying Squirrel Wait. What? Yup, that’s right, there are flying squirrels in NYC. I’ve never seen one, and it’s at the top of my Wish List like seeing a bald eagle soar over Perry Street. They’re small, frustratingly nocturnal, and extraordinarily secretive, but people do spot them. Fun fact: Their white bellies glow in the dark under U/V flashlights!

I hope that this gives you a summer To Do List to take your mind off of how to beat the heat. Or, if these don’t strike your fancy, you could go out looking for turtles, lizards, snakes, frogs, toads, butterflies, dragonflies, trees, or wildflowers around the city. All right, I’ll shut up now.