Birds

          In 2013, Celia Lewis conducted a survey of the birds using the YEW and observed 50 species. American Robins, European Starlings, White-throated Sparrows, Northern Cardinals, and Blue Jays were the most commonly sighted species. A number of bark-gleaning species were also seen: Tufted Titmouse, Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, and Red-Bellied Woodpecker.

            More species were seen in the migrating seasons of spring and fall than in the winter or summer. For more information about the YEW as a migratory stopover site, click here

            13 species were identified as potential breeders. Use the map below to see the territory of those birds in the YEW, and to learn a bit more about each bird. Only 2 were confirmed to have nested successfully: the Northern Cardinal and the Northern Flicker. However, as the dense vegetation made it difficult to observe nests without disturbing the birds, more birds may have nested. It’s possible that nest predators disturbed birds such as the Common Yellowthroat, who appeared to defend a nest site and then were not seen after June 21.

            Nest predation and a lack of vegetation available for eating and nest materials can make urban forest patches like the YEW “ecological traps” for birds. To learn more about the YEW as a potential ecological trap, click here. To learn more about the diet of birds in the YEW, click here.

Bird Breeding Areas

To view more bird observation data at YEW and across New Haven, visit the Yale Biodiversity Citizen Science Initiative, a partnership between the Yale Office of Sustainability and Yale Peabody Natural History Museum.