Wildlife in Stuyvesant Cove Park

Stuyvesant Cove Park is known for its collection of native plant species, yet little is said about the wildlife that inhabit it. Located along the East River Stuyvesant Cove Park allows bird enthusiast the chance to watch up close such water fowl species as, Great Black-backed Gull, Mute and Trumpet Swans, Ruddy Ducks, Double Crested Cormorants, Buffleheads, Red-Breasted Mergansers, Lesser Scaups, Red Throated Loon, Ring-Billed Gulls and many others.

Stuyvesant Cove Park is designated a Wildlife Habitat from the Wildlife Federation. We have this designation because of the plant choices we have made to support local and migratory bird populations, as well as for our plant choices to attract a variety of insects. These insects not only help pollinate many plants in the park but they also provide a food source for other wildlife, many of which are birds. With these plant choices we have been able to attract to our small park over 20 species of birds. Some birds seen in our park since its creation are: Robin, Swamp sparrow, Song sparrow, Gray Catbird, Barn Swallow, Brant, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Hermit Thrush, Golden Crowned Kinglet, Dark-eyed Junco, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Yellowthroat, Palm Warbler, Savannah Sparrow, White-crowned sparrow, Black-throated Green Warbler, Tree Sparrow, and Mockingbird. Of the species listed above the Gray Catbird and Mockingbirds have nested in the park for at least one to two years, making Stuyvesant Cove Park their home.

Here at Solar One we maintain the park without the use of chemicals, which means no pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers. We also do all our maintenance with hand tools. No power equipment is used in our daily maintenance schedule. We are successful with this approach due to the fact we have many volunteers working in the park. We have high school interns throughout the growing season working at least 15 hours a week. We also rely on our devoted volunteers from the Stuyvesant Cove Park Association, who help year round with various gardening tasks.

In addition to the many species of birds and insects in the park we also have many people that use Stuyvesant Cove Park as a fishing spot. We see these people fishing almost all year round. They have caught a wide variety of fish species.

A Monarch Caterpillar feeds on Swamp Milkweed to gain the energy for metamorphosis.

A European starling perched in one of our Mulberry trees.

A bee collects pollen from a goldenrod plant.

The Monarch caterpillar has become a Monarch butterfly!

Sulphur butterfly on Coreopsis sp.

Huge striped bass caught in the East River off Stuyvesant Cove.

crab

Stuyvesant Cove Blue crab.

Visit our Partners

Add Solar One as a Friend!

Wildlife in Stuyvesant Cove Park