Welcome to Wildlife In New York.
The state of New York and New York City are one of the most popular destinations for tourists and the hub of many economic and foreign interests worldwide. New York is hardly a place where one would expect to find wildlife.
What people often misconceive about New York is that it goes beyond the massive city and that infamous skyline… It leads to more nature the further inland you go, and it can be deceivingly dense in wildlife- even in that big city!
Use the headings below to move to a topic of interest for you; otherwise, read the entire blog and let us know what you think in the comment section!
Key Points
| Topic | Key Points |
|---|---|
| Coyotes in New York State | – Coyotes present since at least 1920 |
| – Controversy over their impact on deer hunting and livestock industry | |
| – Eastern coyotes larger than western cousin | |
| – Varying coat colors, distinctive characteristics | |
| – Breeding in February, average litter size 5-6 | |
| – Abundant throughout New York except Long Island and NYC | |
| Seals, Dolphins, and Porpoises | – Seals found on New York shores, highest concentration in April |
| – Multiple seal species seen, including harbor, gray, harp seals | |
| – Bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins, pilot whales, Risso’s dolphins off Long Island | |
| – Harbor porpoises in local waters | |
| Raccoons | – Adaptable and widespread mammals |
| – Feed mainly at night on various foods | |
| – Densities vary widely in different habitats | |
| Black Bears | – Black bears present in NY, valued by hunters and wildlife enthusiasts |
| – Population estimated at 6,000-8,000 bears in open hunting areas | |
| – Occur in various regions, including Adirondacks, Catskills, and more | |
| – Bears essential component of ecosystem, human-bear conflict concerns | |
| Moose | – Largest land mammal in NY, found in Adirondacks and Taconic Highlands |
| – Moose primarily browsers, feed on leaves, twigs, aquatic plants | |
| – Habitat consists of mixed forest, open areas, wetlands | |
| – Mortality factors: predators, parasites, vehicle collisions |
Coyotes in New York State
The coyote has been present in New York state at least since 1920, and they deserve more than can be included in this article, so feel free to read our dedicated article on new york’s urban coyate population!
As with its western cousin, the eastern coyote has been the object of much controversy and curiosity. Those who hunt deer view the coyote as a competitor and a threat, while others believe coyotes rely mainly on smaller mammals and carrion for their diet.
Some individuals are concerned that the livestock industry, particularly sheepherders, will suffer from the coyotes’ presence. These concerns have resulted in recent efforts, to date unsuccessful, to remove all protection from the coyote and in some cases, to pay bounties to reduce their numbers or eliminate them.
The eastern coyote is considerably larger than its southwestern cousin. The most prominent individuals are as big as smaller timber wolves. Adults may range from 35-45 pounds, and some large males may exceed 50 or 60 pounds in body weight. Eastern coyotes have a German shepherd-like appearance, which sometimes leads to confusion about their identity. Typically-colored coyotes are grizzled gray on their back, upper sides, and neck. This distinguishes them from most dogs, which are usually a solid color.
A small percentage are black or reddish-blond, the latter being the more common deviation. Coyotes can be distinguished from most dogs based on their habit of carrying their tail at or below a horizontal level when traveling. It is more challenging to tell coyotes from wolves at a distance, but up close, wolves have a more massive head, less pointed muzzle and ears, and larger feet.
Larger litters are usually born when coyote populations are well-fed or their numbers are low. This tendency to produce more young when populations are low makes it difficult to reduce coyote numbers significantly. Scientists have found that it would require removing nearly 70 percent of the population every year to achieve sustained population reduction…
Coyotes are firmly established throughout all New York counties except Long Island and New York City. Their numbers have been estimated at between 20,000 and 30,000. Coyotes are abundant throughout New York state. As with most wildlife populations, numbers will fluctuate as food, weather and disease conditions change.
Seals, Dolphins, and Porpoises
Believe it or not, seals are found on the shores of New York! These Seals are found in New York from late fall until late spring, with the highest concentration generally occurring around April. Seals “haul out” – or leave the water to rest on sandy beaches or rocks – to regulate their body temperature, socialize, give birth, and molt.
Hauling out in groups also helps seals avoid predators. Up to five species can be seen locally, but harbor, gray, and harp seals are the most common.
Harbor seals are the most abundant and are easily recognizable by their round head and blunt snout. They haul out in rocky areas and on beaches and are known for their resting “banana” position. They eat fish, shellfish, and crustaceans, which are especially important for nursing mothers during their 4 to 6 weeks with their pups.
Gray seals have a “horse-like” appearance, especially as adults. They sometimes share areas with harbor seals and can dive up to 1,500 feet for one hour. Pups are very vocal to help their mothers find them. Gray seals eat various fish, squid, octopus, and crabs.
Harp seals are essentially an Arctic species, like the hooded and ringed seals that are more rarely seen in New York; they are present here each year in small numbers.
They can be seen in New York City and farther up the Hudson River. Adults molt each spring while they eat small fish species like capelin and invertebrates. They are capable of diving up to 1,000 feet for 16 minutes.
Bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins, pilot whales, and Risso’s dolphins can often be seen off the south shore of Long Island. Sightings of bottlenose dolphins are the most common since they live closer to shore in coastal waters like harbors and bays.
Most dolphin sightings occur in the warm summer when the water is productive.
On average, these species live at least 40 years and feed on various species of fish and squid. All dolphins use echolocation to hunt for food and living in groups.
Bottlenose dolphins are the most well-known and social species, using unique click-and-whistle signatures to identify individuals in the group. Pilot whales are the second largest species of dolphin, more regularly found at the shelf edge in deep water, and often associate with other species. Risso’s dolphins have no teeth in their upper jaw and use suction to feed on squid.
They carry scars on their body that increase with age from teeth raking between individuals.
The only species typically found in New York’s marine waters are harbor porpoises, seen locally in bays, estuaries, and Long Island Sound.
On average, they’re approximately 5 feet long and weigh around 150 pounds, and they can live up to 24 years feeding on fish like herring and mackerel, squid, and octopus. Harbor porpoises are listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need for the state. There are seven porpoise species worldwide.
Raccoons
Raccoons are among the most widespread mammals in New York State. The adaptable raccoon can be found everywhere, from the most remote forest to the crowded inner city. Raccoon populations often are denser in large cities than in the wild, but abundance varies widely in different types of habitats and different parts of the state.
A great animal from Wildlife in New York. Have you ever spotted them in Central Park?
Raccoons are “well-rounded,” often plump, with reddish brown to grey fur. Adults weigh an average of 15 pounds, readily identified by alternating rings on the tail and characteristic black “mask.”
Raccoons are important furbearers, providing income and recreation to hunters and trappers in New York State. Many people enjoy watching or photographing raccoons. Some people feed them, but this is unnecessary and unwise. Keeping raccoons as pets may harm both humans and raccoons and is illegal.
Raccoons feed mainly at night. They eat fruit, nuts, berries, small animals, and insects and feed on pet food, garbage, and garden crops.
Female raccoons look for den sites in late winter. Litters of one to seven young are born in April and May. Young raccoons open their eyes about three weeks after birth and often announce their presence with mewing, twittering, or crying sounds.
They nurse for about six weeks, then leave the den to follow the mother until September or early October, when they disperse and establish their territories.
Raccoons are protected by law. No one may possess a raccoon without a license, and licenses are not issued for pet wildlife. Hunting or trapping raccoons requires a license. The law allows unlicensed homeowners and farmers to destroy raccoons that damage property. However, property owners should try eliminating food and shelter before killing animals.
Except where temporarily reduced by rabies or distemper, raccoon numbers may be very high. While densities in rural areas may be 20 – 40 raccoons per square mile, raccoon densities in some developed parts of the state (e.g. Long Island) may exceed 100 per square mile.
Raccoons can become a nuisance if people unknowingly supply food or shelter for them. They can be attracted by food in gardens, fish ponds, pet feeders, garbage, or cavities that might offer shelter.
Black Bears
Wildlife in New York: Though rarely seen by most New Yorkers, black bears are valued by hunters, photographers, and wildlife watchers.
Many people enjoy just knowing that bears are present in New York State. For many, black bears symbolize wilderness and wildness, but increasingly, bears can be found in semi-rural environments, agricultural areas, and occasionally in urban centres!
If you’re interested in visiting these animals, these are a few operators which may be able to assist you on this quest!
New York Black Bear Population Facts:
• Currently estimated at a minimum of 6,000-8,000 bears in areas open to hunting
• 50-60% inhabit the Adirondack region
• 30-35% inhabit the the Catskill region
• 10-15% inhabit the central-western region.
• Bears are now well established in many other areas, including the Tug Hill, Hudson Valley, and across the Southern Tier.
• Transient bears are routinely encountered throughout the Lake Ontario Plains, Mohawk Valley, and St. Lawrence Valley.
• Except Tug Hill, these other areas include a more significant proportion of agriculture or have higher human densities. This makes them less suitable for bears due to the higher likelihood of human-bear conflicts.
Black bears are an essential and natural component of New York’s ecosystem. Whether you live or recreate in the bear country, please help maintain and protect the bear. At the same time, protect yourself and your property by not feeding bears and reducing bear attractants.
Moose
The moose is the most prominent member of the deer family (Cervidae), and the largest land mammal in New York State. Bulls weigh 600 to 1,200 pounds and stand up to 6 feet tall at the shoulder. Cows weigh from 500 to 800 pounds. Both sexes have long, grayish-white legs, dark brown or black bodies, and a dangling flap of skin under the throat called a bell.
A mature bull’s bell is much larger than those of cows and younger bulls. Cows have light brown faces and a white skin patch under their tails, while bulls have dark faces and no white patch. Only bulls grow antlers, beginning in March or April. The antlers, which regrow annually, may reach a width of more than 5 feet on mature bulls and are shed from November through January.
Moose occur in boreal forest areas of the Northern Hemisphere. In North America, they are found from Alaska eastward to the Atlantic Ocean, and south into the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Lakes, and the Northeast.
In New York, most moose are located in the northeastern part of the state in the Adirondack Mountains and the Taconic Highlands along the Massachusetts and Vermont borders.
Moose are primarily browsers, feeding on the leaves, twigs, and buds of hardwood and softwood trees and shrubs. An adult moose eats 40 to 60 pounds of browse every day.
Favored plant species include willows, birches, maples, balsam fir, viburnums, aspen, and mountain ash. In the winter, moose may strip and eat the bark from small trees, usually maples and aspen.
In the summer, moose feed heavily on aquatic plants in ponds and wetlands, wading into the water and reaching beneath the surface for plants. They also depend on these wet areas to escape from biting insects and hot weather.
Ideal moose habitat consists of a mosaic of upland mature mixed forest, open areas created by burns or logging, and wetlands. The regrowth of browse species after a fire or clearcut offers nutritious food in large quantities needed by moose. Small clear-cuts with some softwood cover retained are better than large clear-cuts of more than 100 acres.
Below are some of the factors which contribute to Moose Fatalities:
Predators: The black bear is a significant predator of moose calves less than nine weeks old. Coyotes may also take an occasional calf. There are no predators of adult moose in New York State, but wolves are their main predator elsewhere in North America.
Parasites: Moose are susceptible to a parasite called brain worm that infects the nervous system and usually causes death. Other parasites, such as liver flukes and lungworms can weaken a moose and make it susceptible to secondary infections. In other states with a higher moose density, winter ticks have become the main mortality factor for moose, but these ticks have not yet been documented in New York. The winter tick spends three life cycles on an individual animal, feeding on its blood during each cycle.
Vehicle Collisions: Vehicle collisions are a significant mortality factor for moose, especially where road densities are high. Moose are so tall that an automobile usually passes under the body, causing the moose to come over the hood into the windshield and onto the roof. Moose are most active from dusk to dawn, when their coloration makes them difficult to see in the roadway and their eyes are usually above the reach of car headlights.
About one to two percent of moose/car collisions result in human fatalities. DEC is working with the Department of Transportation to develop warning methods for motorists in moose country.
Research in other states has shown that vehicle speed is the most common factor leading to moose collisions, so the best way to avoid hitting a moose is to slow down, especially from dusk to dawn.
Summary of Wildlife in New York
I hope you enjoyed reading this Blog about Wildlife in New York! This is only the tip of the iceberg as there are many more amazing animals that I could’ve mentioned that live in New York!
Did you find this blog interesting? If you enjoyed this blog, you might be interested in blogs about the US or Hawaii in Wyoming.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, there is wildlife in New York City. While urbanized, the city still supports various wildlife species. Some common examples include raccoons, squirrels, pigeons, and various bird species. Additionally, seals and dolphins can also be found in the waters around New York City.
New York has a diverse range of wildlife due to its varied landscapes. Some notable wildlife species include white-tailed deer, black bears, coyotes, moose (mainly in certain regions like the Adirondacks), raccoons, and a variety of bird species.
Several animals are famous in New York due to their significance in the state’s ecosystem and culture. Black bears, white-tailed deer, bald eagles, coyotes, and raccoons are among the well-known and frequently discussed wildlife species in New York.
Yes, there are several predators in New York. Some notable predators include coyotes, black bears (especially on young moose calves), and various raptor species like bald eagles. Wolves were historically present in New York but are now considered extirpated (locally extinct).
From exploring the marine wonders in the Azores and witnessing the vast savannas of Kenya, to delving deep into the rich biodiversity of South Africa and traversing iconic landscapes in Australia and the US like Yellowstone, Chris's experiences are vast.
With a penchant for diving alongside sharks, the ocean holds a special place in his heart.
Through his academic insights, he champions wildlife conservation, striving with 'Animals Around The Globe' to cultivate a profound connection between humans and animals, enhancing our mutual appreciation.
Connect with him at [email protected].
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