Let’s get the most obvious spot out of the way first. Central Park is known as one of the best birding spots in the U.S., attracting birders from across the globe. Migrating birds—during the spring and fall—often rest here before continuing north. On a single day during migration seasons, as many as 30 warblers can be seen, giving the park a reputation as a “warbler trap” on the coastal migration path, according to NYC Audubon.

Some 150 bird species have been spotted in Inwood Hill Park, which is perched on the northwest tip of Manhattan. NYC Audubon suggests starting your bird walk by entering at 218th Street and Indian Road. During the spring migration be sure to check along the shoreline and bays—the mudflats at low tide, in particular—for shorebirds and gulls. In the fall hawks and waterfowl are often seen migrating south along the river. If you gaze across the river to the Palisades, Turkey Vultures may be seen soaring in the updrafts.

Riverside Park may only be one-eighth of a mile wide, but it packs in the birdies. The forested and meadow areas between 116th and 124th streets are known as the Riverside Park Bird Sanctuary. Over the last three decades, at least 177 species of bird have been spotted in or near the 10-acre sanctuary, including rarities such as white-winged dove, chuck-will’s-widow, and the snowy owl. NYC Audubon suggests your begin your bird crawl at 116th Street and Riverside Drive, where you can scan the pin oaks just south of the sanctuary for orioles, warblers, tanagers, and buntings before heading deeper into the green space for more winged friends.

At 2,765 acres, Pelham Bay Park is the largest of the city-owned parks with a wide array of topography that lures all sorts of birds. More than 250 species have been recorded at the park during all seasons, and more than 80 have bred here. The park is one of the last spots in the city where the American woodcock have their annual courtship flights.

Van Cortlandt Park spans more than 1,100 hilly acres in the north west Bronx, more than half of that acreage contains forests, meadows, scrubland, ridges, wetlands, brooks, and a man-made lake—all of which make for a dynamic avian habitat. Some 230 bird species have been record in Van Cortlandt Park.

The Park is a natural stop for songbirds migrating near the Hudson River and offers picturesque views of ducks on the rivers. Between dawn and 11:30 a.m. is your best bet to spot migratory birds.

Prospect Park transforms into a birder’s paradise during the migration months, with bird species approaching 100 on a peak migration day. That includes five different vireo, several warblers, the eastern bluebird, vesper sparrow, Lincoln’s sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, rose-breasted grosbeak, indigo bunting, bobolink, orchard oriole, and Baltimore oriole. During the early migration, look for yellow-bellied sapsucker, and later in migration, keep your eye out for black-billed and yellow-billed cuckoos, according to NYC Audubon.

This idyllic green space is a natural retreat for birds due to the lush diversity of the gardens’ berry-producing trees and shrubs, along with its several ponds. During the spring and fall migrations, you won’t be hard pressed to spot traveling birds as they drop down for food, shelter, and water. In particular, the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden is a strong lure for waterbirds. Its especially famed for herons in the summer, but pied-billed grebe, wood duck, American wigeon, and northern shoveler have all been spotted there. Elsewhere in the gardens hummingbirds are a frequent sight during migration along with northern flicker, chipping sparrow, dark-eyed junc, among many others.

Although famed for a colony of escaped monk parakeets that have taken up residence in the gatehouse’s gothic spires, Green-Wood Cemetery is actually a popular spot for birds who pause to explore the cemetery’s ponds, exotic trees, and shrubs during their migration. Four ponds amid the burial ground attract herons, egrets, geese, and others. Here, there’s a chance to spot less common migrants, including pied-billed grebe, green-winged teal, hooded merganser, or the American coot. The cemetery is also home to many European linden, maple, and tulip trees that attract warblers, tanagers, grosbeaks, and orioles.

The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge is a crucial haven for birds with 332 species sighted at the refuge over the last 25 years—that’s nearly half the species in the northeast—and is widely considered one of the most significant bird sanctuaries in the northeastern region of the country. Birders flock to this spot year round.

Alley Pond Park is arguably the most ecologically diverse park in Queens with its northern border touching the Long Island Sound’s Little Neck Bay. It boasts an entire watershed, kettle ponds, fresh water wetlands, salt-mash, and more. But its best spots for birding are the Alley Wetlands and Upper Alley Woodlands, with the woodlands being an ideal hunting ground for migrating songbird sightings, according to NYC Audubon.

Located in central Queens, Forest Park is a birding spot best visited on warm, sunny days with southwest winds. Birding here can still be fruitful on windless days if a southwest wind drew birds in the previous night.

It’s possible to observe up to 20 warbler species here on spring mornings, including cerulean, prothonotary, Louisiana waterthrush (early in spring), Kentucky, and mourning (late in spring), according to NYC Audubon. Also watch for scarlet and summer tanagers, gray-cheeked thrush, Empidonax flycatchers, and others. In the fall, walk to the east near the Fire Tower, visible on the hilltop; Vesper Sparrow has been seen here. Waterfowl can also be seen in the park through both migration seasons.

This state park, which is overseen by the Department of Environmental Conservation, has some of the region’s only remaining grassland habitat and is well-documented for its wealth of botanical diversity. It’s an ideal spot for birding year-round.