A Brooklyn Bestiary: Wildlife in the City ~ Brooklyn Public Library ~ March 9 - May 30, 2010

10 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, NY 11238. Exhibition is in cases along the wall of the 2nd floor balcony.
Hours: M 9-6 T-Th 9-9 F 9-6 Sa 10-6 Su 1-5

The phrase "urban wildlife" brings to mind pigeons, rats, cockroaches, and not much else. Many city dwellers are convinced they have to travel out of the city to encounter wild animals in a natural setting, or be content with viewing wildlife only in zoos and aquariums. But here in New York's most populous borough, close to one-third of the 71 square miles is classified as open space, and Brooklyn can boast a level of biodiversity that rivals that of many rural areas of New York State.

With dozens of parks and green spaces, including Floyd Bennett Field, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and Prospect Park, Brooklyn hosts a huge range of ecosystems: beach, salt marsh, sand dunes, grasslands, meadows, freshwater wetlands, creeks and ponds, and forests and woodlands. And even small patches of green space, such as apartment building lawns, street trees, and backyards can provide a home for some animal neighbors. Overall, Brooklyn has hundreds of species, both full-time and seasonal, spanning the entire animal kingdom: birds, insects, invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals.

Peregrine falcons nest in the towers of the Marine Parkway Bridge. Woodchucks and Monk Parakeets inhabit Greenwood Cemetery. Menhaden school in Jamaica Bay and Horseshoe Crabs congregate in Dead Horse Bay every spring to spawn. The grasslands of Floyd Bennett Field provide habitat for numerous bird species, including Savannah Sparrows, Northern Harriers, Bobolinks, and Ring-Necked Pheasants. Rabbits and Bats come out at dusk in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Wild Turkey, Crayfish, Red-tailed Hawks, Bullfrogs, and Garter Snakes live in Prospect Park, along with many other creatures. Just looking out the window into the backyards of buildings one can encounter butterflies, moths, bees, crickets, birds such as the Blue Jay, Cardinal, Chickadee, and Hummingbird, and sometimes even Raccoons, Opossums, and Skunks!

The natural world still surrounds us, here in this most urban of settings. Right outside our doors, down the street, or just a short subway or bike ride away is an abundance of wildlife, hidden in plain sight, just waiting for us to open our eyes and look.