10 wild animals that call NYC home

Carcharias taurus

Also known as a gray nurse shark, the sand tiger shark is a common species of shark seen in New York waters. These usually-solitary animals, which can grow up to 10 feet long, are voracious predators that feed on a variety of bony fish, including herring, snappers, eels and much more, according to Oceana.org. They can appear menacing because of their pointy teeth but they are pretty sluggish and are not a threat to humans.

Where you'll find it: It hangs out in coastal waters near the seafloor in surf zones, shallow bays and coral and rocky reefs. Specifically, it uses Long Island estuaries like the Great South Bay as a nursery habitat for juveniles during summer months.

Its favorite thing about NYC: There are tons of menhaden and bunker fish to feast on near Rockaway Beach, where it’s been sighted in recent summers. Water quality has been improving, making it a nicer place to be.

A fun fact to tell your friends: Sand tiger sharks can detect the electrical current of prey using electroreceptors in their snouts. What a power move!

Epiaeschna heros

This pretty dragonfly at 3-and-a-half inches long is one the largest dragonfly types in the U.S., according to uwm.org. The broad-headed, brown abdomen is ringed with thin, green lines is one of about 15 species of dragonflies that migrate—they travel down Atlantic Coast in large numbers (not unlike your grandma), and end up in places as far-flung as Mexico and the Bahamas. They’re mostly seen in late June and July from about 10am to 2pm when the sun is highest, NYC Parks says.

Where you'll find it: They spend the winter underwater as nymphs and hunt small organisms in the water, but they surface in the spring and summer, molt, and get to flying, hunting for other insects and mates. They love to cruise up and down their territories, usually in green spaces near water, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation. But sometimes you can find it on a high perch—on the top of a reed, twig, or leaf.  

Its favorite thing about NYC: It has enough mosquitos to go around—dragonflies can eat as many as 100 mosquitoes a day.

A fun fact to tell your friends: They grab their prey out of the air and eat species of dragonflies smaller than themselves. American Museum of Natural History Entomologist Jessica Ware told the New York Times that they are "like lions of the sky."

 "They intercept their prey like lions do—they don’t fly to where the fly is now, they fly to where it will be and cut it off. They’re remarkable predators," she said.

Tursiops truncatus

Bottlenose dolphins can weigh as much as 1,400 pounds and grow to be almost 13 feet long. Living at most 50 years, these dolphins are some of the smartest animals on the planet! They generally live in small groups and organize complex, group behaviors when mating and hunting, according to oceana.org.

Where you'll find it: They like to swim in the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary. 

Its favorite thing about NYC: The water is cleaner than ever, can you believe it? We’ve been improving their habitat thanks to stricter environmental regulations like the Clean Water Act. We still have a long way to go, though.

“We’re changing a lot of perceptions about what people think about the New York, New Jersey Harbor estuary as a thriving environment for a top predator, like a bottlenose dolphin,” Howard Rosenbaum, the director of the Ocean Giants program at the Wildlife Conservation Society, told Gothamist.

These dolphins are here hunting for small, schooling fishes and squid.

A fun fact to tell your friends: They develop unique whistles to communicate their location, their condition and their identity with others.

Falco peregrinus

These mighty birds started nesting here in 1983—on a city bridge (great views!)—and haven’t looked back. In fact, NYC is thought to have the largest urban population of peregrine falcons in the world, according to the NYC Audubon. They eat other birds, including pigeons, by knocking them out of the air and feeding on them on the ground where they fall (brutal). They are currently on the New York DEC's list of endangered species. Pesticides (DDT) found in its prey from the 1940s through 1970s caused widespread failure to reproduce. Their recovery is in progress thanks to a program the DEC runs.

Where you'll find it: See them in Upper Manhattan, Jamaica Bay, Central Park’s Reservoir, and other large open spaces in the city, according to the NYC Audubon. They love to nest on building ledges and feed on pigeons. In fact, Peregrines nest on every Hudson River bridge south of Albany!

Its favorite thing about NYC: NYC’s giant skyscrapers and bridges serve as the perfect places to perch because they create manmade canyons to hunt prey in.

A fun fact to tell your friends: The Peregrine can fly up to 200 miles per hour.

Myiopsitta monachus

Not exactly wild, but definitely feral, the Monk parakeet is a small, emerald green and gray bird that is as noisy as your neighbor. They are native to southern Brazil and Argentina, but they escaped from various port stations in the pet trade. The story in NYC goes that they were part of a shipment that entered the U.S. at JFK Airport from South America, heading to pet stores, but the crate was broken into and the birds escaped.

Where you'll find it: Green-Wood Cemetery has a healthy flock of these birds in the spire of its main entrance, and while they can be found in all the boroughs, they seem to be centered in Brooklyn and Queens. They build their stick nests on urban structures, especially ones that hold warmth.

Its favorite thing about NYC: There are good eats to be had with the city’s ornamental fruit trees and plenty of tall structures to nest on.

A fun fact to tell your friends: These birds mimic human speech and they live in pairs inside of “apartments” within giant nests that can reach the size of a small car.

Canis latrans

Believe it or not, coyotes have lived here in NYC since the 1930s. While they’re not technically native New Yorkers, they eventually extended their range from the Great Plains and the Southwest to the city, per Wildlife NYC. While they can explore up to 10 miles of open land per day, they typically occupy the same 2-acre plot all year long. That is, of course, unless a better housing situation comes along—just like any New Yorker.

Where you'll find it: Coyotes are currently known to live in Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan.

Its favorite thing about NYC: The city’s independent spirit. These independent creatures want to explore NYC just like the city’s self-reliant humans.

A fun fact to tell your friends: Coyotes usually mate for life. Awww.

Procyon lotor

Colloquially known as the “trash panda,” these furry masked critters are quite adaptable given their ability to climb, dig, swim, and even twist and tear thanks to their thumb-like digits. Yes, that’s what allows them to open trash cans and dig through garbage. But as Wildlife NYC puts it, “try not to be so quick to judge them—like any city-dweller, raccoons are just doing their best to get by.” Especially cute: This racoon climbing on a tree in the Central Park Ramble.

Where you'll find it: All around the state, from secluded forests to urban centers like NYC. They can live in almost any habitat, including urban and residential areas, forests, parklands, and marshes.

Its favorite thing about NYC: As any New Yorker knows, there’s no shortage of places to grab a bite to eat.

A fun fact to tell your friends: Their scientific name, Procyon lotor, means "dog-like washer." That’s because some raccoons will dip and roll their food in water before eating, as Wildlife NYC explained.

Coccinella novemnotata

The nine-spotted lady beetle was designated New York state’s official insect in 1989, just at the time these bugs started to be harder to find. While the species was once plentiful in New York, according to the New York Natural Heritage Program, there was only one known occurrence in the state as of 2013. As agricultural land declines, there’s less suitable habitat for many lady beetle species.

Where you'll find it: Sadly, you probably won’t.

Its favorite thing about NYC: These bugs prefer the state’s wide-open grasslands or agricultural land, but they do support any restaurants where corn, potatoes and soybeans are on the menu.

A fun fact to tell your friends: Despite its rough living conditions nowadays, the nine-spotted ladybird beetle was once considered the most common lady beetle in the state.

Megaptera novaeangliae

These massive mammals live in oceans all around the world, and we’re seeing them more often in NYC’s waters. A decade ago, whales wouldn’t have visited the city, but now they’re coming to get some good grub—specifically, menhaden (that’s mossbunker and bunker fish). That’s exciting news because it means that whales feel safe swimming in NYC’s waters thanks to improvements in local water quality and an abundance of food sources like Atlantic menhaden, according to the NYC Parks Department.

Where you'll find it: Whales have been spotted in the Hudson River and near the Statue of Liberty.

Its favorite thing about NYC: The seafood menu (more menhaden please!). 

A fun fact to tell your friends: You can help Gotham Whale track aquatic creatures. When you see a whale, dolphin or seal, let this citizen science project know.

Columbidae

Even more ubiquitous than rats, pigeons are just about everywhere in the city. But while you may call every sassy gray-looking bird a pigeon, there are actually 289 species of pigeons in the family worldwide. In NYC specifically, you’re likely to see the rock dove (Columba livia), described as “a stout bird with a small head, short neck, and thick gray and white plumage,” by NYC Parks. 

Where you'll find it: Just about everywhere, trying to steal your snacks and possibly poop on your jacket.

Its favorite thing about NYC: When people drop crumbs during lunchtime in the park. 

A fun fact to tell your friends: During World War II (1939-1945), many pigeons from NYC got draft notices and were used to breed the Army’s extensive force of homing pigeons used in combat.