McGolrick Bird Garden
about the garden
Inspired by the prolific McGolrick Bird Club, Friends of McGolrick was motivated to create a garden dedicated to providing food for our many avian friends. You may have noticed the buzz of activity in the garden beds just south of the Mr. Monitor statue over the past year, as a dedicated group of neighbors has been working tirelessly to prepare the space for planting.
The neglected space was overrun with Virginia Creeper and the invasive Goldenrod, with no plan in place to develop it strategically. The Friends’ group stepped in to make a change. Our successful application for a City Gardens Club of New York City grant enabled us to purchase mature plants for the area, which immediately benefited the area's birds.
The newly planted garden is now flourishing with a variety of native and bird-supportive species, including:
Sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina), Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens), Huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata), Winterberry (Ilex verticillata ‘Southern Gentlemen’ & ‘Winter Red’), Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), Echinacea, Columbine, Milkweed Tuberosa, Violets, Allium, Hostas, Ferns, Liriope, Hyssop and Blueberries.
Signage currently in place helps visitors learn more about the plant species and their role in supporting birds. Stop by and watch the birds enjoy their homes. Please help us protect the space by keeping feet, pets, and trash out of the beds, and not feeding animals, so that everything can truly thrive.
We’re deeply grateful to the City Gardens Club of New York City and the NYC Parks Department for supporting this meaningful project. Extra love to everyone who shows up to bring this garden to life, and to Anil, Genevieve, Ian, Mary and Lauren.
In 2025, we added 300 native plants to the McGolrick Bird Garden with additional support from NYC Parks and Lentol Garden. Near the park’s center, we installed 100 feet of fencing to protect a new bird sanctuary, affectionately known as the “Magic Bushes” by locals. These vibrant plantings not only enhance McGolrick’s beauty but also provide vital food and shelter for our avian visitors.
Here are some of the birds spotted in the Magic Bushes:
American Woodcock
American Redstart
American Robin
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Blue Jay
Brown Thrasher
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
Common Grackle
Common Yellowthroat
Dark-eyed Junco
Eastern Towhee
European Starling
Fox Sparrow
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Grey Catbird
Hermit Thrush
Hooded Warbler
House Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Mallard
Mourning dove
Mourning Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Northern Flicker
Northern Waterthrush
Ovenbird
Palm Warbler
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-eyed Vireo
Rock Pigeon
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Song Sparrow
Swainson’s Thrush
Swamp Sparrow
Tufted Titmouse
Veery
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Winter Wren
Yellow Rumped Warbler
Stay tuned as we continue to find ways to improve the health of the park for all walks of life!