Bird City

Adventures in New York's Urban Wilds

De: Ryan Goldberg

For listeners of What an Owl Knows and The World Without Us, reporter and birder Ryan Goldberg’s tour of the five New York City boroughs offers jaded city dwellers and bird lovers everywhere an unexpected, delightful new view of the concrete jungle—through its surprisingly enormous and diverse bird population

Goldberg came to birding unexpectedly, but as many first timers do after seeing their “spark” bird, he fell hard. Enamored by the incredible variety of species that pass through his hometown of New York City, and with the other passionate birders he meets, he embarks on a year of reporting on the natural wonders hiding amidst the skyscrapers. He learns that millions of birds migrate through the five boroughs each year—at least 400 different species, way more than can be found in Yellowstone National Park.

Through the four seasons, Goldberg takes readers to all five boroughs, through the city's most famous parks and landmarks. He chases rare and common species alike, increasing his count and deepening his understanding of how and why birds make their home in this smoggy, noisy, concrete-coated environment. Along the way, he meets many delightful and idiosyncratic characters, both human and feathered.

Richly textured, informative, and uplifting, Bird City will inspire fast-walking New Yorkers, the ever-growing birding community, and listeners everywhere who think of “nature” as just a place visit on Saturdays, to slow down and look around them. There’s a lot more than pigeons in our city skies.

©2025 Ryan Goldberg (P)2025 Algonquin Books