One of New York City’s most common birds could disappear in 10 years

Black-crowned night herons are New York City's most common wading bird, and the Big Apple has historically been home to the largest population in the Northeast. But the noisy, belligerent bird’s local population dropped 55% between 2000 and 2022, when researchers counted roughly 470 active nests. In a report released June 3, researchers with the New York City Bird Alliance said the data suggest the black-crowned night heron could vanish from New York City as soon as 2037.