The Brian Lehrer Show Wild NYC - Air Migrations
May 12, 2026
Marielle Anzelone, urban botanist and founder of NYC Wildflower Week, and Christian Cooper, science writer and host of Extraordinary Birder, explore spring migrations over the city. They talk about the Atlantic Flyway, colorful warblers as seasonal signals, bats and butterflies on the move, and hazards like window collisions and light pollution. Short, vivid scenes of New York’s airborne wildlife.
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New York Is A Major Stop On The Atlantic Flyway
- New York City sits on the Atlantic Flyway and connects migrants from across the Western Hemisphere.
- Birds, bats, butterflies, and dragonflies use city natural areas as critical stopovers during long-distance migrations from places like Argentina, the Caribbean, and Florida.
A Birder's Excitement For Warblers
- Christian calls warblers 'butterflies with personality' and tracks spring by their arrival.
- He highlighted the Black-throated Blue Warbler with its fiery orange throat as a species that excites him during migration.
Watch For Red Admiral Spring Migrations
- Look for migrating butterflies like red admirals in spring rather than only monarchs.
- Red admirals form large spring movements north along the Atlantic Flyway and are distinctive with dark wings and red-orange bands.
