December 22, 2025

Christmas 2025

Brooklyn Christmas Bird of the Year: Brown Pelican

Pelicans are rarely seen in Brooklyn. Only small numbers make their way this far north, and are most often seen from ocean beaches during summer. For reasons uncertain, this year multiple birds have been around during the holiday season; I saw a string of 14 passing over Gravesend Bay towards Coney Island on December 10th, followed by a single bird that passed directly over my head. An auspicious rarity to mark the Christmastide.