Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, prefer short trips or birding all day, you will feel at home!
The Queens County Bird Club Inc. is a “Full Service” organization of naturalists:
Monthly Meetings – Noted speakers, vivid presentations
Field Trips – half-day, all-day, weekend
Conservation – projects, advocacy, support
NEXT MEETING is Live – Wednesday, March 18th, 2026 7:30 – 9:30 pm.
Where: Alley Pond Environmental Center – NEW BUILDING
229-10 Northern Blvd, Douglaston, NY 11362 (map)
Presentation – “Avian Vagrancy – the Sport and Science of Rare Birds” with Shai Mitra
Vagrant birds – individuals occurring far beyond the expected geographical limits of their taxa have fascinated people for centuries. Long dismissed as the stuff of mere sport and as biologically meaningless accidents, these records are emerging as a valuable dataset.
Shai Mitra begins this multimedia presentation with a discussion of the sport of finding and documenting rare birds, which is still more of an art than a science, despite technological revolutions in meteorology and surveillance. The resulting body of records constitutes a rapidly growing and increasingly accessible dataset that offers insights into important scientific questions: demographic trends in distant populations, the causes and consequences of long-distance dispersal, the biological properties of local sites, the forces shaping community composition, and, ultimately, a more rational approach to conservation.
Shai Mitra has studied birds in the northeast and around the world for 40+ years. He has a BA in Biology from Cornell University and a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Chicago. From 1996 to 2000, he operated a major bird-banding station at the Fire Island Lighthouse on the South Shore of Long Island. Currently, he is an assistant professor of biology at the College of Staten Island, with research interests in the areas of avian ecology, evolution, and conservation. Shai is editor of The Kingbird, the quarterly publication of the New York State Ornithological Association; co-compiler of bird records for the New York City and Long Island region; chair of the Rhode Island Avian Records Committee; and co-compiler of the Southern Nassau County and Napatree, Rhode Island, Christmas Bird Counts.
Upcoming field trips – see Calendar link for details and registration info
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Baisley Pond – John & Mary Borowski 347-705-2963When: Saturday, February 28th, 2026 – 9:00am – 12:00pm
Where: Baisley Pond Park in Queens
Description:This mini-trip starts at 9am and ends before lunch. It is a great trip for beginners, but birders of all levels can enjoy the diversity of waterfowl we will see.
Join us as we look for birds in Baisley Pond Park, the winter home for hundreds of ducks and other waterfowl. The path around the lake is paved.
Please call the trip leader to register for this trip.
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QCBC Monthly Meeting – Shai Mitra – “Avian Vagrancy: The Sport and the Science of Rare Birds”
When: Wednesday, March 18th, 2026 – 7:30pm – 9:30pm
Where: Alley Pond Environmental Center – NEW BUILDING
229-10 Northern Blvd
Douglaston, NY 11362 (map)
Description:Vagrant birds – individuals occurring far beyond the expected geographical limits of their taxa have fascinated people for centuries. Long dismissed as the stuff of mere sport and as biologically meaningless accidents, these records are emerging as a valuable dataset.
Shai Mitra begins this multimedia presentation with a discussion of the sport of finding and documenting rare birds, which is still more of an art than a science, despite technological revolutions in meteorology and surveillance. The resulting body of records constitutes a rapidly growing and increasingly accessible dataset that offers insights into important scientific questions: demographic trends in distant populations, the causes and consequences of long-distance dispersal, the biological properties of local sites, the forces shaping community composition, and ultimately, a more rational approach to conservation.
Shai Mitra has studied birds in the northeast and around the world for 40+ years. He has a BA in Biology from Cornell University and a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Chicago. From 1996 to 2000, he operated a major bird-banding station at the Fire Island Lighthouse on the South Shore of Long Island. Currently, he is anassistant professor of biology at the College of Staten Island, with research interests in the areas of avian ecology, evolution, and conservation.
Shai is editor of The Kingbird, the quarterly publication of the New York State Ornithological Association; co-compiler of bird records for the New York City and Long Island region; chair of the Rhode Island Avian Records Committee; and co-compiler of the Southern Nassau County and Napatree, Rhode Island, Christmas Bird Counts.
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Breezy Point Tip – Joe Schiavone – 203-640-2927
When: Saturday, March 21st, 2026 – 7:30am – 12:30pm
Where: Breezy Point tip and environs
Description:Details to follow.
Please contact the trip leader to register for this trip.
Hear a podcast of “It’s In Queens” featuring an interview with QCBC President Ian Resnick here.
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