Biodiversity of Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is located in southern New York, sharing its southern boundary with New York City and its northern border with Putnam County. It is bordered on the west side by the Hudson River and on the east side by the Long Island Sound and Fairfield County, Connecticut. The county has a total area of 500 square miles (1,300 km2), of which 430 square miles (1,100 km2) is land and 69 square miles (180 km2) (14%) is water. It is an area rich in biodiversity with many parks, preserves, and the Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary, a 179-acre sanctuary along Long Island Sound migratory flyway. In winter months, the 85-acre lake hosts more than 5,000 ducks. Recognized by Audubon New York.[1] Literary environmental writer Alex Shoumatoff hailed Westchester County as the "most richly diversified deciduous forest in the world" in a 1978 The New Yorker profile, at the time estimating 4,200 species.[2]
Plants
There are 1,168 species of vascular plants in Westchester County, according to the Parks Department.[3]
Endangered plants:[4]
- Bog clubmoss Lycopodiella inundata
- Netted chain fern Lorinseria areolata
- Yellow harlequin Corydalis flavula
- Spring avens Geum vernum
- Winter grape Vitis vulpina
- Tall thistle Cirsium altissimum
- Purple everlasting Gnaphalium purpureum
- Stiff-leaf goldenrod Solidago rigida
- Bicknell’s sedge Carex bicknellii
- Soft fox sedge Carex conjuncta
- Cat-tail sedge Carex typhina
- Long-beaked bald rush Rhynchospora scirpoides
- Large twayblade Liparis lilifolia
Threatened plants:[4]
- Purple milkweed Asclepias purpurascens
- Swamp cottonwood Populus heterophylla
- Rattlebox Crotalaria sagittalis
- Swamp agrimony Agrimonia parviflora
- Featherfoil Hottonia inflata
- Slender pinweed Lechea tenuifolia
- Shrubby St. Johnswort Hypericum prolificum
- Mudwort Limosella australis
- Winged monkeyflower Mimulus alatus
- Slender saltmarsh aster Aster tenuifolius
- Spongy arrowhead Sagittaria montevidensis spongiosa
- Strap-leaf arrowhead Sagittaria subulata
- Spotted pondweed Potamogeton pulcher
- Angled spikerush Eleocharis quadrangulata
- Lesser bladderwort Utricularia minor
- Yellow lady slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
Special concern plants:[4]
- Walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
- Purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
- Eastern prickly pear Opuntia humifusa
- Trailing arbutus Epigaea repens
- Grass-of-Parnassus Parnassia glauca
- Pitcher plant Sarracenia purpurea
- Four-leaf milkweed Asclepias quadrifolia
- River birch Betula nigra
- Striped maple Acer pensylvanicum
- American holly Ilex opaca
- Prickly hornwort Ceratophyllum echinatum
- Dittany Cunilla origanoides
- Stiff yellow flax Linum striatum
- Wild pink Silene caroliniana
- Blunt mountain mint Pycnanthemum muticum
- Small floating bladderwort Utricularia radiata
- Large yellow-eyed grass Xyris smalliana
- Showy orchis Galearis spectabilis
Invasive plants:[5]
- Porcelain-Berry Ampelopsis brevipedunculata
- Oriental Bittersweet "Celastrus orbiculatus
- Tartarian Honeysuckle "Lonicera tartarica"
- Japanese Barberry "Berbers thunbergii"
- Multiflora Rose "Rosa multiflora
Birds
There are 311 species of birds in Westchester County, as documented by the Parks Department.[3] The local Audubon Society chapter records 368 bird species.[6]
Endangered birds:[4]
- Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus
- Loggerhead shrike Lanius ludovicianus
- Least bittern Ixobrychus exilis
- Bald eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus
- King rail Rallus elegans
- Common tern Sterna hirundo
- Henslow’s sparrow Ammodramus henslowii
- Osprey Pandion haliaetus
- Cooper’s hawk Accipiter cooperii
- Northern goshawk Accipiter gentilis
- Red-shouldered hawk Buteo lineatus
- Golden-winged warbler Vermivora chrysoptera
- Cerulean warbler Dendroica cerulea
- Vesper sparrow Pooecetes gramineus
- Grasshopper sparrow Ammodramus savannarum
- Seaside sparrow Ammodramus maritimus
- Savannah sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis
- Kentucky warbler Oporornis formosus
Threatened birds:[4]
- Yellow-breasted chat Icteria virens
- Common barn owl Tyto alba
- Common raven Corvus corax
- American woodcock Scolopax minor
- Saltmarsh sharp-tailed sparrow Ammodramus caudacutus
- Eastern meadowlark Sturnella magna
- Bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivorus
Special Concern birds:[4]
- Common nighthawk Chordeiles minor
- Whip-poor-will Caprimulgus vociferus
- American black duck Anas rubripes
- Wood thrush Hylocichla mustelina
- Prairie warbler Dendroica discolor
- Worm-eating warbler Helmitheros vermivorus
- Canada warbler Wilsonia canadensis
Mammals
There are 33 species of mammals in Westchester County.[3]
Special concern mammals:[4]
- River otter Lutra canadensis
- Bobcat Lynx rufus
Reptiles
There are 19 species of reptiles in Westchester County.[3]
Endangered reptiles:[4]
- Bog turtle Clemmys muhlenbergi
- Wood turtle Clemmys insculpta
- Timber rattlesnake Crotalus horridus
Threatened reptiles:[4]
- Spotted turtle Clemmys guttata
- Eastern box turtle Terrapene carolina
- Northern fence lizard Sceloporus undulatus
- Eastern ribbon snake Thamnophis sauritus
Special concern reptiles:[4]
- Five-lined skink Eumeces fasciatus
- Northern copperhead Agkistrodon contortrix
- Eastern hognose snake Heterodon platyrhinos
- Worm snake Carphophis amoenus
References
- ^ "Nature Preserves". Visit Westchester. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
- ^ Shoumatoff, Alex (1978-11-13). "Profiles: Westchester County". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
- ^ a b c d "Biodiversity Research Program List". Westchestergov.com. Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation & Conservation. 2003. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Westchester County Endangered Species List" (PDF). Westchestergov.com. Westchestergov.com. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
- ^ http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/isprohibitedplants2.pdf
- ^ "A guide to the Birds of Westchester County". Hudson River Audubon Society of Westchester. 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2014.