Biodiversity of Westchester County, New York facts for kids

Westchester County, New York 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 and preserves. 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 that it contained 4,200 species of plants.

There are many natural areas that attract wildlife including Marshlands Conservancy 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 and was recognized by Audubon New York.

Plants

There are 1,168 species of vascular plants in Westchester County, according to the Parks Department.

Endangered plants:

Threatened plants:

Special concern plants:

Invasive plants: Invasive species pose a threat to biodiversity in Westchester County. In order to protect hundreds of species and wildlife, Westchester County has participated in gathering data about invasive plants through the Lower Hudson Partnership for Invasive Species Management (LHPRISM). The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Westchester is a resource for learning more about how to identify and map many of the species listed below.

Birds

There are 311 species of birds in Westchester County, as documented by the Parks Department. The local Audubon Society chapter records 368 bird species.

Endangered birds:

Threatened birds:

Special Concern birds:

Mammals

There are 33 species of mammals in Westchester County.

Special concern mammals:

Reptiles

There are 19 species of reptiles in Westchester County.

Endangered reptiles:

Threatened reptiles:

Special concern reptiles:

Insects

Butterflies

Endangered butterflies:

Threatened butterflies:

Special concern butterflies: