Eight Species You Might Not Know We Have On Long Island

Ask any wildlife photographer or explore based on Long Island and they’ll tell you that our home turf does not get nearly the credit it deserves when it comes to species diversity. In fact, I think it’s safe to say that most people think Long Island has a couple of raccoons, a possum here and there, and way too many deer out east and that basically sums it up.

This couldn’t be further from the truth. So for this article, we worked with some of the best wildlife photographers based on Long Island to highlight 10 species that most people might not know we have here.

The Osprey: An Underrated, Unofficial Long Island Emblem (with guest words + photos from some of Long Island's most talented wildlife photographers)

Okay, so maybe ospreys are not an “emblem” of Long Island in any official capacity but, to those of us who spend a significant amount of time on the water, they are just that. As a south shore Long Islander, I can say they embody our ideals - majestic, loyal, unafraid, and a world class angler.

As a species, they hold a very special place in my heart and as such, I’ve written about them extensively here on ntvli.com. Rather than hear me ramble on again about how amazing they are, I spoke to several of my favorite photographers about why THEY love seahawks. This article will highlight their responses, as well as, some of their favorite osprey photos.

The Burgeoning Bald Eagle Population of Long Island (featuring photos and personal excerpt by Meredith McCarthy)

While most of the chatter in the Long Island wildlife photography community turns to Snowy Owls this time of year, they are far from the only large raptors we have in the area. Over the past decade or so, Bald Eagles have reestablished a population on Long Island. There are few sights more majestic than a Bald Eagle soaring above the treeline, fishing, or perched high in an old growth tree.

One of the best photographers on Long Island at capturing that majesty is Meredith McCarthy (@merecat_photography). Over the past year, she’s chronicled one of the breeding pairs of Bald Eagles that have made their home on Long Island. For this article, Meredith and I took a look at Long Island’s Eagle population, including her amazing photography and a guest section from Meredith speaking to her experience witnessing them throughout the year. Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Meredith’s photography and hearing her story.