The island of Manhattan was home to a wide range of animal and plant life prior to today's urbanization. The island was home to black bears, chestnut trees and elk. Beavers built homes along the banks of the Bronx River and oak and hickory trees were common. In 1609, it's speculated that in the Strawberry Field section of today's Central park that there were herons, hawks and ducks. There were a number of small mammals such as mice, muskrats, and even beavers.
New York City parks contain a wealth of wildlife. For the mammals, you might see racoons, chipmunks, squirrels, coyotes, possums or rabbits. Birds of prey are represented by birds from redtailed and red shouldered hawks to osprey and falcons. Wading and shore birds abound with sanderling, American oystercatcher and piping plover representing a fraction of birds to see at the waterfront. Songbirds are the largest group with blue jays, killdeers, black capped chickadees, eastern phoebes, white-throated sparrows and house sparrows filling the air with their tunes.
Rats are a big problem in New York City, as a you tube video once showed that rats had overrun a restaurant in the city's West Village. "The Washington Post" report in 2007 that the city imported rodent expert Robert Corrigan to help fight the animals, who have been known to reach up to 9 inches in length. He taught city inspectors from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene how to smell rats when they visit restaurants.
Placed on the endangered species list in the 1970s, falcons are returning to New York City. There are 32 known falcons which roost as couples atop high-rise buildings, bridges or any structure which suits them. In the 1950s and 60s, the falcon population was harmed by organochlorine pesticides which affected the reproductive cycle of the animals and healthy young were hard to hatch. Peregrine falcons are now returning to the city where they find ample food, such as other bird species. The skyscrapers are reminiscent of their natural cliff-dwelling habitat.