WhenToBird

Birding spot · Cape May County, New Jersey

Birding at Cooks Beach: What You'll See Each Week

In November, the birds most often reported at Cooks Beach are Laughing Gull (87%), American Herring Gull (73%), and Seaside Sparrow (72%). It is busiest in fall, when 69 species turn up on at least 1 in 20 checklists, and species counts peak in mid December (64 species). 152 species have been reported here across 1,270 complete checklists from 801 birders.

Species by week

020406080Jan 1-7: 49 species on 5%+ of 10 checklistsJan 8-14: low data (6 checklists)Jan 15-21: low data (6 checklists)Jan 22-31: low data (5 checklists)Feb 1-7: low data (3 checklists)Feb 8-14: low data (2 checklists)Feb 15-21: low data (3 checklists)Feb 22-28: low data (5 checklists)Mar 1-7: low data (0 checklists)Mar 8-14: low data (4 checklists)Mar 15-21: low data (6 checklists)Mar 22-31: low data (5 checklists)Apr 1-7: low data (3 checklists)Apr 8-14: low data (6 checklists)Apr 15-21: low data (3 checklists)Apr 22-30: 43 species on 5%+ of 24 checklistsMay 1-7: 60 species on 5%+ of 67 checklistsMay 8-14: 44 species on 5%+ of 253 checklistsMay 15-21: 44 species on 5%+ of 439 checklistsMay 22-31: 53 species on 5%+ of 248 checklistsJun 1-7: 59 species on 5%+ of 36 checklistsJun 8-14: 43 species on 5%+ of 21 checklistsJun 15-21: 61 species on 5%+ of 12 checklistsJun 22-30: 61 species on 5%+ of 13 checklistsJul 1-7: low data (4 checklists)Jul 8-14: low data (2 checklists)Jul 15-21: low data (2 checklists)Jul 22-31: low data (6 checklists)Aug 1-7: low data (2 checklists)Aug 8-14: low data (3 checklists)Aug 15-21: low data (4 checklists)Aug 22-31: low data (2 checklists)Sep 1-7: low data (4 checklists)Sep 8-14: low data (1 checklists)Sep 15-21: low data (2 checklists)Sep 22-30: low data (5 checklists)Oct 1-7: low data (4 checklists)Oct 8-14: low data (5 checklists)Oct 15-21: low data (2 checklists)Oct 22-31: low data (6 checklists)Nov 1-7: low data (3 checklists)Nov 8-14: low data (1 checklists)Nov 15-21: low data (5 checklists)Nov 22-30: low data (1 checklists)Dec 1-7: low data (3 checklists)Dec 8-14: low data (1 checklists)Dec 15-21: 64 species on 5%+ of 13 checklistsDec 22-31: low data (9 checklists)JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Number of species reported on at least 5% of complete checklists, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

In November: what to expect

  1. 1Laughing Gull87%
  2. 2American Herring Gull73%
  3. 3Seaside Sparrow72%
  4. 4Red-winged Blackbird71%
  5. 5Ruddy Turnstone69%
  6. 6Willet67%
  7. 7Red Knot65%
  8. 8Double-crested Cormorant62%
  9. 9Semipalmated Sandpiper62%
  10. 10Great Black-backed Gull61%
  11. 11Forster's Tern53%
  12. 12Great Egret53%
  13. 13Sanderling50%
  14. 14Dunlin48%
  15. 15Clapper Rail39%

Share of complete checklists at this spot that reported the bird in November. The sparkline is the whole year, with this month highlighted.

Season by season

Winter 57 species

  1. American Herring Gull67%
  2. Great Blue Heron52%
  3. Red-winged Blackbird44%
  4. White-throated Sparrow41%
  5. Dunlin39%

Spring 48 species

  1. Laughing Gull93%
  2. Ruddy Turnstone79%
  3. Seaside Sparrow77%
  4. Red Knot77%
  5. Red-winged Blackbird74%

Summer 57 species

  1. Laughing Gull95%
  2. Double-crested Cormorant83%
  3. American Herring Gull82%
  4. Red-winged Blackbird79%
  5. Seaside Sparrow78%

Fall 69 species

  1. American Herring Gull74%
  2. Double-crested Cormorant67%
  3. Royal Tern59%
  4. Forster's Tern54%
  5. Great Black-backed Gull46%

Specialties

Birds reported far more often here than across New Jersey.

  • Red Knot65% of checklists here vs 0.6% statewide: 113.4×
  • Seaside Sparrow72% of checklists here vs 1.0% statewide: 72.4×
  • Ruddy Turnstone69% of checklists here vs 2.0% statewide: 35.2×
  • Willet67% of checklists here vs 2.5% statewide: 27.0×
  • Dunlin48% of checklists here vs 2.4% statewide: 19.5×
  • Clapper Rail39% of checklists here vs 2.1% statewide: 18.9×
  • Semipalmated Sandpiper62% of checklists here vs 3.5% statewide: 17.5×
  • Glossy Ibis38% of checklists here vs 2.5% statewide: 15.0×

Nearby spots

Frequency is the share of complete checklists at this location that listed the bird, 2016–2025. Busy places report more of everything, and the weekly chart counts species on at least 5% of checklists so a few stray reports do not inflate it. How to read it.