My absolute favorite thing to do in Fenway is looking for birds and other animals in the Fens. The Back Bay Fens (or just “the Fens”) is a huge park that makes up the Fenway section of the Emerald Necklace, the larger park that goes all the way to Jamaica Plain. Sidewalks and gravel paths take you around the Fens, and a series of bridges cross the Muddy River, which runs through the center of the park.
Head into the park on a sunny day and you are likely to see lizards stretching out on rocks, chattering birds in the trees above you, rabbits nibbling on grass, and herons slowly stepping across the river.
I use the Audubon Bird Guide App to identify and track the birds I see. iNaturalist is a great option for other animals and plants.
Check out some of my favorite shots of the Fens, then scroll to the bottom for a list of the species that can be found in the Fens.
Birds found in the Fens
- Great Blue Heron
- Black-Crowned Night Heron
- Baltimore Oriole
- Northern Flicker
- Gray Catbird
- Northern Cardinal
- Chimney Swift
- Eastern Kingbird
- Tufted Titmouse
- Green Heron
- Belted Kingfisher
- Black-Capped Chickadee
- Canada Goose
- Mallard
- Rock Pigeon
- Mourning Dove
- Blue Jay
- American Robin
- Northern Mockingbird
- European Starling
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Common Grackle
- House Sparrow
- Wood Duck
- Yellow Warbler
- American Goldfinch
Other wildlife in the Fens
- Italian Wall Lizard
- Red-eared Slider
- Common Snapping Turtle
- Eastern Gray Squirrel
- Cottontail Rabbit
- Raccoon
- Muskrat
- White-Footed Deer Mouse
- Lots of fish
What animals have you seen in Boston? Let me know!
Boston and Beyond 
One thought on “Wildlife in the Fenway”