Entry No. 38 — the New York City file — filed under: outdoor-weird

Hua Mei Bird Garden

At the northern part of Sara D. Roosevelt Park, a community garden hosts a decades-old morning ritual: Chinese men arrive carrying ornate bamboo cages and hang their Hua Mei songbirds from hooks, posts, and tree branches, often draped with a white cloth. The Hua Mei is a fighting thrush from southern China, said to have been favored by emperors, that sings for females and battles other males. The garden has run this way since 1995, when three men petitioned the Parks Department to set aside this semicircular spot for the birds.

The move: Show up early on a weekend morning to listen to the hanging songbirds and watch the regulars compare cages over tea.

📍 Before you go The bird gathering is an early-morning event, best caught soon after dawn; the birds and owners disperse by mid-morning.

• 📍 Lower East Side / Chinatown, Manhattan
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: Sara D. Roosevelt Park, Delancey St near Forsyth St, New York, NY

Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-23