Happy Thursday in New York City, where the warm weather has all the animals coming out to play, including some truly rare ones.
Yesterday, we wrote about the pod of short-beaked common dolphins seen frolicking in the Hudson on Monday, which, despite the name, are anything but common in local waters. But it was the East River that produced the strangest visitor this week, when a Trumpeter Swan was spotted near North 5th Street Pier and Park in Williamsburg on Tuesday, marking the first-ever confirmed sighting of a Trumpeter Swan in New York City.
Trumpeters, one of only two native swan species in North America, were on the brink of extinction about 100 years ago, when only 70 individuals were known to exist. Now, there are roughly 70,000 birds scattered through Canada, Alaska and parts of the northern United States.
The sighting set off a flutter of excitement among bird watchers and Trumpeter enthusiasts. “I personally have never gotten a Trumpeter reported from New York City. So this is the first time,” Margaret Smith, executive director of the Minnesota-based Trumpeter Swan Society, told ABC News. “What you are seeing there is really a blessing, the gift of the people around you, states around you who cared enough to bring back this bird that was on the brink of extinction.” The Trumpeter Swan Society is considered instrumental in saving the species from extinction.
Smith said the Trumpeter, which was spotted hanging out with a local Mute Swan — a common variety native to Europe but widespread in New York City — is likely an adolescent visiting from Ontario on an exploratory trip.
At least some Canadian tourists are still finding their way to the city.
More than 72,000 NYC public school students sat for AP tests in 2025, a record high for the second consecutive year.
Misconduct complaints against and inquiries into New York judges hit an all-time high for the fifth year in a row in 2025.
The Other Art Fair, an international art expo, returns to Brooklyn in April at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. This year’s theme is “Nostalgia Core.”
Across a coordinated string of eight robberies of luxury athleisure stores in Manhattan and Williamsburg, thieves stole more than $20,000 in merchandise.
This year’s Coney Island New Year’s Day Polar Bear Plunge raised more than $60,000 for cultural, educational and community institutions in Coney Island.
Community-supported agriculture programs (CSAs) across Brooklyn opened registration for the 2026 summer and fall growing seasons.
Another sighting this week: Harry Styles and Zoe Kravitz were spotted on the Williamsburg Bridge together. When two fans showed Styles that they were listening to his album, he immediately came over to hug them.
advertisement
Real-World Ads, Simple to Run
With AdQuick, executing Out Of Home campaigns is as easy as running digital ads. Plan, deploy, and measure your real-world advertising effortlessly—so your team can scale campaigns and maximize impact without the headaches.
Our World In Photos
Photo: Martin Meissner/AP
COLOGNE — Art as enveloping experience: People walk through the artwork 'Infinity Mirrored Room' during a preview of the new major exhibition of legendary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, Thursday, March 12, 2026.
For more pictures like this, see Our World in Photos.
Indie coffee shops are meant to counter corporate behemoths like Starbucks, so why do they all look the same?
Photo: Bebeto Matthews/AP
Like many young, urban professionals, we run on coffee. We especially enjoy frequenting independently owned cafes that pride themselves on ethically sourced beverages, strong local ties and a hip aesthetic.
They’re the kinds of places that sneer at the homogenization and predictability of Dunkin and Starbucks.
But as public space and consumer culture researchers, we began noticing a pattern: While the invention of new, nondairy milks to mix into lattes continues to amaze us, many U.S. coffee shops seemed to share a similar aesthetic.
The PREMIUM tag indicates articles that come with extra photographs or special coverage. Thinking of a subscription? Try us out with a day pass for just 99 cents. No long-term commitment for a subscription.
The Mini
Our solver finished in 1 minute 27 seconds. Can you beat it?
Cartoon Sketchbook
By Emad Hajjaj
For the Road
Independence: The Consulate General of the Republic of Lithuania in New York marked the 36th anniversary of Lithuania’s restored independence from the Soviet Union with a performance by the New York Lithuanian Mixed Choir and a Lithuanian and U.S. flag-raising ceremony on Saturday at Bowling Green Park. See photos from the event.
Happy Birthday to Oscar-winning actress Liza Minnelli!
On This Day in 1945, the Eagle reported: “Students at Choate Preparatory School learned today that the tall, dark classmate they had met on campus for the past several weeks was Mahmoud Reza Pahlavi, 19, younger brother of the Shah of Persia.”
Got a tip? Send it in to [email protected].