In the UK I would have said that this was a Crane Fly. In New York it may be something else that looks similar.

I agree with you Bulbaholic, a Daddy Long Legs or Crane Fly. They lay eggs in the grass, usually more unkempt grass, like our lawn! Later in the year the birds, our peacocks, Woodpeckers and others have a field day (literally) when the larvae (leather jackets) start to hatch and they can get to them as they emerge. The leather jackets feed on the grass roots and other plants, so need to be disposed of if you find them in the garden!

Thank you for responses. I have 199 questions. Are they nocturnal? I found him on my back door around midnight. I'm sure he was drawn by my patio light. He seems quite large for so early in the season. Do the "leather jackets' over winter? I have mockingbirds, robins, starlings, finches, woodpeckers - all of which would love him for breakfast. Do they sting? bite? suck blood? spread diseases?

No they don't sting, bite, suck blood or spread diseases, totally harmless. But, the birds will make a total mess of your grass digging for the leather jackets!

On the eastern Mogollon Rim in Arizona, about 7000 feet elevation, they grow more than 6 inches across, and look just like giant mosquitoes. Scary clinging onto the screen door in the evening, but actually harmless.

that's huge! thanks

In the US the are called Mosquito Hawks or sceeter eaters.

The largest crane flies are sometimes called "daddy-long-legs", "gully nippers", or "mosquito hawks". However, they do not bite people and they do not eat mosquitoes. Some species of crane flies emerge from aquatic sources and others from terrestrial or decaying vegetation sources.

This is how you get rid of them:
Insecticidal soap & pyrethrin should be applied as soon as crane flies are discovered. Spray it as a contact killer. Use in accordance with directions on the product label. Azadirachtin or neem oil can be applied directly to your lawn and should be used at the first sign of grub damage.

Why want to kill them, Simplytic? They don't do any harm.

These crane flies are extremely good bird food Simplyitic and, as they cause no problems, do not need killing, in fact they need encouraging!

I just leave them alone. I'm sure somebody made a snack out of him anyway - bats?

Possibly Bathgate or birds...