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State of California

Californian Quail Lophortyx californica ©Michael Hurben - CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons Website

California is a state in the Western United States, lying on the American Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares an international border with the Mexican state of Baja California to the south. With around 39,130,000 residents it is the most populous US state and also the most populated subnational entity in North America. It is the third-largest by area covering nearly 424,000 km2 (over 163,500 square miles). The Greater Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas are the nation’s second and fifth most populous urban regions, with 19 million and 10 million residents respectively. Los Angeles is the state’s most populous city and the nation’s second-most. California’s capital is Sacramento. The state’s diverse geography ranges from the Pacific Coast and metropolitan areas in the west to the Sierra Nevada mountains in the east, and from the redwood and Douglas fir forests in the northwest to the Mojave Desert in the southeast. Two-thirds of the nation’s earthquake risk lies in California. The Central Valley, a fertile agricultural area, dominates the state’s centre. The large size of the state results in climates that vary from moist temperate rainforest in the north to arid desert in the interior, as well as snowy alpine in the mountains. Droughts and wildfires are an ongoing issue.

California’s economy is the largest of any US state, with a $4.0 trillion gross state product as of 2024. It is the largest sub-national economy in the world. California’s agricultural industry has the highest output of any US state and is led by its dairy, almonds, and grapes. With the busiest port in the country (Los Angeles), California plays a pivotal role in the global supply chain, hauling in about 40% of goods imported to the US. California is the home of Hollywood, the oldest and one of the largest film industries in the world, profoundly influencing global entertainment. The so-called ‘Silicon Valley’ in the San Francisco Bay and the Greater Los Angeles areas are seen as the centres of the global technology and US film industries, respectively.

Alabama Hills (foreground) and Eastern Sierra Nevada (backgfround) – ©Nancy McClure, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

California is one of the most geographically diverse states in the union and is often geographically bisected into two regions, Southern California, comprising the ten southernmost counties, and Northern California, comprising the 48 northernmost counties. In the middle of the state lies the California Central Valley, bounded by the Sierra Nevada in the east, the coastal mountain ranges in the west, the Cascade Range to the north and by the Tehachapi Mountains in the south. The Central Valley is California’s productive agricultural heartland. Divided in two by the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the northern portion, the Sacramento Valley serves as the watershed of the Sacramento River, while the southern portion, the San Joaquin Valley is the watershed for the San Joaquin River. Both valleys derive their names from the rivers that flow through them. With dredging, the Sacramento and the San Joaquin Rivers have remained deep enough for several inland cities to be seaports.

San Joaquin River Headwaters – ©jcookfisher CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is a critical water supply hub for the state. Water is diverted from the delta and through an extensive network of pumps and canals that traverse nearly the length of the state, to the Central Valley and the State Water Projects and other needs. Water from the Delta provides drinking water for nearly 23 million people, almost two-thirds of the state’s population as well as water for farmers on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. The Channel Islands are located off the Southern coast, while the Farallon Islands lie west of San Francisco.

The Sierra Nevada (Spanish for ‘snowy range’) includes the highest peak in the contiguous 48 states, Mount Whitney, at 14,505 feet. The range embraces Yosemite Valley, famous for its glacially carved domes, and Sequoia National Park, home to the giant sequoia trees, the largest living organisms on Earth, and the deep freshwater lake, Lake Tahoe, the largest lake in the state by volume.

To the east of the Sierra Nevada are Owens Valley and Mono Lake, an essential migratory bird habitat. In the western part of the state is Clear Lake, the largest freshwater lake by area entirely in California. Although Lake Tahoe is larger, it is divided by the California/Nevada border. The Sierra Nevada falls to Arctic temperatures in winter and has several dozen small glaciers, including Palisade Glacier, the southernmost glacier in the United States.

Yosemite Valley – ©King of Hearts CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

About 45 percent of the state’s total surface area is covered by forests, and California’s diversity of pine species is unmatched by any other state. California contains more forestland than any other state except Alaska. Many of the trees in the California White Mountains are the oldest in the world; an individual bristlecone pine is over 5,000 years old.

In the south is a large inland salt lake, the Salton Sea. The south-central desert is called the Mojave; to the northeast of the Mojave lies Death Valley, which contains the lowest and hottest place in North America, the Badwater Basin at −279 feet. The horizontal distance from the bottom of Death Valley to the top of Mount Whitney is less than 140 km. Indeed, almost all of southeastern California is arid, hot desert, with routine extreme high temperatures during the summer. The southeastern border of California with Arizona is entirely formed by the Colorado River, from which the southern part of the state gets about half of its water.

California boasts several superlatives in its collection of flora: the largest trees, the tallest trees, and the oldest trees. California’s native grasses are perennial plants, and there are close to hundred succulent species native to the state. After European contact, these were generally replaced by invasive species of European annual grasses; and, in modern times, California’s hills turn a characteristic golden-brown in summer.

Because California has the greatest diversity of climate and terrain, the state has six life zones which are the lower Sonoran Desert; upper Sonoran (foothill regions and some coastal lands), transition (coastal areas and moist northeastern counties); and the Canadian, Hudsonian, and Arctic Zones, comprising the state’s highest elevations.

Death Valley National Park – ©Brocken Inaglory CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Plant life in the dry climate of the lower Sonoran zone contains a diversity of native cactus, mesquite, and paloverde. The Joshua tree is found in the Mojave Desert. Flowering plants include the dwarf desert poppy and a variety of asters. Fremont cottonwood and valley oak thrive in the Central Valley. The upper Sonoran zone includes the chaparral belt, characterized by forests of small shrubs, stunted trees, and herbaceous plants. Nemophila, mint, Phacelia, Viola, and the California poppy Eschscholzia californica, the state flower, also flourish in this zone, along with the lupine, more species of which occur here than anywhere else in the world.

The transition zone includes most of California’s forests with the redwood Sequoia sempervirens and giant sequoia Sequoiadendron giganteum, among the oldest living things on earth (some are said to have lived at least 4,000 years). The high elevations of the Canadian zone allow the Jeffrey pine, red fir, and lodgepole pine to thrive. Palm trees are a well-known feature of California, particularly in Southern California and Los Angeles; many species have been imported, though the Washington filifera (commonly known as the California fan palm) is native to the state, mainly growing in the Colorado Desert oases.

Birding California

California, longer than Italy, is really at least two countries masquerading as one state – to the south of San Francisco old Spanish California, to the north old Russian California, each divided within itself as well to present state-wide some 9 big natural regions of coast and valley and desert and mountain, with bio-regions (such as watersheds) in turn within each of them. Besides its famous extremes – the highest and (remarkably nearby) the lowest points in the contiguous states – California boasts a staggering array of natural habitats: the largest mountain mass (Cascade-Sierra) in the US, 5,000 lakes, 30,000 miles of river and stream, 40 million acres of forest, the huge Mohave Desert, 1340 miles of coastline, the superlatives go on.

Almost half the state’s lands are publicly owned. California includes 8 national parks, a national seashore, 4 national recreation areas, 7 national monuments, 21 national forests, 3 national marine sanctuaries, federally protected wilderness areas, desert conservation areas, and national wildlife refuges, as well as state parks, state refuges, and wildlife management areas.

Big Sur Coast – ©Calilover, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The great majority of California’s human inhabitants jam into just two coastal agglomerations – San Diego to Los Angeles in the south, and the San Francisco Bay area at the state’s waist. (SF may claim to lie in northern California, but it barely does: half the state still lies north of it.) There are other big cities – Santa Barbara on the coast between SF and LA, Sacramento (the state’s capitol) in the vast Central Valley, agricultural centres, tourist attraction concentrations, and towns all over, of course; but beyond the reach of the coastal San San corridor (itself spottily if intensively settled); one senses one is in the provinces of this immense (and, to be honest, immensely provincial) state.

More than 700 bird species had been recorded in California. Several counties have lists of over 450 species and growing numbers of birders in their own 400 Clubs. Two counties, LA and San Diego have topped the 500 mark! The state Big Day record stands at 231 species! In some places one can encounter over 100 species in a day of vigorous birding anytime in the year.

So how can I describe this place for general visiting birders, without knowing their plans and hopes? I can’t. It would be better, perhaps, to recommend what books may help in different places, and to suggest some ways to get a birding visit under control at least in anticipation.

Contributors

Steve Sosensky
Aliso Viejo, CA | steve@sosensky.com
http://sosensky.com/birding.htm
Todd Newberry
Santa Cruz CA | taxa@biology.ucsc.edu

Number of Species

Number of bird species: 708

(As at December 2024)
State Bird: Californian Quail Lophortyx californica

Endemics

Number of endemics: 2
Island Scrub-Jay Aphelocoma insularis
Yellow-billed Magpie Pica nuttalli
One other bird species, California Thrasher Toxostoma redivivum is only found here and into Baja California

Checklist

Avibase
PDF Checklist
This checklist includes all bird species found in California , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years. I am pleased to offer these checklists as a service to birdwatchers. If you find any error, please do not hesitate to report them.
California Bird Records Committee
Annotated List
Of the 688 species on this official California checklist, 17 are established introductions, one has been extirpated within historical times, and one is in the process of being reintroduced but is not yet established.
Wikipedia
Annotated List
As of August 5, 2022, there are 681 species on the CBRC list. Two of these species are endemic, 13 were introduced by humans (directly or indirectly), one species has been extirpated, and one was extirpated in the wild but its reintroduction is in progress.
eBird
PDF Checklist
This checklist is generated with data from eBird (ebird.org), a global database of bird sightings from birders like you. If you enjoy this checklist, please consider contributing your sightings to eBird. It is 100% free to take part, and your observations will help support birders, researchers, and conservationists worldwide.

Useful Reading

A Birder's Guide to Southern California

| By Brad Schram | American Birding Association | 2018 | Edition 5 | Paperback | 433 pages, illustrations, maps, graphs | ISBN: 9781878788238 Buy this book from NHBS.com
A Californian's Guide to the Birds Among Us

| By Charles Hood | Heyday Books | 2017 | Paperback | 192 pages, 350 colour photos and colour illustrations | ISBN: 9781597143837 Buy this book from NHBS.com
ABA Field Guide to Birds of California

| By Álvaro Jaramillo | Scott & Nix, Inc | 2020 | Paperback | 352 pages, 450+ colour photos | ISBN: 9781935622505 Buy this book from NHBS.com
All About Birds California

| By Cornell Lab of Ornithology (CLO) | Princeton University Press | 2022 | Paperback | 299 pages, 872 colour photos, colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9780691990057 Buy this book from NHBS.com
An Introduction to Birds of the Southern California Coast

| By Joan Easton Lentz | University of California Press | 2006 | Paperback | 240 pages, 120 colour plates, 51 line drawings, 16 maps | Out of Print | ISBN: 9780520243217 Buy this book from NHBS.com
An Introduction to Northern California Birds

| By Herbert Clarke | Mountain Press Publishing Company | 1995 | Paperback | 190 pages, 229 colour photos | ISBN: 9780878423125 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birds of California

| By Todd Telander | Falcon Guides | 2012 | Paperback | 96 pages, colour illustrations | ISBN: 9780762774173 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birds of California Field Guide

| By Stan Tekiela | Adventure Publications | 2022 | Edition 2 | Paperback | Edition 2 | 448 pages, colour photos, distribution maps | ISBN: 9781647551988 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birds of Northern California

| By A Bezener & D Fix | Lone Pine Publishing | 2000 | Paperback | 384 pages, colour illustrations, maps | ISBN: 9781551052274 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birds of Northern California

| By David E Quady, Jon L Dunn, Kimball L Garrett & Brian E Small | R W Morse Company | 2016 | Paperback | 512 pages, 500+ colour photos | ISBN: 9780964081093 Buy this book from NHBS.com
California Birds: An Introduction to Familiar Species

| By James Kavanagh | Waterford Press | 2001 | Unbound | 12 pages, concertina style laminated, colour illustrations | Out of Print | ISBN: 9781583551011 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Feeder Birds of Southern California

| (A Folding Pocket Guide to Common Backyard Birds) | By Cornell Lab of Ornithology (CLO) | Waterford Press | 2017 | Unbound | 12 pages, colour illustrations | ISBN: 9781620052242 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Field Guide to Birds of the Northern California Coast

| By Rich Stallcup, Jules Evens & Keith Hansen | University of California Press | 2014 | Paperback | 362 pages, 68 plates with 133 colour photos; 15 b/w illustrations, 12 b/w maps | ISBN: 9780520276178 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Important Bird Areas of California

| By DS Cooper | Audubon California | 2004 | Paperback | 286 pages, photos | ISBN: 9780974727707 Buy this book from NHBS.com
National Geographic Field Guide to Birds: California

| By Mel Baughman | National Geographic Society | 2005 | Paperback | 272 pages, maps, photos, drawings | Out of Print | ISBN: 9780792294658 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Watchable Birds of California

| By Mary Taylor Gray | Mountain Press Publishing Company | 2000 | Paperback | 486 pages | ISBN: 9780878423897 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Wild Birds of California

| By David Lukas | Companion Press | 2000 | Paperback | 135 pages, 150 colour photos | Out of Print | ISBN: 9780944197622 Buy this book from NHBS.com

Festivals & Bird Fairs

Annual Godwit Days Spring Migration Bird Festival
Website
TheAnnual Godwit Days Spring Migration Bird Festival will be held April, along the Pacific Flyway in Northern California’s majestic redwood coastal region, is as diverse as our hundreds of shorebird species and famous redwood forest inhabitants (Marbled Murrelet anyone?) We think our festival will excite everyone from continent-jumping listers to the casual birder and nature enthusiast.
Berkeley Bird Festival
Website
The Berkeley Bird Festival, is a free “All Day All Berkeley” public event to honor and celebrate our local birdlife through bird-themed activities; including birding field trips, family-friendly art and craft activities, chalk art and a lecture/performance series “Winged Wonderment”.
California Botanic Garden Bird Festival
Webpage
These free family-friendly walks will lead you through the beautiful, winding trails of California Botanic Garden showing how you can spot and identify your local bird life.
Central Valley Birds Symposium
Website
All workshops and programs held at the Stockton Hilton Hot. It is highly recommended that you bring your binoculars to all programs and workshops.
Lodi Sandhill Crane Festival
Website
Long before Lodi existed, Sandhill Cranes descended into the rich delta wetlands at the end of a long migratory journey, some from nesting grounds as far away as Siberia. As they greeted California’s earliest explorers, these magnificent birds darkened the skies over winter marshes. In awe-inspiring numbers, and with a prehistoric call, stately gait, and elegant choreography, the Sandhill Crane continues to attract and inspire visitors...
Salton Sea Birding Festival
Website
Sea and Desert Interpretive Association
San Diego Bird Festival
Website
Join the premier celebration of the wild birds, habitats, and bird-friendly people at the San Diego Bird Festival.
San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival
Website
through San Francisco Bay, more than 1 million shorebirds and hundreds of thousands of ducks, geese, hawks and other wildlife at the peak of migration.
Winter Bird Festival
Webpage
Sandhill Crane Tours

Observatories

Coyote Creek Field Station
Observatory Website Satellite View
Landbird Banding Research
Golden Gate Raptor Observatory
Observatory Website Satellite View
Every autumn, thousands of migrating birds of prey appear over the Golden Gate near San Francisco, California. Why are they here? How are they doing? Where do they go?
MAPS Bird Banding
Observatory Website Satellite View
Since 1998, SSRS has operated a MAPS bird banding station from May to August on Audubon California’s Kern River Preserve.
Point Reys Bird Observatory (now Point Blue Conservation Science)
Observatory Website Satellite View
Point Blue's 160 scientists develop nature-based solutions to climate change, habitat loss, and other environmental threats to benefit wildlife and people.
San Fransico Bay Bird Observatory
Observatory Website Satellite View
Over the past 30-plus years we've grown our outreach program to include everything from traditional bird walks, science talks, bird ID workshops, and bird banding demos to initiatives to engage more diverse and under served communities in the Bay Area. These newer projects include family science nights, women in science events, youth programs for Scouts and the Boys and Girls Club, citizen science for the population at the Elmwoord Correctional facility, and bird walks for military veterans being treated at the Menlo Park Veterans Affairs health care center.
YLR Banding Station
Observatory Website Satellite View
At our songbird banding station, we monitor and tag resident and migratory species using various capture methods and contribute those data to a national bird banding database. Banding at Younger Lagoon Reserve began in the mid 70s and operated for approximately 10 years.

Museums & Universities

California Academy of Sciences Natural History Museum
Information
The California Academy of Sciences is a renowned scientific and educational institution dedicated to exploring, explaining, and sustaining life on Earth. Based in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, it is home to a world-class aquarium, planetarium, and natural history museum—all under one living roof.
California Wildlife Center
Webpage
California Wildlife Center staff and volunteers recently had the unique opportunity to go on a behind-the-scenes tour of the avian and mammal collections department of the Los Angeles Natural History Museum (NHM).
Donald R. Dickey Bird and Mammal Collection UCLA
Website
The UCLA Dickey Bird and Mammal Collection consists of over 70,000 skins and skeletons of birds and mammals from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and islands in the Pacific.
GBIF - CCBER Ornithology Collection
Webpage
The collection contains about 8000 study skins and skeletons, of which 400 specimens are specifically allocated for teaching.
Moore Lab of Zoology - Occidental College
Webpage
The vast majority of our collection (60,000 specimens) is whole bird study skins. With 50,000 of these from Mexico, we are the largest Mexican bird collection in the world. We also have over 6,000 birds from Ecuador and sizeable holdings from Honduras (2,200), Guatemala (1,200) and Costa Rica (1,200).
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology Berkeley
Webpage
The MVZ Bird Collection has 174,000 specimens, placing it as one of the largest in the US. The majority of the specimens are preserved as study skins but the collection also contains skeletons, skins associated with skeletal material, and fluid-preserved specimens. In addition it contains 14,000 sets of nests and/or EGG sets. In the last 15 years special effort has been made to preserve an array of materials in conjunction with each specimen…
Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology University of California, Davis
Website
The bird collection remains one of our primary strengths. The museum houses nearly 17,800 specimens with a principal emphasis in California and Western North America.
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Website
Ornithology, the study of birds, is one of the founding disciplines of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. At the core of the program is a research collection of 121,000 bird specimens, representing over 5,400 species. Our collections are particularly strong for North America, Africa, South America, and the Pacific Ocean. The bird skeleton collection, representing over 17,000 individuals, is among the three largest in western North American and is an important resource for the Museum’s well-known studies of fossil birds.
San Diego Natural History Museum
Webpage
Beginning with the collection of pioneer mammalogist Frank Stephens, acquired in 1910, the Birds & Mammals Department holdings have grown into a major resource on bird and mammal species of western North America, including Baja California. Its taxonomic coverage includes 90% of the world's bird families and 58% of its mammal families, a coverage extended by the museum's status as a repository for specimens from the San Diego Zoo.
Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology
Website
https://wfvz.org/collections/

Organisations

Altacal Bird Alliance
Website
Altacal Bird Alliance is most fortunate to be centered in one of the most diversified wildlife regions in California, the Northern Sacramento Valley of the Pacific Flyway. This unique area is home to exemplary migratory bird habitat and abundant wintering waterfowl, as well as native raptors, and varied terrestrial wildlife. The diverse habitats, mild winter weather, abundant food and rich quantities of water combined with the Flyway provide unique and abundant birding opportunities with well over 300 local species. We are dedicated to preserving and protecting this wealth of birds and their habitats through education, monthly programs on birds and related topics,field trips to natural areas and wildlife refuges, outreach booths at local events and youth outdoor education activities.
Antelope Valley Audubon Society
Facebook Page
The Antelope Valley Chapter of the Audubon Society is committed to the preservation, research, and observation of birds in their natural habitats. Get involved by learning more about the native wild birds of the AV, by going on guided field trips with experts and fellow chapter members, and by photographing species in their habitats.
Audubon California
Website
The mission of Audubon - California is to work in California to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity. We provide leadership on state conservation and environmental education programs; we develop and strengthen local conservation action through our chapter network; and we participate as a division of the National Audubon Society on national and international campaigns to protect and restore wildlife habitats
Buena Vista Audubon Society
Website
The Buena Vista Audubon Society was chartered in 1951 as the coastal North San Diego County chapter of the National Audubon Society, and has approximately 2,000 members. Our programs help foster a knowledge and appreciation for the plants and animals that make up the natural ecosystem of our community. BVAS is a volunteer organization; over 350 volunteers run our nature center and programs, with the help of three part-time staff. BVAS is truly a member and community-supported organization, with the bulk of our operating funds coming from membership dues and donations
CV Birds
Website
The Central Valley Bird Club is dedicated to studies of the distribution, status, ecology and conservation of birds in California's Central Valley.
California Bird Records Committee
Website
The official site, which outlines the aims of the organization and also hosts the official lists for California.
California Parrot Project
Website
The Purpose of the California Parrot Project is to: Determine the geographical distribution of parrots in California. Determine the ecological parameters associated with successful colonization. Identify species present and determine their population sizes. Establish the extent of interbreeding between closely related congeners. Educate the public about naturalized parrots. Encourage public participation in the process of the scientific study of urban parrots…
California Partners in Flight San Francisco Bay
Website
We are a partnership of land and resource managers, scientists, advocates, regulators, funders, and other decision makers who are conserving wetlands through partnership-driven collaboration.
Central Sierra Audubon Society
Website
You have reached the Website for the Central Sierra Audubon Society, which includes both Tuolumne and Calaveras counties. We are a chapter of the National Audubon Society and affiliated with Audubon of California. Central Sierra Audubon supports the mission of the National Audubon Society which is: to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife and their habitats, for the benefit of humanity and the Earth’s biodiversity.
Conejo Valley Audubon Society
Website
CVAS strives to promote preservation, education, conversation and observation through the many activities that we perform on an annual basis. Our members are active in educational programs that emphasize the importance of bird watching and nature education in local schools. Field trips take place nearly every weekend (except for the summer) and are scattered throughout southern california. Experienced birders lead these trips designed to demonstrate the wide variety of migrant and residential birds that our area attracts every year.
Eastern Sierra Audubon Society
Website
Varied habitats from high in the Sierra Nevada and White Mountains down to the valley floors are a rich sampler of the incredible natural diversity that exists in the Eastern Sierra.
El Dorado Audubon
Website
Whether you are just beginning to become interested in learning more about nature, or whether you’re a seasoned birding veteran, El Dorado Audubon conducts plenty of activities and programs, most of them free! Membership is not required, and beginners are welcome! Feel free to read more about The Chapter and about our activities below. If you have questions please contact us.
Fresno Audubon Society
Website
Founded in 1966 Fresno Audubon is an independent chapter of the National Audubon Society. The mission of Fresno Audubon is to engage local communities in building a sustainable environment for people, birds, and other wildlife through education, science, and advocacy. Fresno Audubon hosts many educational programs, sponsors field trips and birding classes, advocates for local environmental conservation, engages community members in outdoor Citizen Science learning opportunities, and publishes the online blog – The Yellowbill.
Friends of Sausal Creek
Website
Our mission is to restore, maintain, and protect the Sausal Creek Watershed. We educate future generations, involve the community in local environmental stewardship, and collaborate with agencies and other nonprofits to have a positive impact on the local ecosystem.
Friends of Semiahmoo Bay Society
Website
Friends of Semiahmoo Bay Society is a provincially registered, non-profit society working as environmental stewards in conservation, education and restoration in Boundary Bay and the Fraser River delta.
Golden Gate Bird Alliance
Website
Golden Gate Bird Alliance is dedicated to protecting Bay Area birds, other wildlife, and their natural habitats. We conserve and restore wildlife habitats, connect people of all ages and backgrounds with the natural world, and educate and engage Bay Area residents in the protection of our shared, local environment. It is an independent, nonprofit organization with its own membership, budget and programs. Although we are a chapter of National Audubon, becoming a Supporting Member of Golden Gate Audubon is separate and distinct from membership in the National Audubon Society. Golden Gate Audubon Supporting Members receive The Gull newsletter, and play a critical role in protecting local birds and their habitats.
Kern Audubon Society
Website
Founded in Bakersfield, CA in 1973 and incorporated in 1979, Kern Audubon Society is a thriving environmental organization in Kern County. The chapter continually plans a number of exciting, fun, and educational projects for the community. There are regular program meetings and field trips to both common and unique habitats in California. Join us at a meeting or a field trip!
Kerncrest Audubon Society
Website
The Kerncrest Audubon Society is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization dedicated to helping people learn about local wildlife, especially birds, and our natural surroundings. We are a chapter of the National Audubon Society. Headquartered in Ridgecrest, California, we serve the Indian Wells Valley and the Kern River Valley areas. We have bi-monthly meetings, monthly field trips, and sponsor several community activities. We invite members and the general public to participate in any of our activities.
La Purisima Audubon Society
Website
The La Purisima Audubon Society (LPAS) is a local chapter of the National Audubon Society. It is a non-profit, volunteer organization focusing on conservation and preservation of natural habitats, with an emphasis on birds, birding, and green tourism. LPAS serves the north Santa Barbara county communities of Lompoc, Santa Maria, Orcutt, Guadalupe, Santa Ynez, Los Alamos, Los Olivos, and Buellton…
Los Angeles Audubon Society
Website
The mission of Los Angeles Audubon is to promote the enjoyment and protection of birds and other wildlife through recreation, education, conservation and restoration.
Madrone Audubon Society
Website
The Sonoma County Chapter of the National Audubon Society was established in 1967 as a non-profit organization promoting education, enjoyment, and protection of the natural world, especially birds.
Marin Audubon Society
Website
For more than 60 years Marin Audubon has worked to protect wildlife habitat in Marin, sometimes stepping in to buy land that is slated for development. MAS also provides its members and the public many opportunities to experience the birdlife and nature of Marin County and beyond through Field Trips and Events, our monthly MAS newsletter The Rail, and three annual Marin Christmas Bird Counts.
Mendocino Coast Audubon Society
Website
The mission of the Mendocino Coast Audubon Society is to help people appreciate and enjoy native birds, and to conserve and restore local ecosystems for the benefit of native birds and other wildlife.
Mono Lake Committee
Website
The Mono Lake Committee is a non-profit citizen's group dedicated to protecting and restoring the Mono Basin Ecosystem; educating the public about Mono Lake and the impacts on the environment of excessive water use; and promoting cooperative solutions that protect Mono Lake and meet real water needs without transferring environmental problems to other areas
Monterey Audubon Society
Website
Founded in 1943, the Monterey Audubon Society is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to conserving and celebrating the birds and wildlife of the greater Monterey Bay region. Our chapter includes 1000 members throughout Monterey and parts of Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties. We currently engage in an array of educational, citizen-science, and advocacy initiatives geared toward protecting the region's birds and its biological diversity.
Morro Coast Audubon Society
Website
The mission of the Morro Coast Audubon Society is to promote the appreciation, conservation, and restoration of ecosystems, focusing on the biological diversity of birds, other wildlife, and their habitats, particularly in San Luis Obispo County, California. We are composed of volunteers devoting time, energy, and resources to enjoying and protecting the environment through conservation, research, education, expansion, and diversity. MCAS is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization (TIN=23-7165021) and all donations are tax deductible.
Mount Diablo Bird Alliance
Website
Mt. Diablo Bird Alliance is committed to the sustainable balance of our community's people, birds, other wildlife, and habitat through conservation, education, and advocacy.
Mount Shasta Area Audubon
Facebook Page
The Mount Shasta area offers outstanding opportunities to view more than 300 species of birds. The varied landscape, with its numerous creeks, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and wildlife refuges, attracts birds throughout the year–from Greater Sandhill Cranes nesting in the spring to hundreds of Bald Eagles that winter in the Klamath Basin Refuges. The Mount Shasta Area Audubon encourages birders by providing field trips; a colorful map titled “A Birder’s Guide to Driving Routes in Siskiyou County”; a checklist of birds in the county; and occasional programs. The chapter is also involved in education and conservation efforts to protect and enhance this beautiful region.
Napa-Solano Audubon
Website
Our mission is to share the fun of birding, promote conservation and scientific understanding of wild birds and their habitats, and offer engaging, science-based education emphasizing the communities of Napa and Solano counties.
Nature Conservancy California
Webpage
We have protected 1.5 million acres of landscapes and 3.8 million acres of sea floor off our coast in California—habitats that are essential to the survival of nature and people.
Oakland Bird Alliance
Website
Our Mission Promote an interest in native wildlife including birds, other animals and plants and advocate the preservation of wildlife habitats in Michigan.
Ohlone Audubon Society
Website
The Ohlone Audubon Society serves southern and eastern Alameda County and provides conservation and environmental advocacy towards the protection and persistence of valuable habitat for birds and other native species throughout the County. In addition we provide educational programs including bird watching field trips led by knowledgeable leaders and monthly membership meetings featuring well-known scientists and journalists. The Ohlone Audubon Society is a non-proft 501(c)3 organization that is run completely by volunteers. The Board Members listed below are our current board officers and serve as volunteers to provide the public and the members with these services.
Palomar Audubon Society
Website
Serving the communities of Inland North San Diego County, including Escondido, Ramona, Poway, Rancho Bernardo, Valley Center, Borrego Springs, and surrounding locales. Our Mission: To promote the protection, appreciation and enjoyment of birds and other wildlife through recreation, education and conservation.
Palos Verdes & South Bay Audubon Society
Website
The Palos Verdes/South Bay Audubon Society and the National Audubon Society, of which PV/SB Audubon is the local chapter, are dedicated to the understanding and preservation of our natural heritage. Within the framework of National Audubon Society policies, we seek and implement ways to preserve indigenous flora and fauna, especially that of our local area, and provide educational services to the region's communities with respect to birds, wildlife, ecology and conservation.
Pasadena Audubon Society
Website
Pasadena Audubon Society serves the communities of Alhambra, Altadena, Arcadia, Azusa, Duarte, El Monte, La Cañada, Monterey Park, Monrovia, Montrose, Pasadena, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, and Temple City. Our mission: To bring the excitement of birds to our community through birding, education and the conservation of bird habitats.
Peregrine Audubon Society
Website
Covering interior Mendocino County, California from Hopland north through the Sanel and Ukiah valleys to the Mendocino National Forest and including Boonville, Philo, Comptche, Potter Valley, Laytonville, and Covelo. Promoting the conservation of birds, wildlife, and their natural habitats, Peregrine Audubon provides informative and educational public programs and participates actively as an advocate for environmental conservation.
Plumas Audubon Society
Website
To promote understanding, appreciation, and protection of the biodiversity of the Feather River Region through education, research, and the restoration and conservation of natural ecosystems.Plumas Audubon turned 28 years young in 2017 and our conservation efforts have just begun. We continue to host informative programs and events, sponsor field trips to the best birding spots around the county, and coordinate Christmas Bird Counts, but we also do so much more.
Pomona Valley Audubon Society.
Website
The Pomona Valley Chapter is active in providing assistance for bird related questions (hotline), supporting our local wildlife rehabilitation center, Wild Wings of California, educating the public and members of the community about wildlife, and politically representing the issues of environmentalism and conservation…
Redbud Audubon
Website
The Redbud Audubon Society was founded in 1974 by a group of conservation minded Lake County Citizens. We are a nonprofit California corporation and operate under the umbrella of the National Audubon Society, one of the biggest and most successful conservation organizations in the Nation. When you join National Audubon Society, you receive the National Audubon Society Magazine and our monthly newsletter, the Western Grebe, which describes local programs and field trips and provides other conservation news. Your dues and donations help fund our organization’s local programs.
Redwood Region Audubon Society
Website
The Redwood Region Audubon Society is an energetic community of volunteers from all over northern California. We offer free bird walks every week, frequet programs, and numerous special outings. We are also a strong voice for conservation in our bioregion. We hope to see you at one of our events soon!
Sacramento Bird Alliance
Website
The Sacramento Valley is in the Great Pacific Flyway which is the bird migration route from Alaska to Mexico. In Sacramento you can see about 250 species of birds. Trips organized by the Sacramento Audubon Society go north to Sacramento Wildlife Refuge, east to the Sierra foothills & mountains, south to the San Joaquin River delta, and west to the Pacific Ocean.
San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society (SBVAS)
Website
SBVAS strives to bring people to their natural environment. Focusing on birds and other wildlife, we hope to conserve natural resources in the Southern California's "Inland Empire," specifically San Bernardino, Riverside, and Imperial Counties. Founded in 1948, San Bernardino Valley Audubon is southeastern California's leading non-profit engaging people in the conservation of birds and their habitats. We involve people through recreational birding, envelop them in our education programs, and engage them in conservation actions from counting birds to working with local, state, and national policy makers. San Bernardino Valley Audubon is a fully independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
San Diego Bird Alliance
Website
San Diego Bird Alliance is a chapter of the National Audubon Society, an organization founded in 1905 to stop the slaughter of wild birds for their feathers. The early Audubon Society engineered a series of legal victories, culminating in the Migratory Bird Act of 1913 that halted the plume trade and rescued many of the most beautiful birds we see today from the brink of extinction. San Diego Audubon leads the way in fostering knowledge and appreciation of the natural world and seeks to become an even more significant resource for our communities through our education, environmental recreation, and numerous conservation programs. San Diego County has more animals and plants on the endangered species list than any other county in the U.S.
San Fernando Valley Audubon Society (SFVAS)
Website
Our fun and informative bird walks are free to anyone who wants to come along. Everything we do for education and conservation is free. Our members are our core, the people who understand the importance of birds in nature, who follow our activities and join us with their voices when we need to advocate for an important environmental issue. Please become a member and be part of all that SFVAudubon does!
San Joaquin Audubon Society
Website
A California Chapter of the National Audubon Society serving the communities of Stockton, Lodi, Tracy, Manteca, Escalon, Ripon, and Lathrop--All of San Joaquin County.
Santa Barbara Audubon Society
Website
Santa Barbara Audubon Society’s Mission: To help conserve and restore the earth’s natural ecosystems and improve its biological diversity, principally in the Santa Barbara area, and to connect people with birds and nature through education, science-based projects and advocacy.
Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance
Website
The Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society promotes the enjoyment, understanding, and protection of birds and other wildlife by engaging people of all ages in birding, education, and conservation.
Santa Cruz Bird Club
Website
The Santa Cruz Bird Club was founded in 1956. The Club sponsors walks in and around the county of Santa Cruz, boat trips on Monterey Bay, summer picnics and annual dinners, meetings September through May featuring informative, illustrated talks on wild birds and related topics.
Santa Monica Bay Audubon Society
Website
We are a chapter of the National Audubon Society. Our territory goes along the Pacific Coast of Los Angeles County through Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, Playa del Rey, Marina del Rey, Venice, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades and Malibu…
Sea & Sage Audubon Society
Website
An Orange County Chapter of the National Audubon Society - Sea & Sage Audubon Society's mission is to protect birds, other wildlife, and their habitats through education, citizen science, research, and public policy advocacy.
Sequoia Audubon Society
Website
The mission of Sequoia Audubon Society is to participate actively in environmental education and conservation, and in the restoration, preservation, protection and enjoyment of our native natural resources with emphasis on birds and their habitats.
Shasta Birding Society
Website
Shasta Birding Society, founded in 1975, is a chapter of the National Audubon Society serving Redding and the Shasta County area. The mission of the Wintu Audubon Society is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity. We promote enjoyment of the natural environment through education and interactive programs.
Sierra Club
Website
The Earth is our only home and the Sierra Club is dedicated to exploring, enjoying, and protecting it for everyone. The Sierra Club is the most enduring and influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. We amplify the power of our 3.5+ million members and supporters to defend everyone’s right to a healthy world.
Sierra Foothills Audubon Society
Website
It is the mission of Sierra Foothills Audubon Society to educate ourselves and others to the variety and beauty of our natural environment and protect our wildlife and natural places.
Sonoma Birding
Website
Sonoma Birding was founded in 2004 in Sonoma Valley, CA. as a volunteer "citizen science" based conservation organization that has established sustainable bird and nature related activities and programs for all ages through a variety of partnerships in the United States and Canada.
Stanislaus Audubon Society
Website
The mission of the Stanislaus Audubon Society is to help people appreciate and enjoy wild birds; to monitor and document wild bird populations; and to promote the conservation of wild birds and their habitats for future generations through education, research, publication, and active citizenship. Also see the Facebook page.
Tulare County Audubon Society
Website
The mission of Tulare County Audubon is to conserve, protect and to educate the public about the outdoors. We emphasize education and the conservation of birds, and encourage the protection of all our natural resources and the environment. We meet on the third Friday of each month at 7 p.m. The first part of the meeting is business and usually lasts 15-20 minutes. The second part of the meeting includes a speaker on a conservation topic or photo presentation, open questions, and refreshments. We meet only during the school year (September - May) and we do not have general meetings in December and January.
Ventana Wildlife Society
Website
A non-profit organization founded in 1977, we are recovering California Condors in the wild and providing outdoor education programs for more than 1,000 youth annually.
Ventura Audubon Society
Website
Ventura Audubon Society is one of more than 450 chaptersof the National Audubon Society and one of 49 chapters inCalifornia. Separately incorporated, we are a 501(c)3 non-profitformed in the early 1980’s and incorporated in 1998. VAS dependsupon volunteers for its operation. We do not have a paid staff nordo we have a 'bricks and mortar' office.
Western Field Ornithologists
Website
WFO is an organization committed to field-oriented descriptive ornithology, with appeal for both amateur and professional. The region of interest encompasses the Rocky Mountain and Pacific states and provinces, including Alaska and Hawai'i, western Texas, northwestern Mexico, and the northeastern Pacific Ocean.
Whittier Audubon Society
Website
The Whittier Area Audubon Society is a chapter of National Audubon Society, which promotes the study of the protection of birds and all other related aspects of the environment. Please join us to learn about birds and their habitats at our educational programs, informative bird walks, and adventurous field trips.
Yolo Bird Alliance
Website
The Yolo Bird Alliance Society puts on field trips and monthly meetings for all ages and levels of interest. Everyone is welcome! Discover the birds of Yolo County. It is our mission to foster an appreciation of birds and other wildlife through educational programs and field trips, bring conservation issues to public awareness, and act to preserve Yolo County bird life and habitat. Please join us for field trips, monthly program meetings, and other special activities. We look forward to helping you learn and discover more about what makes Yolo County birding so special.
Yosemite Area Audubon Society
Website
Joining Yosemite Area Audubon Society as a Member means that you are supporting our local efforts in Conservation and Citizen Science, including our ongoing Nestbox and Education programs. Membership in Yosemite Audubon is separate from membership in the National Audubon Society or in Audubon CA. Yosemite Area Audubon is an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with its own membership, budget and programs. Although we are a chapter of National Audubon, we rely on support from local members to carry out our programs. Become part of our community, dedicated to protecting birds and to the conservation of our own special and unique local habitats. ALL of your dues go to our local programs and conservation efforts. None of volunteers staff or Board of Directors is paid.

Reserves

Abbreviations Key

*Protected areas of California
Information Satellite View
Interactive list - there are over 14,000 inventoried protected areas administered by public agencies and non-profits. In addition, there are private conservation areas and other easements.[1] They include almost one-third of California's scenic coastline, including coastal wetlands, estuaries, beaches, and dune systems. The California State Parks system alone has 270 units and covers 1.3 million acres (5,300 km2), with over 280 miles (450 km) of coastline, 625 miles (1,006 km) of lake and river frontage, nearly 18,000 campsites, and 3,000 miles (5,000 km) of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails.
California National Wildlife Refuges
Webpage Satellite View
No wonder California is called the Golden State. Look at that burst of natural light through the clouds over Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
California state parks
Information Satellite View
This is a list of parks, historic resources, reserves and recreation areas in the California State Parks system
IBA Eagle Lake
Information Satellite View
Eagle Lake is home to osprey (Pandion haliaetus) and bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), from which it gets its name. The waterbirds of Eagle Lake have been studied since the early 1900s, with major investigations in the 1970s (Gould 1974) and the late 1990s (Shaw 1998). It supports California’s largest nesting colonies of Western and Clark’s grebes (4-5000 pr., fide D. Anderson) and possibly Eared Grebe (>3000 pr. in 1997), and was identified by Shuford (1998) as one of 10 key breeding sites for Black Tern in California, supporting over 100 pr.
IBA Salton Sea
Information Satellite View
The Salton Sea defies description. Formed in 1905 when a break in a canal from the Colorado River filled the Salton Trough, it is arguably the most important body of water for birds in the interior of California. Those who claim the sea is totally un-natural fail to realize that it is a latter-day echo of ancient Lake Cahuilla, an even larger lake in the same spot that was the life-blood of the local Indian tribes (whose fish traps may be seen today high above the current level of the Salton Sea!). Ecologically, it may be thought of as the northern terminus of the Gulf of California, or an alternate flood plain/delta for the lower Colorado River, itself once among the most ecologically vital biomes in the Southwest. As scientists and conservationists discuss ways to save the sea by reducing salinity and preventing mass die-offs of birds, the Sea quietly waits, and rises. The avifauna of the Salton Sea has been studied for decades, and is defined by superlatives. Several bird species occur regularly here and nowhere else in western North America, contributing to the exceptionally high year-round diversity of birds here. These include one breeding species, Laughing Gull; two regular, post-breeding visitors (number vary): Wood Stork and Yellow-footed Gull; and a migrant and winter-resident shorebird, Stilt Sandpiper. The rare vanrossemii race of Gull-billed Tern breeds in the U.S. only here and at San Diego Bay. The wintering population of Eared Grebes on the Sea is the largest concentration in the world (estimates range from 0.3 to 3.5 million birds), and they are joined by thousands of Western and Clark?s grebes, likely the largest aggregation of these two species in California (Small 1994). Each summer, tens of thousands of American White Pelicans descend on the Sea, in all about 30% of the North American breeding population. Mullet Island, near the mouth of the Alamo River, hosts one of the largest breeding colonies of Double-crested Cormorants in western North America. About 40% of the U.S. population of Yuma Clapper Rail, essentially a lower Colorado River endemic, occurs in marshes at the edge of the sea.
IBA Tijuana River Reserve
Website Satellite View
The Tijuana River Reserve (one of three National Estuarine Research Areas in California) consists of about 2,500 acres of land at the extreme southwestern corner of California, adjacent to Mexico. It is dominated by two protected areas, Tijuana Slough NWR in the north, adjacent to the city of Imperial Beach, and Borderfield State Park to the south, along the Mexican border. The site consists of tidal saltmarsh associated with the mouth of the Tijuana River (which flows northwest from Baja California, Mexico), and also features natural coastal dunes, riparian thickets, and Diegan Coastal Sage Scrub. The riparian thickets and scrub habitats are primarily protected ina county-owned open space preserve.
NERR Elkhorn Slough
Website Satellite View
Elkhorn Slough is an ecological treasure at the heart of Monterey Bay. It provides much-needed habitat for hundreds of species of plants, animals and birds. The Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Elkhorn Slough Foundation work with government, community agencies and other partners to protect this precious and scarce environment.
NR Big Morongo Canyon Preserve
Webpage Satellite View
The preserve is an oasis and transition zone between the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. For centuries it was used by nomadic Indians, who found water and game plentiful here. More than 235 bird species have been observed in the preserve, including several rare species. Many additional transient species are present during the spring and fall migration seasons. Water also attracts desert bighorn sheep, raccoons, bobcats, coyotes, and other mammals. The preserve is listed as a National Watchable Wildlife Site.
NR James Reserve Wildlife Observatory
Website Satellite View
The James San Jacinto Mountains and Oasis de los Osos Reserves are part of the University of California’s Natural Reserve System (UCNRS). With over 750,000 acres and 39 protected biological field stations that are dedicated “to contribute to the understanding and wise stewardship of the Earth and its natural systems by supporting university-level teaching, research, and public service” the UCNRS is world’s largest reserve system managed by a university. The James San Jacinto Mountains and Oasis de los Osos Reserves are administered by the UC Riverside campus.
NR Kern River Preserve
Website Satellite View
The Kern River Preserve is managed by Audubon California for the preservation of one of California’s finest remaining riparian forests and the wildlife it supports.
NWR Don Edwards San Francisco Bay
Webpage Satellite View
The Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge is part of a complex made up of 6 other wildlife refuges in the San Francisco Bay Area. Founded in 1974 and administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge exists to preserve wildlife habitat, protect threatened and endangered species, protect migratory birds, and provide opportunities for nature study…
NWR Humboldt Bay
Webpage Satellite View
The Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge protects land at both ends of the bay. The area is an important staging site for the Pacific black brant and other migratory waterfowl. The area also provides a wintering area for shorebirds…
NWR Imperial
Webpage Satellite View
Imperial National Wildlife Refuge was established to protect these wetland habitats. It includes more than 15,000 acres of federally designated wilderness and is part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, a national network of lands and waters set aside for the benefit of wildlife, habitat and you.
NWR Kern
Webpage Satellite View
Kern National Wildlife Refuge Complex consists of 2 national wildlife refuges, Kern, and Pixley which total 16,810 acres of habitat in the Central Valley of California…
NWR San Diego
Webpage Satellite View
This large swath of open space extends from the U.S. Mexico border north to the southern border of San Diego's East County residential sprawl. Major geologic features of this IBA include the San Ysidro Mtns, (eastern) Otay Mesa, Jamul Mtns, San Miguel Mtns and the Sweetwater River drainage. It protects the largest contiguous block of coastal sage scrub in the U.S., and also includes extensive grassland habitat (esp. east of Lower Otay Reservoir), as well as large areas of oak woodland and riparian vegetation (esp. Sweetwater River) and pockets of freshwater marsh (esp. Sweetwater Reservoir).
NWR Stone Lakes
Webpage Satellite View
Originally part of the flood zone of the Sacramento and Cosumnes rivers prior to the creation of levees, this IBA also protects patches of remnant valley riparian woodland dominated by Valley Oak, as well as several vernal pools. Designated only in 1994, Stone Lakes NWR protects nearly 20,000 acres of grassland, cropland and freshwater wetland habitat straddling I-5 just south of Sacramento (T. Harvey, in litt.). The refuge area represents a mosaic of public (state and federal) and private land, about a third of which is under cultivation.
New River Wetlands Project
Webpage Satellite View
The New River was formed in the early 1900s when the Colorado River flooded. An international river, it originates 20 miles south of the Mexican border meanderingthrough agricultural fields until reaching its destination, the Salton Sea…
WR Cosumnes River Preserve
Website Satellite View
The preserve is home to more than 250 bird species, more than 40 fish species, and some 400+ plant species have been verified. Keep an eye out for Greater and Lesser Sandhill Cranes, Northern Pintail, Swainson’s Hawks, and Black-necked Stilts. Within the preserve you can see for yourself the rich variety of American wildlife.
WR IBA Mission Bay
Webpage Satellite View
Mission Bay is a highly-altered estuarine complex within the City of San Diego that is currently developed primarily for aquatic vehicle recreation, with large hotels and vacation homes built atop former saltmarsh. Aside from the open water (which covers 1220 acres of eelgrass), the exposed shoreline of the bay and several scattered sandy and alkali flats (c. 10 acres), the most ecologically valuable habitat, saltmarsh, is restricted to two areas: the 40-acre Northern Wildlife Reserve (City of San Diego; University of California Reserve) and the 200-acre wetland that has developed along the soft-bottomed stretch of the San Diego River channel on the south side of Mission Bay.
WS Bobelaine Audubon Sanctuary
Webpage Satellite View
This is a 430 acre wildlife sanctuary owned by the National Audubon Society and managed by volunteers of the Sacramento Audubon Society. Over 190 species of birds have been observed, including Black Crowned Night Herons, Wood Ducks and Swanson's Hawks.
WS Silverwood Wildlife Sanctuary
Webpage Satellite View
The 785-acre Silverwood Wildlife Sanctuary, located near Lakeside, is owned and maintained by San Diego Audubon. Its purpose is to preserve in as complete and natural a state as possible a prime area of coastal chaparral and riparian woodland. It is available for hiking, guided walks, bird watching, passive research, and education. Over 324 native plant species and 124 bird species have been recorded there, as well as numerous reptile and mammal species, including mule deer, bobcat, and raccoon.

Sightings, News & Forums

Orange County Birding
Sightings & Discussion & News & Forum
For Discussing and Sharing Local Bird Info - Welcome to Orange County Birding, a discussion forum for wild birds and birding in Orange County, southern California, USA. A total of 489 bird species have been recorded in our county, including California's first records of White-tailed Tropicbird, Falcated Duck, Ivory Gull, Red-legged Kittiwake, Couch's Kingbird, Bridled Tern, Nutting's Flycatcher, and Tropical Parula, as well as other notable finds such as Groove-billed Ani, Sooty Tern, Common Pochard, and Olive-backed Pipit.
Santa Barbara County Birding
Discussion Group
SBCOBIRDING is a discussion group devoted to sharing information about the birds of Santa Barbara County, CA. This includes the nearshore ocean waters and the Channel Islands within the county area. Topics may include daily trip reports, rare bird sightings, early and late migration dates, status and distribution, and ID issues. Brief announcements of upcoming meetings, hikes, and pelagic trips are also permitted. To learn more about local birding - where to go, find bird lists, county listing stats, and breeding bird data - visit the sbcobirding website link in the Group Information section.
Wild Birding - California Public group
Facebook Page
A group focusing on birds in California. Bird Identification, and simply sharing images which have California birds.
eBird
Sightings
eBirding This Month

Guides & Tour Operators

Alvaro's Adventures
Tour Operator
Pelagic birding from various northern and central California ports. Simply one of the best areas on earth for seabirding.
Bird Treks
Tour Operator
Bird Treks has been providing small group and custom birding tours for over 20 years. Visit their website to see the incredible tours available, including a Complete California Tour!
BirdFinders
Tour Operator
Amid magnificent scenery we will search for Black-footed Albatross and many other seabirds, Wandering Tattler, Yellow-footed Gull, Elegant Tern, Allen’s Hummingbird, Nuttall’s and White-headed Woodpeckers, Island Scrub Jay, Yellow-billed Magpie, Oak Titmouse, California Gnatcatcher, Wrentit, California and LeConte’s Thrashers, Townsend’s and Hermit Warblers, California Towhee and Lawrence’s Goldfinch.
BirdQuest
Tour Operator
ARIZONA & CALIFORNIA SPECIALITIES – a quest for the key birds of a spectacular part of the world
Birding Ecotours
Tour Operator
Birding Ecotours, a leader in small group and custom-made birding adventures worldwide, offers an amazing tour of the Californian desert, mountains and ocean – including two pelagic trips on the tour!
Birding Los Angeles and Beyond
Local Tour Operator
Birding Los Angeles and Beyond is run by Luke Tiller, a birdwatching and natural history tour guide based in Altadena, California. Luke has guided birders in multiple states across the US and on four continents around the globe
Central California Birding Tours
Local Tour Operator
Hi! My name is Rachel Clark and I am a wildlife biologist and avid birder based out of the Fresno area who has been living and birding in central California for most of my life, and I would love to show you the western specialties that call the region home - If you're looking for birding tours in Central California, look no further!
Contact Us Victor Emanuel Nature Tours
Tour Operator
Explore beautiful Southern California on this wide-ranging tour, enjoying all its native habitat types while searching for specialty birds unique in the ABA area.
Daniel Edelstein Birding Tours
Tour Guide
My birding experience and bird guiding tours for the last 25+ years include San Francisco Bay Area birding tours and California bird watching tours as a California birding guide, San Francisco birding guide and Marin County birding guide.
Eagle-Eye Tours
Tour Operator
Birding among towering cliffs of Yosemite...
FieldGuides
Tour Operator
When it comes to habitat diversity, California has few rivals. Every few miles, things change, which makes for superb birding -- from Marbled Murrelets, Sooty Shearwaters, and Black-footed Albatrosses, to enigmatic Wrentits, Nuttall's and White-headed woodpeckers, Williamson's Sapsucker, California Thrashers, Bell's Sparrow, Lawrence's Goldfinch, and Oak Titmouse.
Kolibri Expeditions
Tour Operator
This nine-day tour is a pelagic birder’s dream trip to California! We will focus on Pelagics, endemics, near-endemics and specialties at Anza Borrego and the Salton Sea and along the beautiful coast of southern and central California.
Monterey Seabirds - Pelagics
Pelagics
Monterey Seabirds features year-round pelagic trips enabling you to experience the seabirds of the Monterey Bay in their respective seasons.
Naturalist Journeys
Tour Operator
An indulgent feast for the senses, this one-week spring trip to warm and birdy San Diego is a great way to start off your 2023 birding with a bang!
Rockjumper
Tour Operator
San Diego Pelagics
Pelagics
Sandiegopelagics.com (SoCalBirding.com) is a service of the Buena Vista Audubon Society of Oceanside, California. Trips include those sponsored by the Buena Vista Audubon Society (BVAS) and Searcher Natural History Tours. Welcome! We always make sure that each trip is fully staffed with 6-8 experienced seabirders as leaders and chummers, so that participants are never far from a leader!
Searcher Natural History Tours - Pelagics
Pelagics
Spend several days offshore over deep-water canyons, underwater seamounts, and around islands of the southern California bight. Our 5-day tour travels north over the 9 Mile Bank, weaves through the Channel Islands, and continues past Point Conception to Arguello Canyon, Rodriguez Dome, San Juan Seamount and wherever the seabirds lead us.
SoCA Birding Guides
Tour Guides
Welcome to the joys of birding in Southern California. Each of our coastal counties has checklists of more than 400 species. Our inland counties get great desert and Mexican species difficult to find elsewhere. The ABA/Lane Birdfinding Guide A Birder's Guide to Southern California by Brad Schram lists more than 200 specialties, of which 182 are visible either on or from land. This book is highly recommended as a first resource for planning your birding in SoCA
Southwest Birders
Tour Operator
Our goal at Southwest Birders is to increase your enjoyment of birds and nature. We offer custom birding tours that cover California, Arizona, and Texas. Our web site offers bird-finding tips, detailed site guides, quality bird & nature photos, and hundreds of illustrated trip reports going back to 2001
Tropical Birding Tours
Tour Operator
If you want to experience the thrill of fall migration on the West Coast, then this is the tour for you! California is an amazing birding destination, and our ten-day adventure is designed to showcase a wide sample of the state’s extensive avifauna. We’ll scour tidal mudflats and marshes on San Francisco Bay, walk through oak woodlands and chaparral in the Diablo Range, explore alpine elevations in the Sierra, venture into sagebrush at Mono Lake, and head offshore to experience California’s pelagic bounty.
WALKS with BIJS
Local Tour Operator
Fully customizable private birding tours in Los Angeles and Southern California area.
WINGS
Tour Operator
California: Central and Southern Pinnacles National Park, The Coast, Santa Cruz Island, the Salton Sea, and the Mojave Desert
Wildside Nature Tours
Tour Operator
CALIFORNIA: Ultimate SoCal Birding Adventure 2025
Wise Birding Holidays
Tour Operator
CALIFORNIA IN WINTER: Whales, Bobcats, Condors & Snow Geese
Yellowbilled Tours
Local Tour Operator
Join us for our unique birdwatching opportunities in eastern Alameda County’s Del Valle and Shadow Cliffs.

Trip Reports

2017 [07 July] - Dave Sargeant - California and Arizona
Report
Central California: Campbell mud flats, Baylands Reserve, Pigeon Point, Lodi Water Treatment Area and Del Valle Park. Southeast Arizona: Nogales, California Gulch, Ruby, Mount Lemmon, Miller's Creek Trail, Greaterville Trail, Ash Canyon and Buckeye. Northern California: Sierra Nevada and Sierra Valley.
2018 [05 May] - Jaap Westra | Northern California
PDF Report
Road we connected with all the species we set out for: California Quail (lots of them!), Greater Roadrunner, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Lewis’s Woodpecker, Yellow-billed Magpie, Wrentit, California Thrasher, Bell’s Sparrow and Lawrence’s Goldfinch
2018 [09 September] - Tom Johnson
PDF Report
We started out birding along the shores of San Francisco Bay, finding tons of waterfowl and shorebirds and seeing such specialties as Ridgway's Rail, Vaux's Swift, White-tailed Kite, Western Screech-Owl, Nuttall's Woodpecker, and more. We even heard a Black Rail calling at the Alviso Marina (though it remained hidden from sight).
2019 [02 February] - Chris Townend
PDF Report
The coastline around Monterey Bay is great for waders too with specialities such as Surfbird and Black Turnstone and the nearby impressive Big Sur coastline has a good population of the mighty California Condor! We saw a total of 146 species of bird and recorded 20 mammals on this tour.
2019 [04 April] - Sjoerd Radstaak
PDF Report
As for the targets, we dipped on Rufous-capped Warbler, Blue-throated Hummingbird, and Tufted Flycatcher. We didn't try for Rose-throated Becard as we ran out of time. In total we recorded c. 270 species.
2019 [05 May] - Kenny Musgrove
PDF Report
This produced the first lifer of the trip in the form of a Lucy’s Warbler in the tree next to the car. Other birds seen were Black-chinned Hummingbird, Verdin, Gila Woodpecker, Hooded Oriole, Western Kingbird, Starling, House Sparrow, Mourning Doves
2021 [12 December] - David Yee - Birds & Wine
PDF Report
...The group had incredible looks at a gorgeous Ferruginous Hawk perched on a power pole. We explored flooded fields along the way where shorebirds and waterfowl roamed including numerous gulls, including a Glaucous-winged and several Thayer’s Icelands. Continuing our drive, we had good looks at a Prairie Falcon on a power pole and great success viewing California Thrasher and Lewis’s Woodpecker on Rd 86 in Dunnigan Hills...
2022 [02 February] - Chris Townend
PDF Report
...These include the Grey Whale migration, thousands of migrating Snow Geese, one of the largest mainland Elephant Seal colonies in the world as well as a great time of the year to see Bobcat!
2022 [03 March] - Greg Smith - Death Valley
PDF Report
.... Lots of Eurasiancollared Dove, with a smattering of White-winged and Mourning Dove, all cooing their lives away. Not too much in the way of migrants, although Yellow-rumped Warbler and White-crowned Sparrow were the most abundant. Lincoln Sparrow and American Pipit seemed to favor anything short and green...
2022 [04 April] - Volker Hesse
PDF Report
Timing was a bit early in the year thus a few species had not yet arrived. Nevertheless we missed only few species of our wish list and managed to find 216 species including all of our top-priority birds.
2022 [10 October] - Geoff Upton
PDF Report
...The gardens were really good: I quickly picked up California Towhee, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, Anna’s Hummingbird, Black Phoebe, Northern Mockingbird and Chestnut-backed Chickadee. An interesting-sounding call turned out to be from a Nuttall’s Woodpecker and while searching for that a Yellow Warbler and a Pacific-slope Flycatcher dropped into the bushes...
2023 [01 January] - Jon Atwood
Annotated Species List
This trip included visits to sites adjacent to the California coast (San Diego River, Mission Bay, Tijuana River National Wildlife Refuge, La Jolla, Lake Murray, Santee Lakes, San Elijo Lagoon and Balboa Park); mountain areas near Julian and Mt Palomar and Colorado Desert habitats in Anza-Borrego State Park (Tamarisk Grove Campground, State Park Visitor Center and Shelter Valley neighborhood) and the south end of the Salton Sea...
2023 [01 January] - Seven Ponds Nature Center
PDF Report
A birding tour organized by Seven Ponds Nature Center & Birding Los Angeles and Beyond
2023 [05 May] - Anders Bacher Nielsen - Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona and California
PDF Report
An intense search for regional specialties in 5 US States

Places to Stay

Wikiup B&B
Accommodation
Guests can watch for wildlife, including many varieties of birds, small animals and deer…

State of California

Birding California

Steve Sosensky

Todd Newberry

Number of bird species: 708

Number of endemics: 2

Avibase

California Bird Records Committee

Wikipedia

eBird

A Birder's Guide to Southern California

A Californian's Guide to the Birds Among Us

ABA Field Guide to Birds of California

All About Birds California

An Introduction to Birds of the Southern California Coast

An Introduction to Northern California Birds

Birds of California

Birds of California Field Guide

Birds of Northern California

Birds of Northern California

California Birds: An Introduction to Familiar Species

Feeder Birds of Southern California

Field Guide to Birds of the Northern California Coast

Important Bird Areas of California

National Geographic Field Guide to Birds: California

Watchable Birds of California

Wild Birds of California

Annual Godwit Days Spring Migration Bird Festival

Berkeley Bird Festival

California Botanic Garden Bird Festival

Central Valley Birds Symposium

Lodi Sandhill Crane Festival

Salton Sea Birding Festival

San Diego Bird Festival

San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival

Winter Bird Festival

Coyote Creek Field Station

Golden Gate Raptor Observatory

MAPS Bird Banding

Point Reys Bird Observatory (now Point Blue Conservation Science)

San Fransico Bay Bird Observatory

YLR Banding Station

California Academy of Sciences Natural History Museum

California Wildlife Center

Donald R. Dickey Bird and Mammal Collection UCLA

GBIF - CCBER Ornithology Collection

Moore Lab of Zoology - Occidental College

Museum of Vertebrate Zoology Berkeley

Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology University of California, Davis

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

San Diego Natural History Museum

Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology

Altacal Bird Alliance

Antelope Valley Audubon Society

Audubon California

Buena Vista Audubon Society

CV Birds

California Bird Records Committee

California Parrot Project

California Partners in Flight San Francisco Bay

Central Sierra Audubon Society

Conejo Valley Audubon Society

Eastern Sierra Audubon Society

El Dorado Audubon

Fresno Audubon Society

Friends of Sausal Creek

Friends of Semiahmoo Bay Society

Golden Gate Bird Alliance

Kern Audubon Society

Kerncrest Audubon Society

La Purisima Audubon Society

Los Angeles Audubon Society

Madrone Audubon Society

Marin Audubon Society

Mendocino Coast Audubon Society

Mono Lake Committee

Monterey Audubon Society

Morro Coast Audubon Society

Mount Diablo Bird Alliance

Mount Shasta Area Audubon