Locations

Birding Locations

We guide throughout the state and can meet you anywhere. Below are California’s main birding regions along with a selection of their characteristic birds. Explore these regions and birds for inspiration on where to go and what to expect!

Bakersfield - Palm Springs - Indio - Blythe

Deserts & Southern Central Valley

The Mojave and Sonoran Deserts merge in Interior Southern California, where birds from the Great Basin intersect with Mexican species on the northern extent of their range. The Salton Sea adds Yellow-footed Gull and thousands of Shorebirds to the Southern California Desert composition making the region a can’t miss destination.

Lake Tahoe - Mammoth - Fresno

Sierra Nevada

The famed Sierra Nevada Mountains host world-renowned natural sites such as the Yosemite Valley and Lake Tahoe. Besides stunning views, the Sierra’s elevational gradient diversity hosts nationally sought-after birds, many of which are difficult elsewhere in the States and can’t be found anywhere else in California.

Los Angeles - San Diego - Santa Barbara - Ventura - Morro Bay

Coastal SOuthern California

Coastal Southern California is one of the most diverse regions in the country for both humans and birds! Chaparral and sage scrub habitats host numerous specialty species, the transverse range gives a taste of the Sierras, and the region’s lowlands and coastlines host some of the most dynamic birding in the country. All Southern California cities are within striking distance of central valley and desert species.

San Francisco - Oakland - San Jose - Monterey - Sacramento

Bay Area & Northern Central Valley

The Bay Area region’s world-famous forested mountains, coasts, rolling hills, and dense wetlands host a unique and diverse avian community. A birding experience here offers birders a healthy mix of California specialties and migrants from across the North American continent. The Bay Area offers the closest access to California’s expansive central valley, home of the endemic Yellow-billed Magpie.

Eureka - Arcata - Klamath - Crescent City - Santa Rosa

Coastal Northern California

The Redwood ecosystem is almost exclusively found within California and has amazed visitors for centuries. A trip through the dense woodlands of this region combined with the pristine, rocky coastline makes for an otherworldly birding experience that visiting birders won’t soon forget.

San Diego - Monterey - Half Moon Bay - Bodega Bay

Pelagic/Offshore

With California’s abundant coastline, pelagic outings departing from numerous ports allow birders to observe the Pacific Ocean’s offshore bird life. California pelagics offer chances at several exclusive birds, some rarely recorded anywhere in the United States. Outside of birds, people frequently see whales, dolphins, sea lions, and mola molas on pelagic outings.

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