Locations
Chestnut-backed Chickadee © Robert Royse
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.
The only place in the United States to reliably see Yellow-footed Gull. Southwestern desert species include Gambel’s Quail, Inca Dove, Common Ground Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Lesser Nighthawk, Costa’s Hummingbird, Harris’s Hawk, Gila Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Gilded Flicker, Vermillion Flycatcher, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay, Juniper Titmouse, Verdin, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Cactus Wren, Bendire’s Thrasher, Leconte’s Thrasher, Crissal Thrasher, Phainopepla, Black-throated Sparrow, Sagebrush Sparrow, Bell’s Sparrow, Abert’s Towhee, Scott’s Oriole, Hooded Oriole, Bronzed Cowbird, Lucy’s Warbler. Other cool water birds around the Salton Sea include Ridgway’s Rail (Yuma), Black Rail, Snowy Plover, Stilt Sandpiper, Wilson’s Phalarope, Laughing Gull, and Gull-billed Tern. A great region for Sandhill Crane and Burrowing Owl.
Pictured: Verdin, Gambel’s Quail, Lucy’s Warbler, Abert’s Towhee, LeConte’s Thrasher, and Bell’s Sparrow.
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.
Highlights include highly sought-after North American species like Mountain Quail, Greater Sage-Grouse, Sooty Grouse, Black Swift, American Goshawk, Black-backed Woodpecker, Pine Grosbeak, and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch. More common but equally exciting Sierran targets include Common Poorwill, Vaux’s Swift, Anna’s Hummingbird, Flammulated Owl, Spotted Owl, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Lewis’s Woodpecker, Acorn Woodpecker, White-headed Woodpecker, Hutton’s Vireo, Canada Jay, Steller’s Jay, Black-billed Magpie, Clark’s Nutcracker, Mountain Chickadee, Oak Titmouse, Wrentit, Pygmy Nuthatch, American Dipper, Evening Grosbeak, Cassin’s Finch, Red Crossbill, Lawrence’s Goldfinch, and Hermit Warbler.
Pictured: Pine Grosbeak, American Dipper, White-headed Woodpecker, Mountain Chickadee, Red Crossbill, Evening Grosbeak, and Hermit Warbler.
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.
Highly range-restricted specialties include Island Scrub-Jay, California Scrub-Jay, Yellow-billed Magpie, California Gnatcatcher, and California Thrasher. Species unique to or best found around North America’s Pacific Coast include Mountain Quail, California Quail, Vaux’s Swift, Ridgeway’s Rail (San Diego), Allen’s Hummingbird, Black Oystercatcher, Wandering Tattler, Black Turnstone, Surfbird, Heerman’s Gull, Short-billed Gull, Western Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Elegant Tern, Brandt’s Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, White-headed Woodpecker, Oak Titmouse, Wrentit, Lawrence’s Goldfinch, Golden-crowned Sparrow, California Towhee, and Tricolored Blackbird. Notable wider-ranging species include Greater Roadrunner, Lesser Nighthawk, Common Poorwill, Black Swift, Anna’s Hummingbird, Costa’s Hummingbird, Snowy Plover, California Gull, Iceland Gull (Thayer’s), Least Tern, Little Blue Heron, Reddish Egret, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Spotted Owl, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Lewis’s Woodpecker, Acorn Woodpecker, Gray Vireo, Hutton’s Vireo, Steller’s Jay, Pygmy Nuthatch, Cactus Wren, Cassin’s Finch, Black-chinned Sparrow, and Hooded Oriole.
Pictured: California Gnatcatcher, California Scrub-Jay, Elegant Tern, Heerman’s Gull, Western Gull, and Wrentit.
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.
This region offers many amazing species highlighted by Black Rail, California Condor, Yellow-billed Magpie, and California Thrasher. Pacific coast regional specialties include Mountain Quail, California Quail, Vaux’s Swift, Allen’s Hummingbird, Ridgeway’s Rail (Bay Area ssp), Black Oystercatcher, Wandering Tattler, Black Turnstone, Surfbird, Heerman’s Gull, Short-billed Gull, Western Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Elegant Tern, Brandt’s Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, California Scrub-Jay, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Oak Titmouse, Wrentit, Pacific Wren, Varied Thrush, Lawrence’s Goldfinch, Golden-crowned Sparrow, California Towhee, and Tricolored Blackbird. Wider ranging highlights include Black Swift, Anna’s Hummingbird, California Gull, Iceland Gull (Thayer’s), Lewis’s Woodpecker, Acorn Woodpecker,Pileated Woodpecker, Hutton’s Vireo, Steller’s Jay, Pygmy Nuthatch, and Hooded Oriole.
Pictured: Yellow-billed Magpie, Black Oystercatcher, California Thrasher, California Towhee, California Quail, and Ridgway’s Rail.
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.
The only region in California for Ruffed Grouse and the most reliable part of the state for Rock Sandpiper and Ancient Murrelet, Pacific coast regional specialties include Mountain Quail, Common Poorwill, Vaux’s Swift, Allen’s Hummingbird, Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Surfbird, Wandering Tattler, Heerman’s Gull, Short-billed Gull, Western Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Elegant Tern, Brandt’s Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Red-breasted Sapsucker, White-headed Woodpecker, California Scrub-Jay, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Oak Titmouse, Wrentit, Pacific Wren, Varied Thrush, Golden-crowned Sparrow, and California Towhee. Wider ranging highlights include Anna’s Hummingbird, California Gull, Iceland Gull (Thayer’s), Spotted Owl, Lewis’s Woodpecker, Acorn Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Hutton’s Vireo, Canada Jay, Steller’s Jay, American Dipper, Cassin’s Finch, and Hermit Warbler.
Pictured: Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Varied Thrush, Ruffed Grouse, Rock Sandpiper, Canada Jay, and Surf Scoter.
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.
Frequently observed species include Pomarine Jaeger, Parasitic Jaeger, Long-tailed Jaeger, Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, Scripps Murrelet, Cassin’s Auklet, Rhinoceros Auklet, Tufted Puffin, Black-legged Kittiwake, Sabine’s Gull, Black-footed Albatross, Ashy Storm-Petrel, Black Storm-Petrel, Northern Fulmar, Pink-footed Shearwater, Buller’s Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Black-vented Shearwater, and Brown Booby. Some trips see more difficult species like Craveri’s Murrelet, Ancient Murrelet, Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel, Leach’s Storm-Petrel, Townsend’s Storm-Petrel, Least Storm-Petrel, and Cook’s Petrel.
With some serious luck, you may bump into a South Polar Skua, Flesh-footed Shearwater, Short-tailed Shearwater, Masked Booby, Nazca Booby, Red-footed Booby, or Red-tailed Tropicbird.
Pictured: Black-footed Albatross, Pink-footed Shearwater, Common Murre, Sabine’s Gull, Red Phalarope, Parasitic Jaeger, and Pomarine Jaeger.