Jun 20, 2026
Blake Gardeni
Photo attribution
(c) Hydrocycler (Elizabeth Dougherty), some rights reserved (CC BY)
License: CC BY 4.0 ↗
Image may be shown cropped inside the card frame.
Birding Guide
Birding Guide for California
Coasts, deserts, mountains, forests, and rich biodiversity
Birding highlights, common sightings, and the best places to look for birds in California. Use the highlight list to start quickly, then work through the full guide for a broader local view.
Sightings
3,141
Species
210
Active Months
12
Category Overview
Birds across California
This guide focuses on birdlife within California's wider region guide, helping families explore common sightings, shoreline birds, forest species, and the places where birding is easier to begin.
Latest Sightings
Recent bird sightings in California
A recent look at bird sightings across California.
Jun 19, 2026
Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preservei
Photo attribution
no rights reserved
License: CC0 1.0 ↗
Image may be shown cropped inside the card frame.
Jun 19, 2026
Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preservei
Photo attribution
no rights reserved
License: CC0 1.0 ↗
Image may be shown cropped inside the card frame.
Jun 19, 2026
Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preservei
Photo attribution
no rights reserved
License: CC0 1.0 ↗
Image may be shown cropped inside the card frame.
Jun 19, 2026
Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preservei
Photo attribution
no rights reserved
License: CC0 1.0 ↗
Image may be shown cropped inside the card frame.
Jun 19, 2026
Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preservei
Photo attribution
no rights reserved
License: CC0 1.0 ↗
Image may be shown cropped inside the card frame.
Sightings Map
See where bird sightings cluster
Start wide, then zoom in to see where bird sightings cluster across California.
Loading map…
Top Highlights
Top 5 birds to see in California
These birds are snapped the most across this region.
Red-tailed Hawk
227 snaps
Duck
196 snaps
Dark-eyed Junco
167 snaps
Great Blue Heron
140 snaps
Canada Goose
97 snaps
Places to Start
Best places for birding in California
These place guides connect well with the birds covered in this region.
Park92 sightings6 species
California, US
Heatherlark Park
You might spot Great Egret, Duck, and Great Blue Heron.
View place guide →
Park90 sightings7 species
California, US
Meadows Park
You might spot Bold Jumping Spider and Marbled Cellar Spider.
View place guide →
Park114 sightings7 species
California, US
El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park
You might spot Roxburgh Fig, Roses, and Swan-Neck Agave.
View place guide →
Park71 sightings8 species
California, US
Kolb Park
You might spot Duck, Great Egret, and Hooded Merganser.
View place guide →
Park49 sightings50 species
California, US
Professorville
You might spot American Avocet, Northern Shoveler, and Black-Necked Stilt.
View place guide →
Park44 sightings50 species
California, US
Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve
You might spot Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, and Willet.
View place guide →
Full Guide
Full California birds list
The complete ranked list for this guide, ordered by sightings count.
1227 snaps2196 snaps3167 snaps4140 snaps597 snaps696 snaps782 snaps880 snaps978 snaps1066 snaps1164 snaps1252 snaps1350 snaps1450 snaps1550 snaps1646 snaps1745 snaps1843 snaps1941 snaps2040 snaps2139 snaps2239 snaps2339 snaps2436 snaps2536 snaps2633 snaps2732 snaps2830 snaps2930 snaps3029 snaps3128 snaps3228 snaps3327 snaps3426 snaps3525 snaps3625 snaps3724 snaps3821 snaps3920 snaps4019 snaps4119 snaps4218 snaps4318 snaps4418 snaps4517 snaps4616 snaps4715 snaps4815 snaps4914 snaps5013 snaps5113 snaps5212 snaps5312 snaps5412 snaps5512 snaps5612 snaps5712 snaps5812 snaps5912 snaps6012 snaps6111 snaps6211 snaps6311 snaps6411 snaps6511 snaps6610 snaps6710 snaps6810 snaps6910 snaps7010 snaps719 snaps729 snaps739 snaps749 snaps759 snaps768 snaps778 snaps787 snaps797 snaps807 snaps817 snaps827 snaps837 snaps847 snaps857 snaps867 snaps876 snaps886 snaps896 snaps906 snaps916 snaps926 snaps936 snaps946 snaps955 snaps965 snaps975 snaps985 snaps995 snaps1005 snaps1015 snaps1025 snaps1035 snaps1045 snaps1055 snaps1065 snaps1075 snaps1084 snaps1094 snaps1104 snaps1114 snaps1124 snaps1134 snaps1144 snaps1154 snaps1164 snaps1174 snaps1184 snaps1194 snaps1204 snaps1214 snaps1224 snaps1234 snaps1244 snaps1254 snaps1263 snaps1273 snaps1283 snaps1293 snaps1303 snaps1313 snaps1323 snaps1333 snaps1343 snaps1353 snaps1363 snaps1373 snaps1383 snaps1393 snaps1403 snaps1413 snaps1422 snaps1432 snaps1442 snaps1452 snaps1462 snaps1472 snaps1482 snaps1492 snaps1502 snaps1512 snaps1522 snaps1532 snaps1542 snaps1552 snaps1562 snaps1572 snaps1582 snaps1592 snaps1602 snaps1612 snaps1622 snaps1632 snaps1642 snaps1652 snaps1662 snaps1672 snaps1682 snaps1692 snaps1702 snaps1712 snaps1721 snaps1731 snaps1741 snaps1751 snaps1761 snaps1771 snaps1781 snaps1791 snaps1801 snaps1811 snaps1821 snaps1831 snaps1841 snaps1851 snaps1861 snaps1871 snaps1881 snaps1891 snaps1901 snaps1911 snaps1921 snaps1931 snaps1941 snaps1951 snaps1961 snaps1971 snaps1981 snaps1991 snaps2001 snaps2011 snaps2021 snaps2031 snaps2041 snaps2051 snaps2061 snaps2071 snaps2081 snaps2091 snaps2101 snaps
Red-tailed Hawk
Duck
Dark-eyed Junco
Great Blue Heron
Canada Goose
American Crow
American Robin
Vulture
House Finch
Black Phoebe
Northern Mockingbird
California Towhee
Common Raven
Great Horned Owl
Western Bluebird
Song Sparrow
Mourning Dove
Cooper's Hawk
California Scrub-Jay
Lesser Goldfinch
Double-crested Cormorant
Red-shouldered Hawk
Western Gull
Black-crowned Night Heron
Brown Pelican
Acorn Woodpecker
European Starling
Anna's Hummingbird
California Quail
Narragansett Turkey
House Sparrow
Snowy Egret
Killdeer
Spotted Towhee
Osprey
Steller's Jay
Brent Goose
White-crowned Sparrow
Nuttall's Woodpecker
Great Egret
Pekin Duck
American Kestrel
Red-winged Blackbird
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
White-breasted Nuthatch
Bushtit
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Green Heron
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Heermann's Gull
American Coot
Barn Swallow
Black-necked Stilt
Brown-headed Cowbird
Cedar Waxwing
Clark's Nutcracker
Red-crowned Amazon
Red-lored Amazon
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Bald Eagle
Bewick's Wren
Brewer's Blackbird
Pied-billed Grebe
Turkey
Cliff Swallow
Great-tailed Grackle
Northern Harrier
Western Kingbird
Western Tanager
Pigeon
Rock Pigeon
Ruddy Duck
Savannah Sparrow
Wood Duck
American Avocet
Cassin's Kingbird
Black Oystercatcher
Brown Creeper
Common Yellowthroat
Egyptian Goose
Forster's Tern
Hudsonian Whimbrel
Northern House Wren
Scaly-breasted Munia
White-tailed Kite
Bullock's Oriole
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Horned Lark
Indian Peafowl
Long-billed Curlew
Mountain Bluebird
Northern Flicker
Say's Phoebe
American Goldfinch
Black-headed Grosbeak
Caspian Tern
Gadwall
Hooded Oriole
Lark Sparrow
Least Sandpiper
Mute Swan
Northern Shoveler
Northern Yellow Warbler
Reddish Egret
Varied Thrush
Willet
Ash-Throated Flycatcher
Band-tailed Pigeon
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Brandt's Cormorant
Cinnamon Teal
Downy Woodpecker
Greater Roadrunner
Hairy Woodpecker
Marbled Godwit
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Oak Titmouse
Peregrine Falcon
Phainopepla
Rock Wren
Western Sandpiper
Western Wood-Pewee
Wilson'S Warbler
Yellow-headed Amazon
Allen's Hummingbird
American White Pelican
American Wigeon
Black-throated Sparrow
California Thrasher
Clark's Grebe
Little Blue Heron
Long-billed Dowitcher
Pelagic Cormorant
Pygmy Nuthatch
Red-throated Loon
Spotted Sandpiper
Surf Scoter
Western Grebe
Western Screech-Owl
Yellow-billed Magpie
American Barn Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Black Skimmer
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
California Gull
Chukar
Common Gallinule
Common Goldeneye
Common Loon
Common Merganser
Eared Grebe
Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose
Hermit Thrush
Orange-crowned Warbler
Pigeon Guillemot
Pileated Woodpecker
Purple Finch
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Redhead
Ring-billed Gull
Sandhill Crane
Semipalmated Plover
Snowy Plover
Sooty Grouse
Western Flycatcher
White-faced Ibis
White-headed Woodpecker
White-throated Swift
American Dipper
American Herring Gull
Black-bellied Plover
Blue Grosbeak
Bufflehead
Cactus Wren
Chipping Sparrow
Common Murre
Costa's Hummingbird
Golden Eagle
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Great Gray Owl
Greater Yellowlegs
Green-winged Teal
Guinea Fowl
Lazuli Bunting
Lewis's Woodpecker
Loggerhead Shrike
Louisiana Waterthrush
Merlin
Northern Pintail
Northern Pygmy-Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Pacific Loon
Pacific Wren
Red Junglefowl
Red-breasted Merganser
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Red-eyed Vireo
Red-flanked Bluetail
Red-necked Phalarope
Royal Tern
Ruddy Turnstone
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow
Townsend's Solitaire
Verdin
Western Meadowlark
White-Tailed Ptarmigan
Yellow-Throated Vireo
Other Guides
Keep exploring California
Switch from birding to flowers and bugs for a broader view of California's wildlife and nature.
