Birding California
Ranked #12,126 in Pets & Animals, #317,383 overall
Over 600 bird species! Such a big state!
Here are the resources you need to go birding in the Land of the Condor.
Plan a trip to one of the many fantastic birding areas: Salton Sea, Mono Lake, Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, Point Reyes ... see below for more on birding hotspots.
The Curious Wren - Your Birding Guide
Let the Curious Wren be your guide to birding.She has a whole series of lenses about birding, bird feeders, field guides, bird books, gifts and equipment.
Some lenses are "How To" lenses.
One part of her series is state-by-state birding guides -- Florida, California and more!
Go to the Curious Wren hub for links to all her lenses.
Primary Resources
- Audubon California
- Main web site of the CA Audubon Society. Here you can find links to individual chapters.
- Mary Scott's Web Site on CA Birds
- Colorful web site with photos and links to various parks, preserves and refuges.
- Joe Morlan's California Birding
- Joe is an ornithology instructor at the City College of San Francisco.
His web site offers birding classes in San Francisco. - Rare Bird Alerts
- Check here for sightings of rarities in all parts of the state.
Field Guides - CA Birds
Birding Locations
- Central Coast Birding Trail
- California's Central Coast is strategically located on the Pacific Flyway and features 83 prime birding sites in four counties: Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura. Within these four counties are eight Globally Important Bird Areas. In proper habitat and season, nearly 300 bird species can be reliably found along the trail.
- California Hot Spots
- Links to hot spots for birding. Also has info on local events, tours, rare bird alerts and a checklist.
- Where to Bird in CA
- From birding.com, this portal has lots of links.
- Birding Sites by County
- Audubon society links and information -- broken down by county.
- Big Morongo Canyon Preserve
- Official web site. 246 species recorded. San Bernardino county's birding hotspot.
- Salton Sea
- One of the most important wetlands in the US -- a key stop on Pacific Flyway. Over 400 species have been recorded here.
- Point Reyes Bird Observatory
- At the southern end of the National Seashore (north of San Francisco). The Observatory has birding events (like netting and banding) and works to preserve habitat for threatened species.
- Mono Lake / Mono Basin
- Mono Basin birding. This amazing lake is a stop-over for thousands of shorebirds. The geology of the area is also fascinating.
- Monterey Bay - Nature Conservancy
- The Nature Conservancy has a page about Monterey Bay as one of its Top 10 US Hotspots.
Regional Guides: Northern / Southern
City Guides
Birding by Ear
Cool Birding Gear
Guides to Bird Families
Fun Books about Birding -- written by Birders
by nancoix
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