10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2024

Osborn, a passionate field biologist who participates to the core of her being three re-introduction projects aimed at saving three very different, endangered species: Peregrine Falcon, Hawaiian Crow (‘Alala)*, and California Condor. Sophie Osborn’s stories are personal and inspiring, but this is more than a personal memoir.

California Condor 168

California Condor Falcons California Birds 168

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 3, 2013

Southern California is loaded with parrots. Quite a few species are well-established and breeding from San Diego to Los Angeles and beyond. Red-crowned Parrot in Irvine Regional Park Despite the number of species involved only one, the Red-crowned Parrot , is considered countable by the California Bird Records Committee.

Parrots 210

Parrots California Los Angeles San Diego 210

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2013

After all, California Audubon’s site states that “This is a conservation award. These Burrowing Owl photos were taken at a rare breeding site in Vacaville California. One way we can do that is by voting for the Burrowing Owl as the California Audubon Bird of the Year in 2013. This is totally doable!

California 203

California Owls 2013 Factory 203

10,000 Birds

MARCH 31, 2012

The newest bird on the brink to capture her fertile imagination is the California Condor, on which she graciously shares her research and ruminations: Sometimes as a writer you recognize there’s been something overlooked in your midst—something quietly abiding. My first view of them was at a distance.

California Condor 201

California Condor California Idaho North America 201

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 9, 2013

Unlike the more common American Goldfinch, the Lesser Goldfinch’s ( Spinus psaltria ) plumage does not change color during breeding season. The male (seen below) has a black cap and, in Washington, Oregon, California, and Baja California, nearly all males have green backs. The male also has bright yellow underparts.

California 162

California Species North America Oregon 162

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2013

Though I have made several trips to southern California over the eight years I have been birding almost every trip has been in December or January. Southern California in summer is where it is at. Stay tuned for more… … Trips California Carbon Canyon Regional Park Orange County' How could I not crush it?

California 141

California 2006 Butcher Breeding 141

10,000 Birds

APRIL 25, 2012

Living in Northern California offers nature lovers many opportunities to view wildlife in there native habitat. Most of the Osprey breeding in North America are migratory, only Florida, the Caribbean and Baja California host non-migratory breeders 1. Click on photos for full sized images.

California 195

California North America Sacramento Breeders 195

10,000 Birds

MARCH 5, 2024

These lands support countless birds, either year-round, as migratory stopovers, or as breeding grounds. In fact, the overwhelming majority of federal land is in just 11 western states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming). But what else should birders know?

Virgin Islands 199

Virgin Islands Alaska United States Endangered Species 199

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2020

Just yesterday I learned that the Barn Owl ( Tyto alba ) is the only breeding bird found in New York that has been documented nesting in every month of the year. This bit of trivia was given in an article in my local bird club’s monthly newsletter about the ongoing breeding bird atlas in New York State.

2017 223

2017 Barn Owls Rodents Owls 223

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 15, 2024

Alas, although I was once a California boy, I have never seen a California Condor. Zone-tailed Hawks breed in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, but they winter from Mexico to Brazil. Here in Mexico, I can almost always count on Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures to pad each outing’s list by two species.

Turkey 187

Turkey California Condor Mexico Meat 187

10,000 Birds

MARCH 17, 2022

American White Pelicans spend their winter months along the Gulf states, California, parts of Arizona, and Mexico down into Central America. They migrate north through the Western United States, breeding in pockets all the way up through Canada.

Pelicans 217

Pelicans United States Canada Arizona 217

10,000 Birds

MAY 20, 2023

The Kirtland’s Warbler is an endangered bird species that breeds primarily in the jack pine forests of northern Michigan. Specifically, the warbler’s primary breeding range is concentrated in a few counties in the northern Lower Peninsula and the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

United States 162

United States Michigan Texas Virginia 162

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 20, 2016

I spent some time with fellow Audubon members on the Northern California coast last weekend where we were treated with some great views of a first winter Mew Gull ( Larus canus ), commonly known as the Common Gull in Eurasia. If I make it up to the Canadian coast or Alaska I will most likely find a breeding adult to photograph.

California 174

California North America Alaska Breeding 174

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 19, 2020

Back when I started birding during my youth in California, it didn’t take long for me to notice and appreciate how Northern Mockingbirds would sometimes do backflips in the air while singing. This male shows its full breeding color. Fortunately, I can meet my needs for acrobatic singing with our Blue-black Grassquits.

Argentina 196

Argentina Mexico California Breeding 196

Critter News

NOVEMBER 5, 2008

Proposition 2 has been passed in California. 4, 2008) – Voters in California approved an historic ballot measure to halt the inhumane confinement of animals on factory farms by an overwhelming margin. It applies to breeding pigs, egg laying hens and veal calves. From the campaign website : (Nov.

Prop 2 100

Prop 2 Wayne Pacelle Proposition 2 California 100

10,000 Birds

MAY 9, 2017

Although some of the most popular Pacific pelagic trips depart from Monterey Bay in California, there are also regular trips out of Half Moon Bay, California; Newport, Oregon; and Westport, Washington. A few breed on the main Hawaiian islands, including Kilauea Point NWR on Kauai. Most of the key breeding locations in the U.S.

Albatross 137

Albatross Hawaii Alaska Puerto Rico 137

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 30, 2013

The North American Tundra Swan ( Cygnus columbianus columbianus ) migrates in flocks of family groups… leaving their Arctic breeding grounds in late September and arriving in their wintering grounds in November and December 1 (click on photos for full sized images). Range map courtesy of Terri Sohl of South Dakota Birds and Birding.

California 105

California South Dakota Sacramento North America 105

10,000 Birds

MARCH 17, 2021

I first met the tree in Baja California, where it is known as guamúchil (gwa-MOOCH-eel), so I will call it that. I go there every year around this time, because in 2016 I saw Sinaloa Martins migrating north to breed. I recently traveled down to Paso Ancho, my go-to site in Michoacán’s Tierra Caliente (Hot Country).

2016 270

2016 2020 Mexico California 270

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2024

It’s a masterful example of how scientific illustration can inform and be enjoyable to look at, and I’d love to have these plates in mini card form to carry around with me when I visit California. The spectrograms are much easier to read in this volume, larger and darker.

Los Angeles 130

Los Angeles North America Species America 130

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 21, 2015

Heermann’s Gulls form large breeding colonies on arid islands in the Gulf of California, Mexico, from March through July. The largest colony exists on Isla Raza, where an estimated 90–95% of the total world population breeds 1. This photo by Basar from Wikipedia Commons shows the adult in breeding plumage.

San Francisco 158

San Francisco North America Seals Sanctuary 158

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 22, 2014

This past weekend I took a trip to the small town of Portola in Plumas county for a Northern California Audubon Council meeting hosted by Plumas Audubon Society. They are listed as a Species of Special Concern in Utah, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, and as Threatened in California.

Nevada 160

Nevada North America Utah Oregon 160

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2013

But he does live in the States, and America does have albatrosses, and they can be easily seen in California, which is not only in the States but is actually a place I’m fairly sure he visits. They range across the Pacific in search of food, which is why pelagic birders in Monterey can tick them off their California Province list.

Albatross 157

Albatross Hawaii North America California 157

10,000 Birds

MAY 12, 2022

Snowy Plovers also breed half an hour north of my home, so we have those in common. Jonathan also works as a birding guide up in Baja California, if anyone is interested.). But the past several years he has worked on several projects in Ensenada, just south of San Diego. His main project is monitoring the Snowy Plover population there.

San Diego 241

San Diego Turtles Mexico Sparrows 241

10,000 Birds

APRIL 27, 2011

According to Birds of North America Online , the Great-tailed Grackle’s ( Quiscalus mexicanus ) breeding range has been expanding northward for several years. I must say that I agree with their assessment because we have been seeing more of them in northern California every year. Be patient as it loads, it’s worth a listen.

California 176

California North America Breeding America 176

10,000 Birds

JUNE 18, 2013

When you think of southern California in June there are a variety of things that could come to mind. My arrival in southern California didn’t happen until 14 June but the bird had stuck around and was reported daily on the local birding listservs. Not bad for southern California in June!

Los Angeles 154

Los Angeles San Diego Alaska North America 154

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 19, 2016

Consequently, their breeding efforts with resident birds produce more and healthier offspring than “inbred” resident-resident pairings. It turns out that smaller, scattered “satellite” groups of the bird are a source of needed genetic diversity when individuals leave the satellites and join the main populations. ”

Florida 176

Florida Research California Hunting 176

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

For whatever reason, however, yesterday on my way to work my mind wasn’t with our upcoming spring, but with September’s in California. The almost overpowering intensity of the summer breeding season was over, the island feels completely different, more relaxing and much less dangerous. And there where whales.

Whales 157

Whales Whaling Sharks Bats 157

10,000 Birds

JULY 30, 2014

The Steller’s Jay ( Cyanocitta stelleri ) is one of the ubiquitous birds seen at Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California. They are a non-migratory species found in western coniferous and mixed-coniferous forests, breeding from Alaska, western Canada, and the United States south through western Mexico to Nicaragua.

Nicaragua 171

Nicaragua Alaska United States Canada 171

10,000 Birds

APRIL 24, 2013

The Godwit Days Spring Migration Bird Festival in Arcata and Eureka on the north coast of California was fabulous! The Surfbird outside of the breeding season can be found along almost the entire Pacific Coast of the Americas, from southeastern Alaska all the way to Tierra del Fuego in southern Chile.

Alaska 170

Alaska Chile 2013 Breeding 170

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2011

We are fortunate in Northern California to have four lakes that support 76% of the total number of nesting grebes in California 1. Eagle Lake, Lake Almanor and Clear Lake have all been identified as Audubon California Important Bird Areas (IBA), meaning that they provide essential habitat for breeding, wintering, and migrating birds.

California 211

California Eagles North America Breeding 211

10,000 Birds

JUNE 19, 2013

The Cascade Range, part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, extends from Northern California to Southern British Columbia. Undoubtedly one of the most interesting aspects of Burney Falls for birders is that it is one of the few locations in California where nesting Black Swifts ( Cypseloides niger ) can be found.

California 200

California North America Costa Rica Niger 200

10,000 Birds

JUNE 20, 2012

In addition to their homing tendency, breeding swallows are attracted to old nests. In California, the Cliff Swallows usually arrive in February so the agency in charge of enforcing these laws, the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), considers February 15th to September 1st the swallow nesting season. Authors: T.

San Diego 165

San Diego illegal California South America 165

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 23, 2011

One obvious reason is that most have plumage variations between their breeding plumage and non-breeding plumage. If you live north of the San Francisco Bay area in California like I do, or north of Delaware on the east coast, you would most likely be looking at a Greater Yellowlegs. References: 1 O’Brien, M., Crossley, R.,

San Francisco 165

San Francisco Delaware Jordan New York 165

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

These birds have lost more than half their global population, and the 33 species combined have lost hundreds of millions of breeding individuals in just the past 40 years. In California, much of the Bank Swallow’s nesting habitat in the southern and central areas has been eliminated by flood and erosion-control projects.

North America 186

North America 2014 California Birds 186

10,000 Birds

APRIL 10, 2015

In 2013, California voted to add this tiny estrildid finch to the California state list, and the ABA Checklist Committee also followed suit. Red-masked Parakeet is found in several major cities in California and Florida. Birding California parakeets Florida parakeets Miami birding' They were right!

Los Angeles 154

Los Angeles Miami San Francisco Florida 154

10,000 Birds

MARCH 9, 2016

I live at 1600 foot (488 meter) elevation in Oak Savannah/ Gray Pine habitat in Northern California. According to the range maps this bird is a breeding resident of the West in montane conifer or mixed-species forest dominated by pines and oaks at 1,600–2,700 meter elevation 1.

California 100

California North America America Breeding 100

10,000 Birds

APRIL 26, 2014

I had seen one in the same location earlier in the year and was hoping to bump into it again before it headed north to it’s breeding grounds in the Arctic. It has a plain grey back in all plumages and a heavily barred underside as breeding colours. Birding Birds California San Francisco Wandering Tattler'

San Francisco 165

San Francisco United States California Breeding 165