Birds of California: The Official State Checklist

All 672 birds on the list

• Abert's Towhee Melozone aberti
• Acorn Woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus
• Alder Flycatcher Empidonax alnorum
• Allen's Hummingbird Selasphorus sasin
• American Avocet Recurvirostra americana
• American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus
• American Black Duck Anas rubripes
• American Coot Fulica americana
• American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos
• American Dipper Cinclus mexicanus
• American Golden-Plover Pluvialis dominica
• American Goldfinch Spinus tristis
• American Kestrel Falco sparverius
• American Oystercatcher Haematopus palliatus
• American Pipit Anthus rubrescens
• American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla
• American Robin Turdus migratorius
• American Tree Sparrow Spizella arborea
• American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
• American Wigeon Anas americana
• American Woodcock Scolopax minor
• Ancient Murrelet Synthliboramphus antiquus
• Anhinga Anhinga anhinga
• Anna's Hummingbird Calypte anna
• Arctic Loon Gavia arctica
• Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea
• Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis
• Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens
• Ashy Storm-petrel Oceanodroma homochroa
• Baikal Teal Anas formosa
• Baird's Sandpiper Calidris bairdii
• Baird's Sparrow Ammodramus bairdii
• Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus
• Baltimore Oriole Icterus glabula
• Band-tailed Pigeon Patagioenas fasciata
• Bank Swallow Riparia riparia
• Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica
• Barn Owl Tyto alba
• Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
• Barred Owl Strix varia
• Barrow's Goldeneye Bucephala islandica
• Bay-breasted Warbler Setophaga castanea
• Belcher’s Gull Larus belcheri
• Bell’s Sparrow Artemisiospiza belli
• Bell's Vireo Vireo bellii
• Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon
• Bendire's Thrasher Toxostoma bendirei
• Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii
• Black Oystercatcher Haematopus bachmani
• Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans
• Black Rail Laterallus jamaicensis
• Black Rosy-finch Leucosticte atrata
• Black Scoter Melanitta nigra
• Black Skimmer Rynchops niger
• Black Storm-petrel Oceanodroma melania
• Black Swift Cypseloides niger
• Black Tern Chlidonias niger
• Black Turnstone Arenaria melanocephala
• Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
• Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia
• Black-backed Woodpecker Picoides arcticus
• Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola
• Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis
• Black-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus erythropthalmus
• Black-billed Magpie Pica hudsonia
• Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus
• Black-chinned Hummingbird Archilochus alexandri
• Black-chinned Sparrow Spizella atrogularis
• Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
• Black-footed Albatross Phoebastria nigripes
• Black-headed Grosbeak Pheucticus melanocephalus
• Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
• Black-hooded Parakeet Nandayus nendayNonnative
• Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla
• Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus
• Black-tailed Gnatcatcher Polioptila melanura
• Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris
• Black-throated Blue Warbler Setophaga caerulescens
• Black-throated Gray Warbler Setophaga nigrescens
• Black-throated Green Warbler Setophaga virens
• Black-throated Sparrow Amphispiza bilineata
• Black-vented Shearwater Puffinus opisthomelas
• Blackburnian Warbler Setophaga fusca
• Blackpoll Warbler Setophaga striata
• Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea
• Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata
• Blue-crowned Parakeet Aratinga acuticaudataNonnative
• Blue-footed Booby Sula nebouxii
• Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea
• Blue-headed Vireo Vireo solitaries
• Blue-throated Hummingbird Lampornis clemenciae
• Blue-winged Teal Anas discors
• Blue-winged Warbler Vermivora cyanoptera
• Bluethroat Luscinia svecica
• Bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivorus
• Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus
• Bonaparte's Gull Chroicocephalus philadelphia
• Brambling Fringilla montifringilla
• Brandt's Cormorant Phalacrocorax penicillatus
• Brant Branta bernicla
• Brewer's Blackbird Euphagus cyanocephalus
• Brewer's Sparrow Spizella breweri
• Bridled Tern Onychoprion anaethetus
• Bristle-thighed Curlew Numenius tahitiensis
• Broad-billed Hummingbird Cynanthus latirostris
• Broad-tailed Hummingbird Selasphorus platycercus
• Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus
• Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus
• Brown Booby Sula leucogaster
• Brown Creeper Certhia americana
• Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis
• Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus
• Brown Thrasher Toxostoma rufum
• Brown-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus
• Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus aterInvasive
• Buff-breasted Sandpiper Calidris subruficollis
• Buff-collared Nightjar Antrostomus ridgwayi
• Bufflehead Bucephala albeola
• Buller's Shearwater Puffinus bulleri
• Bullock's Oriole Icterus bullockii
• Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii
• Burrowing Owl Athene cunicularia
• Bushtit Psaltriparus minimus
• Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii
• Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
• California Condor Gymnogyps californianus
• California Gnatcatcher Polioptila californica
• California Gull Larus californicus
• California Quail Callipepla californica
• California Thrasher Toxostoma redivivum
• California Towhee Melozone crissalis
• Calliope Hummingbird Selasphorus calliope
• Canada Goose Branta canadensis
• Canada Warbler Cardellina canadensis
• Canvasback Aythya valisineria
• Canyon Wren Catherpes mexicanus
• Cape May Warbler Setophaga tigrina
• Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia
• Cassin's Auklet Ptychoramphus aleuticus
• Cassin's Finch Haemorhous cassinii
• Cassin's Kingbird Tyrannus vociferans
• Cassin's Sparrow Pemcaea cassinii
• Cassin's Vireo Vireo cassinii
• Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
• Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva
• Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum
• Cerulean Warbler Setophaga cerulea
• Chestnut-backed Chickadee Poecile rufescens
• Chestnut-collared Longspur Calcarius ornatus
• Chestnut-sided Warbler Setophaga pensylvanica
• Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagic
• Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina
• Chuck-will's-widow Antrostomus carolinensis
• Chukar Alectoris chukarNonnative
• Cinnamon Teal Anas cyanoptera
• Clapper Rail Rallus longirostris
• Clark's Grebe Aechmophorus clarkii
• Clark's Nutcracker Nucifraga columbiana
• Clay-colored Sparrow Spizella pallida
• Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
• Common Black-hawk Buteogallus anthracinus
• Common Crane Grus grus
• Common Cuckoo Cuculus canors
• Common Eider Somateria mollissima
• Common Gallinule Gallinula galeata
• Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula
• Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula
• Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
• Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina
• Common Loon Gavia immer
• Common Merganser Mergus merganser
• Common Murre Uria aalge
• Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor
• Common Peafowl Pavo cristatusNonnative
• Common Pochard Aythya ferina
• Common Poorwill Phalaenoptilus nuttallii
• Common Raven Corvus corax
• Common Redpoll Acanthis flammea
• Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
• Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus
• Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
• Common Swift Apus apus
• Common Tern Sterna hirundo
• Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas
• Connecticut Warbler Oporornis agilis
• Cook's Petrel Pterodroma cookii
• Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii
• Cordilleran Flycatcher Empidonax occidentalis
• Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea
• Costa's Hummingbird Calypte costae
• Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii
• Craveri's Murrelet Synthliboramphus craveri
• Crested Auklet Aethia cristatella
• Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway
• Crissal Thrasher Toxostoma crissale
• Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
• Curve-billed Thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre
• Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis
• Dickcissel Spiza americana
• Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus
• Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens
• Dunlin Calidris alpina
• Dusky Flycatcher Empidonax oberholseri
• Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus
• Dusky-capped Flycatcher Myiarchus tuberculifer
• Eared Grebe Podiceps nigricollis
• Eastern Kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus
• Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe
• Eastern Whip-poor-will Antrostomus vociferous
• Eastern Wood-pewee Contopus virens
• Eastern Yellow Wagtail Motacilla tschutschensis
• Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacusNonnative
• Elegant Tern Thalasseus elegans
• Elf Owl Micrathene whitneyi
• Emperor Goose Chen canagica
• Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaoctoNonnative
• Eurasian Dotterel Charadrius morinellus
• Eurasian Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
• Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope
• European Starling Sturnus vulgarisNonnative
• Evening Grosbeak Coccothraustes vespertinus
• Eyebrowed Thrush Turdus obscurus
• Falcated Duck Anas falcata
• Ferruginous Hawk Buteo regalis
• Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla
• Flammulated Owl Psiloscops flammeolus
• Flesh-footed Shearwater Puffinus carneipes
• Fork-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus savana
• Fork-tailed Storm-petrel Oceanodroma furcata
• Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri
• Fox Sparrow Passerella iliaca
• Franklin's Gull Leucophacus pipixcan
• Fulvous Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna bicolor
• Gadwall Anas strepera
• Gambel's Quail Callipepla gambelii
• Garganey Anas querquedula
• Gila Woodpecker Melanerpes uropygialis
• Gilded Flicker Colaptes chrysoides
• Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus
• Glaucous-winged Gull Larus glaucescens
• Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
• Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos
• Golden-cheeked Warbler Setophaga chrysoparia
• Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa
• Golden-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia atricapilla
• Golden-winged Warbler Vermivora chrysoptera
• Grace's Warbler Setophaga graciae
• Grasshopper Sparrow Ammodramus savannarum
• Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis
• Gray Flycatcher Empidonax wrightii
• Gray Hawk Buteo plagiatus
• Gray Jay Perisoreus canadensis
• Gray Vireo Vireo vicinior
• Gray Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
• Gray-cheeked Thrush Catharus minimus
• Gray-crowned Rosy-finch Leucosticte tephrocotis
• Gray-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes
• Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus
• Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
• Great Crested Flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus
• Great Egret Ardea alba
• Great Frigatebird Fregata minor
• Great Gray Owl Strix nebulosa
• Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus
• Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
• Great-winged Petrel Pterodoma macroptera
• Greater Pewee Contopus pertinax
• Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus
• Greater Sage-grouse Centrocercus urophasianus
• Greater Sand-Plover Charadrius leschenaultii
• Greater Scaup Aythya marila
• Greater Shearwater Puffinus gravis
• Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons
• Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca
• Green Heron Butorides virescens
• Green Violet-ear Colibri thalassinus
• Green-tailed Towhee Pipilo chlorurus
• Green-winged Teal Anas crecca
• Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris
• Guadalupe Murrelet Synthliboramphus hypoleucus
• Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica
• Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus
• Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus
• Hammond's Flycatcher Empidonax hammondii
• Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus
• Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus
• Harris's Sparrow Zonotrichia querula
• Hawaiian Petrel Pterodroma sandwichensis
• Heermann's Gull Larus heermanni
• Hepatic Tanager Piranga flava
• Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus
• Hermit Warbler Setophaga occidentalis
• Herring Gull Larus argentatus
• Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus
• Hooded Oriole Icterus cucullatus
• Hooded Warbler Setophaga citrina
• Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus
• Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris
• Horned Puffin Fratercula corniculata
• House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus
• House Sparrow Passer domesticusNonnative
• House Wren Troglodytes aedon
• Hudsonian Godwit Limosa haemastica
• Hutton's Vireo Vireo huttoni
• Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides
• Inca Dove Columbina inca
• Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea
• Island Scrub-Jay Aphelocoma insularis
• Ivory Gull Pagophila eburnea
• Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus
• Juniper Titmouse Baeolophus ridgewayi
• Kentucky Warbler Geothlypis formosus
• Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
• King Eider Somateria spectabilis
• Kittlitz's Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris
• Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris
• Lanceolated Warbler Locustella lanceolata
• Lapland Longspur Calcarius lapponicus
• Lark Bunting Calamospiza melanocorys
• Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus
• Laughing Gull Leucophacus atricilla
• Lawrence's Goldfinch Spinus lawrencei
• Laysan Albatross Phoebastria immutabilis
• Lazuli Bunting Passerina amoena
• Le Conte's Sparrow Ammodramus leconteii
• Le Conte's Thrasher Toxostoma lecontei
• Leach's Storm-petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa
• Least Auklet Aethia pusilla
• Least Bittern Ixobrychus exilis
• Least Flycatcher Empidonax minimus
• Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus
• Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla
• Least Storm-petrel Oceanodroma microsoma
• Least Tern Sternula antillarum
• Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
• Lesser Frigatebird Fregata ariel
• Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria
• Lesser Nighthawk Chordeiles acutipennis
• Lesser Sand-Plover Charadrius mongolus
• Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis
• Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes
• Lewis's Woodpecker Melanerpes lewis
• Light-mantled Albatross Phoebetria palpebrata
• Lilac-crowned Parrot Amazona finschiNonnative
• Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii
• Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea
• Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla
• Little Curlew Numenius minutus
• Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus
• Little Stint Calidris minuta
• Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus
• Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus
• Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus
• Long-billed Murrelet Brachyramphus perdix
• Long-eared Owl Asio otus
• Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis
• Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus
• Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta
• Louisiana Waterthrush Parkesia motacilla
• Lucy's Warbler Oreothlypis luciae
• Macgillivray's Warbler Geothlypis tolmiei
• Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens
• Magnificent Hummingbird Eugenes fulgens
• Magnolia Warbler Setophaga magnolia
• Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
• Mandarin Duck Aix galericulataNonnative
• Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus
• Marbled Godwit Limosa fedoa
• Marbled Murrelet Brachyramphus marmoratus
• Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis
• Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris
• Masked Booby Sula dactylatra
• Mccown's Longspur Rhynchophanes mccownii
• Merlin Falco columbarius
• Mew Gull Larus canus
• Mexican Whip-poor-will Antrostomus arizonae
• Mississippi Kite Ictinia mississippiensis
• Mitred Parakeet Aratinga mitrataNonnative
• Mottled Petrel Pterodroma inexpectata
• Mountain Bluebird Sialia currucoides
• Mountain Chickadee Poecile gambeli
• Mountain Plover Charadrius montanus
• Mountain Quail Oreortyx pictus
• Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
• Mourning Warbler Geothlypis philadelphia
• Murphy's Petrel Pterodroma ultima
• Mute Swan Cygnus olorInvasive
• Nashville Warbler Oreothlypis ruficapilla
• Nelson's Sparrow Ammodramus nelsoni
• Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus
• Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
• Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus
• Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis
• Northern Gannet Morus bassanus
• Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis
• Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus
• Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
• Northern Parula Setophaga americana
• Northern Pintail Anas acuta
• Northern Pygmy Owl Glaucidium gnoma
• Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis
• Northern Saw-whet Owl Aegolius acadicus
• Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
• Northern Shrike Lanius excubitor
• Northern Waterthrush Parkesia noveboracensis
• Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe
• Nutmeg Mannikin Lonchura punctulataNonnative
• Nuttall's Woodpecker Picoides nuttallii
• Nutting's Flycatcher Myiarchus nuttingi
• Oak Titmouse Baeolophus inornatus
• Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni
• Olive-sided Flycatcher Contopus cooperi
• Orange-crowned Warbler Oreothlypis celata
• Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius
• Oriental Turtle-Dove Streptopelia orientalis
• Osprey Pandion haliastus
• Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla
• Pacific Golden-Plover Pluvialis fulva
• Pacific Loon Gavia pacifica
• Pacific Wren Troglodytes pacificus
• Pacific-slope Flycatcher Empidonax difficilis
• Painted Bunting Passerina ciris
• Painted Redstart Myioborus pictus
• Palm Warbler Setophaga palmarum
• Parakeet Auklet Aethia psittacula
• Parasitic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus
• Parkinson’s Petrel Procellaria parkinsoni
• Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos
• Pelagic Cormorant Phalacrocorax pelagicus
• Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
• Phainopepla Phainopepla nitens
• Philadelphia Vireo Vireo philadelphicus
• Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps
• Pigeon Guillemot Cepphus columba
• Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus
• Pine Grosbeak Pinicola enucleator
• Pine Siskin Spinus pinus
• Pine Warbler Setophaga pinus
• Pink-footed Shearwater Puffinus creatopus
• Pinyon Jay Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus
• Piping Plover Charadrius melodus
• Plumbeous Vireo Vireo plumbeus
• Pomarine Jaeger Stercorarius pomarinus
• Prairie Falcon Falco mexicanus
• Prairie Warbler Setophaga discolor
• Prothonotary Warbler Protonotaria citrea
• Purple Finch Haemorhous purpureus
• Purple Gallinule Porphyrio martinica
• Purple Martin Progne subis
• Pygmy Nuthatch Sitta pygmaea
• Pyrrhuloxia Cardinalis sinuatus
• Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra
• Red Knot Calidris canutus
• Red Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius
• Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus
• Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator
• Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis
• Red-breasted Sapsucker Sphyrapicus ruber
• Red-crowned Parrot Amazona viridigenalisNonnative
• Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus
• Red-faced Warbler Cardellina rubrifrons
• Red-flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus
• Red-footed Booby Sula sula
• Red-headed Woodpecker Melanerpes erythrocephalus
• Red-legged Kittiwake Rissa brevirostris
• Red-masked Parakeet Aratinga erythrogenysNonnative
• Red-naped Sapsucker Sphyrapicus nuchalis
• Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena
• Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus
• Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis
• Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus
• Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
• Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda
• Red-throated Loon Gavia stellata
• Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus
• Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosusNonnative
• Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
• Reddish Egret Egretta rufescens
• Redhead Aythya americana
• Rhinoceros Auklet Cerorhinca monocerata
• Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis
• Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris
• Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicusNonnative
• Ringed Storm-petrel Oceanodroma hornbyi
• Ringed Turtle-Dove Streptopelia risoriaNonnative
• Rock Pigeon Columba liviaNonnative
• Rock Sandpiper Calidris ptilocnemis
• Rock Wren Salpinctes obsoletus
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus
• Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameriNonnative
• Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja
• Ross' s Goose Chen rossii
• Ross’s Gull Rhodostethia rosea
• Rough-legged Hawk Buteo lagopus
• Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris
• Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis
• Ruddy Ground-Dove Columbina talpacoti
• Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
• Ruff Calidris pugnax
• Ruffed Grouse Bonasa umbellus
• Rufous Hummingbird Selasphorus rufus
• Rufous-backed Robin Turdus rufopalliatus
• Rufous-crowned Sparrow Aimophila ruficeps
• Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica
• Rusty Blackbird Euphagus carolinus
• Sabine's Gull Xema sabini
• Sage Thrasher Oreoscoptes montanus
• Sagebrush Sparrow Artemisiospiza nevadensis
• Sanderling Calidris alba
• Sandhill Crane Grus Canadensis
• Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis
• Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis
• Say's Phoebe Sayornis saya
• Scarlet Tanager Piranga olivacea
• Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus
• Scott's Oriole Icterus parisorum
• Scripp’s Murrelet Synthliboramphus scrippsi
• Sedge Wren Cistothorus platensis
• Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus
• Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla
• Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus
• Sharp-tailed Grouse Tympanuchus phasianellus
• Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata
• Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus
• Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus
• Short-tailed Albatross Phoebastria albatrus
• Short-tailed Shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris
• Shy Albatross Thalassarche cauta
• Sky Lark Alauda arvensis
• Slaty-backed Gull Larus schistisagus
• Smew Mergellus albellus
• Smith's Longspur Calcarius pictus
• Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis
• Snow Goose Chen caerulescens
• Snowy Egret Egretta thula
• Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus
• Snowy Plover Charadrius nivosus
• Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria
• Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia
• Sooty Grouse Dendragapus fuliginosus
• Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus
• Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscatus
• Sora Porzana carolina
• South Polar Skua Stercorarius maccormicki
• Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensisNonnative
• Spotted Owl Strix occidentalis
• Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus
• Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia
• Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus
• Sprague's Pipit Anthus spragueii
• Stejneger's Petrel Pterodroma longirostris
• Steller's Eider Polysticta stelleri
• Steller's Jay Cyanocitta stelleri
• Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus
• Stonechat Saxicola torquatus
• Streak-backed Oriole Icterus pustulatus
• Streaked Shearwater Calonectris leucomelas
• Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher Myiodynastes luteiventris
• Summer Tanager Piranga rubra
• Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata
• Surfbird Calidris virgata
• Swainson's Hawk Buteo swainsoni
• Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus
• Swallow-tailed Gull Creagrus furcatus
• Swallow-tailed Kite Elanoides forficatus
• Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana
• Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla
• Taiga/Tundra Bean Goose Anser fabalis
• Tennessee Warbler Oreothlypis peregrina
• Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus
• Thayer's Gull Larus thayeri
• Thick-billed Kingbird Tyrannus crassirostris
• Thick-billed Murre Uria lomvia
• Townsend’s Shearwater Puffinus auricularis
• Townsend's Solitaire Myadestes townsendi
• Townsend's Warbler Setophaga townsendi
• Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor
• Tricolored Blackbird Agelaius tricolor
• Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor
• Tristram’s Storm-petrel Oceanodroma tristrami
• Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus
• Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator
• Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
• Tufted Puffin Fratercula cirrhata
• Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus
• Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
• Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda
• Varied Bunting Passerina versicolor
• Varied Thrush Ixoreus naevius
• Vaux's Swift Chaetura vauxi
• Veery Catharus fuscescens
• Verdin Auriparus flaviceps
• Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus
• Vesper Sparrow Pooecetes gramineus
• Violet-crowned Hummingbird Amazilia violiceps
• Violet-green Swallow Tachycineta thalassina
• Virginia Rail Rallus limicola
• Virginia's Warbler Oreothlypis virginiae
• Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans
• Wandering Tattler Tringa incana
• Warbling Vireo Vireo gilvus
• Wedge-rumped Storm-petrel Oceanodroma tethys
• Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus
• Western Bluebird Sialia mexicana
• Western Grebe Aechmophorus occidentalis
• Western Gull Larus occidentalis
• Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis
• Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta
• Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri
• Western Screech Owl Megascops kennicottii
• Western Scrub-Jay Aphelocoma californica
• Western Tanager Piranga ludoviciana
• Western Wood-pewee Contopus sordidulus
• Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
• White Ibis Eudocimus albus
• White Wagtail Motacilla alba
• White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis
• White-chinned Petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis
• White-collared Swift Streptoprocne zonaris
• White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
• White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus
• White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi
• White-headed Woodpecker Picoides albolarvatus
• White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis
• White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus
• White-tailed Ptarmigan Lagopus leucuraNonnative
• White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus
• White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
• White-throated Swift Aeronautes saxatalis
• White-winged Crossbill Loxia leucoptera
• White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
• White-winged Parakeet Brotogeris versicolurusNonnative
• White-winged Scoter Melanitta fusca
• White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus
• Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus
• Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavoNonnative
• Willet Tringa semipalmata
• Williamson's Sapsucker Sphyrapicus thyroideus
• Willow Flycatcher Empidonax traillii
• Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor
• Wilson's Plover Charadrius wilsonia
• Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata
• Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
• Wilson's Warbler Cardellina pusilla
• Winter Wren Troglodytes heimalis
• Wood Duck Aix sponsa
• Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
• Wood Stork Mycteria Americana
• Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina
• Worm-eating Warbler Helmitheros vermivorum
• Wrentit Chamaea fasciata
• Xantus's Hummingbird Hylocharis xantusii
• Yellow Rail Coturnicops noveboracensis
• Yellow Warbler Setophaga petechia
• Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Empidonax flaviventris
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius
• Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus
• Yellow-billed Loon Gavia adamsii
• Yellow-billed Magpie Pica nuttalli
• Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens
• Yellow-chevroned Parakeet Brotogeris chiririNonnative
• Yellow-crowned Night-heron Nyctanassa violacea
• Yellow-footed Gull Larus livens
• Yellow-green Vireo Vireo flavoviridis
• Yellow-headed Blackbird Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
• Yellow-headed Parrot Amazona oratrixNonnative
• Yellow-rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata
• Yellow-throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons
• Yellow-throated Warbler Setophaga dominica
• Zone-tailed Hawk Buteo albontatus

Birds people confuse

Red-tailed hawk or Red-shouldered hawk?

Red-tailed hawk Not stated

No confirmed photo of Red-shouldered hawk

Red-shouldered hawk Not stated

A red-tail's rust-colored, broad, short tail distinguishes it from the smaller red-shouldered hawk (North Carolina). Tennessee: the red-shouldered hawk has a black and white banded tail and appears more uniformly colored.

Bald eagle or Golden eagle?

Bald eagle Not stated

No confirmed photo of Golden eagle

Golden eagle Not stated

Young bald eagles lack the white head and tail and are often mistaken for golden eagles. Bald eagles have unfeathered lower legs and hold their wings flat when soaring; TWRA says golden eagles have feathered legs, limited white under the wing, and lift the outer wing in a slight V.

Bald eagle or Turkey vulture?

Bald eagle Not stated

Turkey vulture Not stated

Turkey vultures hold their wings in a shallow V; bald eagles soar on flat wings.

Turkey vulture or Black vulture?

Turkey vulture Not stated

No confirmed photo of Black vulture

Black vulture Not stated

Black vulture: grayish-black head, shorter tail, a white patch near the wing tips (seen from below), and wings held nearly horizontal when soaring, with frequent flapping (Missouri). Tennessee and NPS Everglades say the same: black head, white patch at the wing tips, wings held flat. Turkey vulture: red head (adults), two-toned wings held in a V, rarely flaps. Note: juvenile turkey vultures also have dark heads.

Turkey vulture or California condor (juvenile)?

Turkey vulture Not stated

California condor (juvenile) Not stated

National Park Service (Grand Canyon-Parashant): turkey vultures are often mistaken for juvenile California condors; their two-toned wings, white along the back of the wings and solid black in front, make them easy to distinguish, and they hold their wings in a slight V when soaring.

Northern cardinal or Summer tanager?

Northern cardinal Not stated

Summer tanager Not stated

MDC: the adult male summer tanager is entirely rosy red, slightly darker on wings and tail, and is a summer resident; the adult male northern cardinal has a crest and a black area around its large red bill and is present year-round. TWRA says the summer tanager is the only other all-red songbird in Tennessee.

Photos show typical adults; individuals vary. Never get close to compare.

When birds are active in California

Records of birds in California peak in January to May, October and December. They show when people record birds, not how many there are (about month bars).

How to report

Wildlife conflicts: CDFW Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system https://apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir, emergencies 9-1-1. Invasive animal sightings: CDFW Invasive Species Program (866) 440-9530 or [email protected]; invasive insects/spiders/terrestrial invertebrates: California Department of Food and Agriculture 1-800-491-1899. California Department of Fish and Wildlife

About this list

The species list comes from Complete List of Amphibian, Reptile, Bird and Mammal Species in California (AVES section) (California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CWHR Program), 2016-05).

Venom does not apply to birds.

"Nonnative" and "Invasive" follow the wording of the source list. See invasive species in California.