Birds of San Franscisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area is home to a wide variety of habitats, which in turn leads to a wide variety of bird species. Home to some of the most active bird-watching in America, the San Francisco Bay Area offers many opportunities to view avian wildlife.
Birding by Regional areas or County
- Spreadsheet with lists for all California counties by John Sterling
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- A very comprehensive guide to birdwatching spots in Sonoma County by Colin Talcroft.
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- SonomaBirding.com - a good resource for activities in Sonoma County. There is map of birding hotspots in the area.
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- Birding in the North Bay - guide to birding locations in Sonoma County by Madrone Audubon Society.
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- Checklists for Napa and Solano County by Napa-Solano Audubon Society
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- Birding Contra Costa County - a detailed guide by Steve Glover of Mount Diablo Audubon Society.
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- 2012 Year List for Alameda County by Bob Lewis, annotated with frequency status
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- Directions to birding destinations in the East Bay by Bob Lewis
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- Santa Clara County Bird Checklist - A comprehensive listing of the birds of Santa Clara County compiled by Bill Bousman and published by the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society.
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- Easy Birding Maps is a great resource by Gordon Barrett. He has created Google maps with details about many of the prime birding locations in the South Bay.
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- Guide to Birding in Santa Cruz County - by the Santa Cruz Bird Club
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- San Mateo County resources published by the Sequoia Audubon Society.
Online Birding Guide with maps, place descriptions and detailed directions for sighting birds - excellent resource. ...link
San Mateo County Bird Checklist - in PDF format
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- San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuges Checklist. This includes 281 species that are found in San Francisco Bay and Delta, and their bordering wetlands.
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Resources
- A selection of useful reference books can be found here - Bird Books ...more
- Bay Area Birds by David Lukas is a comprehensive guide to the life history, status, and distribution of birds of the Bay area.
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- A nice laminated fold-out, with common local species, is produced by Local Birds. It includes backyard/trail and coastal/water birds. They also have similar guides for Marin County and the Monterey Bay Area.
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- Waterbird ID Card - A two sided identification card to some of the most common waterbirds in California, by Point Blue.
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- Pocket guide to SF Bay birds PDF - A pocket-sized guide to common birds of San Francisco Bay, containing tips for their protection and conservation, by Point Blue.
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- Pocket guide to Beach Birds of California PDF –A pocket-sized guide to common birds of California's beaches, and tips for their protection and management, by Point Blue.
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- You can enter and look up reported bird sightings by species, region and date on eBird. This is a powerful resource for beginners and advanced birders.
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- Sialia.com by David Ranney is a collection of all online Birding discussion groups. The California section includes all the ones covering the Bay area. This is a great reference if you want to find out what species are being seen and where to find them.
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- Shearwater Journeys offers some great seabirding (pelagic) trips and an opportunity to see species that you are not likely to see from land.
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- West County Hawk Watch - a North Bay group bringing attention to North American Birds of Prey and the threats they face, providing Identification and Education Programs, Hikes, Tours and ID Workshops.
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Optics
Good binoculars are essential for birdwatching. As you get further into birding, a spotting scope may be a worthwhile investment.
- The Audubon Guide to Binoculars
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- A very comprehensive evaluation of binoculars and spotting scopes from Birdwatcher's Digest. There are different articles for different price ranges.
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- Binocular guide from birdwatching.com ...link
- Guide to Spotting Scopes by B&H Photo ...link
Articles/Links about Birds and Birding in the Bay Area
- East Bay Raptors - an article in BayNature.
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- Bay Area Peregrine Falcon nest cameras and discussion groups by the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group
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- Rufous Hummingbird Migration Map, Spring 2009 - from Journey North.
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