Type in your search and hit Enter on desktop or hit Go on mobile device
Latest News and Updates from Audubon in California
California Condor. Photo: Scott Frier/USFWS
Our friends at Golden Gate Audubon have spent a lot of time recently talking about the problem of dogs and bird at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Recently, they hit the airwaves on the PBS NewsHour talking about a way forward.
That's David Rivas's size-13 cowboy boot and next to him is a California Condor feather. He found this avian calling card on his property, located on the western slope of Bear Mountain at elevation of 5000 feet. For reference, Bear Mountain is between Bakersfield and Tehachapi in the Tehachapi Mountains.
A Cerulean Warbler was found on October 10 by Brad Elvert and Tristan McKee in the small town of Samoa on the north spit of Humboldt Bay. This was the third record for Humboldt County and, when accepted by the California Bird Records Committee, will be only the 19th overall record for species in California. The last Cerulean Warbler seen in California was an immature female banded at the Humboldt Bay Observatory on October 3, 2010. This bird is the rarest of the eastern Wood Warblers to ever show up in California. Sadly, Cerulean numbers are dropping due to habitat loss and nest failure.
Thank to Rob Fowler for providing the photograph and the story.
Migratory ducks, grebes, loons and shorebirds use our Richardson Bay Sanctuary for re-fueling on their journeys south, or while they over-winter in San Francisco Bay. Approximately 900 acres of bay waters are closed to the public from October 1 to March 31. This closure is the only one of its kind in the entire San Francisco Bay, making it incredibly important for migratory birds. Watch above as the Richardson Bay Sanctuary team marks the boundaries with buoys.
Biologist Howard Clark (@lordorman) monitors Imperial Valley's Burrowing Owls. While out in the field he saw an unusual looking bird in a flock of blackbirds, last week. He snapped these four photographs and emailed them to his friend, Jeff Davis of Fresno Audubon, who confirmed that the bird is an amelanistic Yellow-headed Blackbird. An amelanistic bird differs from an albino in that it is not completely devoid of color. Clark reports this flock of blackbirds is consistently at the intersection of Blair Road and Sinclair Road near Calipatria each morning.
Audubon California last week voiced its support before the California Fish and Game Commission for listing the Tricolored Blackbird under the State Endangered Species Act. This petition was filed by the Center for Biological Diversity. The Commission in June denied another listing petition, but supporters of the bird are keeping up the pressure. Tricolored Blackbirds once numbered in the millions, but today only an estimated 145,000 birds remain.
People have long been fascinated at how crows will gather around a dead colleague. Now researchers have begun to figure out exactly what's going on at these "crow funerals," and it's fascinating. Apparently, the birds are trying to learn what killed the bird and how to avoid falling victim to the same fate.
Gov. Jerry Brown Friday signed an important bill (Assembly Bill 1095) that will help accellerate projects to benefit the Salton Sea, and also took a number of executive actions aimed to protect Salton Sea habitat and neighboring communities. The Salton Sea is one of the most important places for birds in California and the Pacific Flyway. As the waters of the Salton Sea recede due to drought and reduced water allocations, bird habitat is becoming increasingly affected. Dust left behind is also creating a massive public health hazard for the Imperial Valley.
Every year, we close off our Richardson Bay sanctuary (part of the larger San Francisco Bay) to boat traffic to protect the tens of thousands of waterbirds that rely on these waters over the winter. This year, Audubon Youth Leaders created a cool PSA to spread the word about the need to protect the bay.
California is a global biodiversity hotspots, with one of the greatest concentrations of living species on Earth.
Our newsletter is fun way to get our latest stories and important conservation updates from across the state.
Help secure the future for birds at risk from climate change, habitat loss and other threats. Your support will power our science, education, advocacy and on-the-ground conservation efforts.
Join the thousands of Californians that support the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument.
