Fall migration is one of the great natural spectacles in California. The peak is coming in October and November, providing opportunities to witness the joy of birds on the move. Which birds are you excited to spot this time of year?
Are you looking for the best places to go birding in California? Check out our top 16 list below, including hotspots such as the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, Humboldt Bay, and Bolsa Chica Wetlands. If you’d like to go birding with bird enthusiasts, Audubon Chapters are hosting field trips throughout the state. Find an Audubon Chapter near you!
Point Loma, San Diego
Western Grebes, Clark’s Grebes, Pied-billed Grebes, Cormorants, Snowy Egret, ducks (Northern Pintail, Blue-winged Teal, American Wigeon, Ruddy Duck), American Coot, American Avocet, gulls, Northern Mockingbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, California Thrasher
Point Pinos, Monterey
This is a key place for seabird migration, including loons and shearwaters.
Sacramento NWR
Pintails, White-fronted Geese, Snow Geese, Grebes, White Pelicans, Egrets, herons, and Bitterns
Pt. Reyes, Marin County
This place kind of defines the term “migrant trap.” Lots of great land birds coming through, including a lot of rarities. In fact, rare birds are common. Black-throated Blue Warblers, Least Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Peregrine Falcon, Surf Scoter, and Loons.
Butterbredt Springs, Kern County
A great hot spot for all you warbler fans. Wilson’s Warblers, Orange Crown Warblers, Yellow-rumped, rare vagrants like Virginia Warblers, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, and Kentucky Warbler.
Piedras Blancas, Central Coast
Look out for Bald Eagles, Brown Pelicans, Terns, Snowy Plovers, Sandpipers, Black Oystercatchers, Shearwaters, woodpeckers, wintering hawks, and songbirds.
Morro Bay
Huge numbers of shorebirds - up to 20,000 - including Brant, Marbled Godwit, Long-billed Curlew, Western Snowy Plover, as well as Short-eared Owl, and Northern Harrier.
Angeles Crest Forest, Los Angeles
Occasional rarity or vagrant – warblers, flycatchers, empidonax flycatchers, western warblers, tanagers, thrushes, and Western Wood-Peewee. Great spot for owls, including Great-Horned Owl.
Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area
Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Long-billed Curlew, Mountain Plover, Northern Shoveler, Long-billed, and Short-billed Dowitcher.
Owens Lake, Eastern Sierra
White-faced Ibis, Black-necked Stilts, American Avocets, Western and Least Sandpipers, California Gull, Wilson’s, and Red-necked Phalaropes
Mono Lake, Eastern Sierra
Phalaropes, Ruddy Duck, Cinnamon Teal, Green-winged Teal, Gadwall, and American Wigeon.
Humboldt Bay
State’s largest concentration of Brant, Marbled Murrelet, Bald Eagle, and breeding heron. Lots of songbirds coming through as well.
Elkhorn Slough, Monterey
Shorebirds, up to 30,000 at a time. Savannah Sparrow, nesting ducks (incl. Gadwall, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler), Northern Harrier, and American Bittern (scarce). Terns (Caspian, Forster’s, Black Skimmer).
Salton Sea, Imperial County
White Pelicans, Yuma Clapper Rail, Snowy Plover, Waterfowl, and shorebirds.
Lower LA River (Willow Street)
Shorebirds including Ruff and Pectoral Sandpipers. People are always finding rarities around here.
Bolsa Chica Wetlands, Orange County/Los Angeles
Least Tern, Savannah Sparrow, huge flocks of migrating shorebirds, and a variety of hawks.
