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List of birds of California

March 10, 2024

This list of birds of California is a comprehensive listing of all the bird species seen naturally in the U.S. state of California as determined by the California Bird Records Committee (CBRC).[1] Additional accidental and hypothetical species have been added from different sources.

The California quail is the official state bird of California.

As of August 5, 2022, there are 681 species on the CBRC list. Two of these species are endemic, 13 were introduced by humans (directly or indirectly), one species has been extirpated, and one was extirpated in the wild but its reintroduction is in progress. Five additional species have been documented but "the CBRC could not reach a consensus as to whether records of these species involved true naturally occurring vagrants or escapes from captivity."

The following tags note species in each of those categories and one additional category:

  • (En) Endemic to California
  • (I) Introduced but now established in California
  • (Ex) Extirpated from California
  • (RI) Reintroduction in progress - not yet established
  • (*) California Bird Records Committee Review Species (200 species; in general, review species average four or fewer occurrences per year in California over the most recent ten-year period.)
  • (UO) Of unknown origin

Individuals or even flocks of many additional species have been recorded in California but these birds are assumed to be deliberately released or escaped from captivity. In the absence of evidence of wild origin, they are not included in the CBRC list.

This list is presented in the taxonomic sequence of the Check-list of North and Middle American Birds, 7th edition through the 623rd Supplement, published by the American Ornithological Society (AOS).[2] Common and scientific names are also those of the Check-list, except that the common names of families are from the Clements taxonomy because the AOS list does not include them.

Ducks, geese, and waterfowl edit

Order: Anseriformes   Family: Anatidae

 
Canada goose
 
American wigeon

The family Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, bills which are flattened to a greater or lesser extent, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to special oils.

Guans, chachalacas, and curassows edit

Order: Galliformes   Family: Cracidae

The chachalacas, guans, and curassows are birds in the family Cracidae. These are large birds, similar in general appearance to turkeys. The guans and curassows live in trees, but the smaller chachalacas are found in more open scrubby habitats. They are generally dull-plumaged, but the curassows and some guans have colorful facial ornaments.

New World quail edit

Order: Galliformes   Family: Odontophoridae

The New World quails are small, plump terrestrial birds only distantly related to the quails of the Old World, but named for their similar appearance and habits.

Pheasants, grouse, and allies edit

Order: Galliformes   Family: Phasianidae

Phasianidae consists of the pheasants and their allies, including partridges, grouse, turkeys, and Old World quail. These are terrestrial species, variable in size but generally plump with broad relatively short wings. Many species are gamebirds or have been domesticated as a food source for humans.

Grebes edit

Order: Podicipediformes   Family: Podicipedidae

 
Red-necked grebe

Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land.

Pigeons and doves edit

Order: Columbiformes   Family: Columbidae

 
Mourning dove

Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.

Cuckoos edit

Order: Cuculiformes   Family: Cuculidae

 
Greater roadrunner

The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners, and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs. The Old World cuckoos are brood parasites.

Nightjars and allies edit

Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Caprimulgidae

 
Common nighthawk, drawn in 1859

Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs, and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is cryptically colored to resemble bark or leaves.

Swifts edit

Order: Apodiformes   Family: Apodidae

The swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.

Hummingbirds edit

Order: Apodiformes   Family: Trochilidae

Hummingbirds are small birds capable of hovering in mid-air due to the rapid flapping of their wings. They are the only birds that can fly backwards.

 
Black-chinned hummingbird

Rails, gallinules, and coots edit

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Rallidae

Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. The most typical family members occupy dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps, or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.

 
American coot

Cranes edit

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Gruidae

Cranes are large, long-legged, long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances".

Stilts and avocets edit

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Recurvirostridae

Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.

Oystercatchers edit

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Haematopodidae

The oystercatchers are large, obvious, and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.

Plovers and lapwings edit

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Charadriidae

The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short thick necks, and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water.

 
Killdeer

Sandpipers and allies edit

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Scolopacidae

 
Semipalmated sandpiper
 
Willet

Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers, and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Different lengths of legs and bills enable multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.

Skuas and jaegers edit

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Stercorariidae

Skuas and jaegers are in general medium to large birds, typically with gray or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They have longish bills with hooked tips and webbed feet with sharp claws. They look like large dark gulls, but have a fleshy cere above the upper mandible. They are strong, acrobatic fliers.

Auks, murres, and puffins edit

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Alcidae

Alcids are superficially similar to penguins due to their black-and-white colors, their upright posture, and some of their habits. However, they are only distantly related to the penguins and are able to fly. Auks live on the open sea, only deliberately coming ashore to nest.

 
Tufted puffin

Gulls, terns, and skimmers edit

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Laridae

 
Western gull

Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds and includes gulls, terns, kittiwakes, and skimmers. They are typically gray or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet.

Tropicbirds edit

Order: Phaethontiformes   Family: Phaethontidae

Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their long wings have black markings, as does the head.

Loons edit

Order: Gaviiformes   Family: Gaviidae

Loons are aquatic birds, the size of a large duck, to which they are unrelated. Their plumage is largely gray or black, and they have spear-shaped bills. Loons swim well and fly adequately, but are almost hopeless on land, because their legs are placed towards the rear of the body.

Albatrosses edit

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Diomedeidae

The albatrosses are amongst the largest of flying birds, and the great albatrosses from the genus Diomedea have the largest wingspans of any extant birds.

Southern storm-petrels edit

 
Wilson's storm-petrel

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Oceanitidae

The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. Until 2018, this family's three species were included with the other storm-petrels in family Hydrobatidae.

Northern storm-petrels edit

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Hydrobatidae

Though the members of this family are similar in many respects to the southern storm-petrels, including their general appearance and habits, there are enough genetic differences to warrant their placement in a separate family.

Shearwaters and petrels edit

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Procellariidae

 
Northern fulmar

The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterized by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.

Storks edit

Order: Ciconiiformes   Family: Ciconiidae

Storks are large, heavy, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long stout bills and wide wingspans. They lack the powder down that other wading birds such as herons, spoonbills, and ibises use to clean off fish slime. Storks lack a pharynx and are mute.

Frigatebirds edit

Order: Suliformes   Family: Fregatidae

Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black or black-and-white, with long wings and deeply forked tails. The males have colored inflatable throat pouches. They do not swim or walk and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan-to-body-weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week.

Boobies and gannets edit

Order: Suliformes   Family: Sulidae

The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium-large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.

Anhingas edit

Order: Suliformes   Family: Anhingidae

Anhingas are cormorant-like water birds with very long necks and long straight beaks. They are fish eaters which often swim with only their neck above the water.

Cormorants and shags edit

 
Double-crested cormorant

Order: Suliformes   Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Cormorants are medium-to-large aquatic birds, usually with mainly dark plumage and areas of colored skin on the face. The bill is long, thin, and sharply hooked. Their feet are four-toed and webbed.

Pelicans edit

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Pelecanidae

Pelicans are very large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak. Like other birds in the order Pelecaniformes, they have four webbed toes.

Herons, egrets, and bitterns edit

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Ardeidae

 
Great blue heron

The family Ardeidae contains the herons, egrets, and bitterns. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter-necked and more secretive. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises, and spoonbills.

Ibises and spoonbills edit

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Threskiornithidae

The family Threskiornithidae includes the ibises and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings. Their bodies tend to be elongated, the neck more so, with rather long legs. The bill is also long, decurved in the case of the ibises, straight and distinctively flattened in the spoonbills.

New World vultures edit

Order: Cathartiformes   Family: Cathartidae

 
California condor

The New World vultures are not closely related to Old World vultures, but superficially resemble them because of convergent evolution. Like the Old World vultures, they are scavengers. However, unlike Old World vultures, which find carcasses by sight, New World vultures have a good sense of smell with which they locate carcasses.

Osprey edit

 
Osprey

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Pandionidae

Pandionidae is a monotypic family of fish-eating birds of prey. Its single species possesses a very large and powerful hooked beak, strong legs, strong talons, and keen eyesight.

Hawks, eagles, and kites edit

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Accipitridae

Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey which includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers, and Old World vultures. These birds have very large powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons, and keen eyesight.

Barn-owls edit

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Tytonidae

Barn-owls are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons.

Owls edit

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Strigidae

Typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak, and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk.

 
Barred owl

Kingfishers edit

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Alcedinidae

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails.

Woodpeckers edit

Order: Piciformes   Family: Picidae

Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails, and long tongues used for capturing insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward, while several species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks.

 
Hairy woodpecker

Falcons and caracaras edit

Order: Falconiformes   Family: Falconidae

Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey, notably the falcons and caracaras. They differ from hawks, eagles, and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons.

New World and African parrots edit

See also: feral parrots

Order: Psittaciformes   Family: Psittacidae

Characteristic features of parrots include a strong curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawed zygodactyl feet. Many parrots are vividly colored, and some are multi-colored. In size they range from 8 cm (3.1 in) to 1 m (3.3 ft) in length. Most of the more than 150 species in this family are found in the New World.

Tityras and allies edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Tityridae

Tityridae is family of suboscine passerine birds found in forest and woodland in the Neotropics. The approximately 30 species in this family were formerly lumped with the families Pipridae and Cotingidae (see Taxonomy). As yet, no widely accepted common name exists for the family, although tityras and allies and tityras, mourners, and allies have been used. They are small to medium-sized birds.

Tyrant flycatchers edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Tyrannidae

Tyrant flycatchers are Passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. They superficially resemble the Old World flycatchers, but are more robust and have stronger bills. They do not have the sophisticated vocal capabilities of the songbirds. Most, but not all, are rather plain. As the name implies, most are insectivorous.

Vireos, shrike-babblers, and erpornis edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Vireonidae

The vireos and greenlets are a group of small to medium-sized passerine birds mostly restricted to the New World, though a few members of the family, called shrike-babblers, are found in Asia. They are typically greenish in color and resemble wood-warblers apart from their heavier bills.

Shrikes edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Laniidae

 
Northern shrike

Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A shrike's beak is hooked, like that of a typical bird of prey.

Crows, jays, and magpies edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Corvidae

 
California scrub-jay

The family Corvidae includes crows, ravens, jays, choughs, magpies, treepies, nutcrackers, and ground jays. Corvids are above average in size among the Passeriformes, and some of the larger species show high levels of intelligence.

Penduline-tits edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Remizidae

The only member of this family in the New World, the verdin is one of the smallest passerines in North America. It is gray overall and adults have a bright yellow head and rufous "shoulder patch" (the lesser coverts). Verdins are insectivorous, continuously foraging among the desert trees and scrubs. They are usually solitary except when they pair up to construct their conspicuous nests.

Tits, chickadees, and titmice edit

 
Black-capped chickadee

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Paridae

The Paridae are mainly small stocky woodland species with short stout bills. Some have crests. They are adaptable birds, with a mixed diet including seeds and insects.

Larks edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Alaudidae

Larks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds.

Grassbirds and allies edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Locustellidae

Locustellidae are a family of small insectivorous songbirds found mainly in Eurasia, Africa, and the Australian region. They are smallish birds with tails that are usually long and pointed, and tend to be drab brownish or buffy all over.

Swallows edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Hirundinidae

 
Barn swallow

The family Hirundinidae is adapted to aerial feeding. They have a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings, and a short bill with a wide gape. The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base.

Long-tailed tits edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Aegithalidae

The long-tailed tits are a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They make woven bag nests in trees. Most eat a mixed diet which includes insects.

Leaf warblers edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Phylloscopidae

Leaf warblers are a family of small insectivorous birds found mostly in Eurasia and ranging into Wallacea and Africa. The Arctic warbler breeds east into Alaska. The species are of various sizes, often green-plumaged above and yellow below, or more subdued with grayish-green to grayish-brown colors.

Bulbuls edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Pycnonotidae

The bulbuls are a family of medium-sized passerine songbirds native to Africa and tropical Asia. These are noisy and gregarious birds with often beautiful striking songs.

Sylviid warblers, parrotbills, and allies edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sylviidae

The family Sylviidae is a group of small insectivorous passerine birds. They mainly occur as breeding species, as the common name implies, in Europe, Asia, and to a lesser extent Africa. Most are of generally undistinguished appearance, but many have distinctive songs.

Kinglets edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Regulidae

The kinglets are a small family of birds which resemble the titmice. They are very small insectivorous birds. The adults have colored crowns, giving rise to their name.

Waxwings edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Bombycillidae

The waxwings are a group of birds with soft silky plumage and unique red tips to some of the wing feathers. In the Bohemian and cedar waxwings, these tips look like sealing wax and give the group its name. These are arboreal birds of northern forests. They live on insects in summer and berries in winter.

Silky-flycatchers edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Ptiliogonatidae

The silky-flycatchers are a small family of passerine birds which occur mainly in Central America. They are related to waxwings and most species have small crests.

Nuthatches edit

 
White-breasted nuthatch

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sittidae

Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have the unusual ability to climb down trees head first, unlike other birds which can only go upwards. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails, and powerful bills and feet.

Treecreepers edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Certhiidae

Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown above and white below. They have thin pointed down-curved bills, which they use to extricate insects from bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers, which they use to support themselves on vertical trees.

Gnatcatchers edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Polioptilidae

These dainty birds resemble Old World warblers in their structure and habits, moving restlessly through the foliage seeking insects. The gnatcatchers are mainly soft bluish gray in color and have the typical insectivore's long sharp bill. Many species have distinctive black head patterns (especially males) and long, regularly cocked, black-and-white tails.

Wrens edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Troglodytidae

 
Rock wren

Wrens are small and inconspicuous birds, except for their loud songs. They have short wings and thin down-turned bills. Several species often hold their tails upright. All are insectivorous.

Mockingbirds and thrashers edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Mimidae

The mimids are a family of passerine birds which includes thrashers, mockingbirds, tremblers, and the New World catbirds. These birds are notable for their vocalization, especially their remarkable ability to mimic a wide variety of birds and other sounds heard outdoors. The species tend towards dull grays and browns in their appearance.

 
Northern mockingbird

Starlings edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sturnidae

 
European starling at Bodega Head, California

Starlings are small to medium-sized Old World passerine birds with strong feet. Their flight is strong and direct and most are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country, and they eat insects and fruit. The plumage of several species is dark with a metallic sheen.

Dippers edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Cinclidae

Dippers are a group of perching birds whose habitat includes aquatic environments in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. They are named for their bobbing or dipping movements. These birds have adaptations which allows them to submerge and walk on the bottom to feed on insect larvae.

Thrushes and allies edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Turdidae

The thrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly but not exclusively in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs.

 
Western bluebird

Old World flycatchers edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Muscicapidae

The Old World flycatchers form a large family of small passerine birds. These are mainly small arboreal insectivores, many of which, as the name implies, take their prey on the wing.

Waxbills and allies edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Estrildidae

The members of this family are small passerine birds native to the Old World tropics. They are gregarious and often colonial seed eaters with short thick but pointed bills. They are all similar in structure and habits, but have wide variation in plumage colors and patterns.

Old World sparrows edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Passeridae

Old World sparrows are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small plump brownish or grayish birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also consume small insects.

Wagtails and pipits edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Motacillidae

 
American pipit

Motacillidae is a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They include the wagtails, longclaws, and pipits. They are slender ground-feeding insectivores of open country.

Finches, euphonias, and allies edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Fringillidae

Finches are seed-eating passerine birds that are small to moderately large and have a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. All have twelve tail feathers and nine primaries. These birds have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings, and most sing well.

 
Cassin's finch

Longspurs and snow buntings edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Calcariidae

The Calcariidae are a group of passerine birds that had been traditionally grouped with the New World sparrows, but differ in a number of respects and are usually found in open grassy areas.

Old World buntings edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Emberizidae

Emberizidae is a family of passerine birds containing a single genus. Until 2017, the New World sparrows (Passerellidae) were also considered part of this family.

New World sparrows edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Passerellidae

 
Song sparrow

Until 2017, these species were considered part of the family Emberizidae. Most of the species are known as sparrows, but these birds are not closely related to the Old World sparrows which are in the family Passeridae. Many of these have distinctive head patterns.

Yellow-breasted chat edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Icteriidae

This species was historically placed in the wood-warblers (Parulidae) but nonetheless most authorities were unsure if it belonged there. It was placed in its own family in 2017.

Troupials and allies edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Icteridae

The icterids are a group of small to medium-sized, often colorful passerine birds restricted to the New World and include the grackles, New World blackbirds, and New World orioles. Most species have black as a predominant plumage color, often enlivened by yellow, orange, or red.

 
Western meadowlark

New World warblers edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Parulidae

The wood warblers are a group of small and often colorful passerine birds restricted to the New World. Most are arboreal, but some are more terrestrial. Most members of this family are insectivores.

 
Yellow warbler
 
Yellow-rumped warbler

Cardinals and allies edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Cardinalidae

The cardinals are a family of robust seed-eating birds with strong bills. They are typically associated with open woodland. The sexes usually have distinct plumages.

 
Lazuli bunting

Tanagers and allies edit

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Thraupidae

The tanagers are a large group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World, mainly in the tropics. Many species are brightly colored. As a family they are omnivorous, but individual species specialize in eating fruits, seeds, insects, or other types of food.

References edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Birds of California.
  1. ^ "Official California Checklist". California Bird Records Committee. August 9, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  2. ^ "Check-list of North and Middle American Birds". American Ornithological Society. September 9, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  3. ^ "Eastern Spot-billed Duck". iNaturalist. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Identification Not Established". Rare Birds of California. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  5. ^ "California (CA) United States". Observation.org. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  6. ^ Searcy, Adam J.; Daniels, Brian E.; Feenstra, Jonathan S.; Tietz, James R.; Benson, Thomas A. (2018). "The 41st Annual Report of the California Bird Records Committee: 2015 Records" (PDF). Western Birds. 49: 24–46.
  7. ^ "Eared Dove". iNaturalist. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  8. ^ "European Shag". Observation.org. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  9. ^ Rottenborn, Stephen C.; McCaskie, Guy; Daniels, Brian E.; Garrett, John (March 2016). "The 39th Annual Report of the California Bird Records Committee: 2013 Records" (PDF). Western Birds. 47 (1).
  10. ^ "Gray Heron". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d Tietz, Jim; McCaskie, Guy (eds.). "Update to Rare Birds of California" (PDF). Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  12. ^ "Hen Harrier". Observation.org. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  13. ^ "Eurasian Goshawk". Observation.org. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  14. ^ "California (CA) United States". Observation.org. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  15. ^ "Ringed Kingfisher". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  16. ^ "White-fronted Woodpecker". Observation.org. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  17. ^ "Aplomado Falcon". Observation.org. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  18. ^ "Bat Falcon". iNaturalist. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  19. ^ "Carrion Crow". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  20. ^ "California (CA) United States". Observation.org. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  21. ^ "Yellow-rumped Flycatcher". Observation.org. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  22. ^ "European Pied Flycatcher". Observation.org. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  23. ^ "Common Rock Thrush". Observation.org. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  24. ^ "Blue Rock Thrush". Observation.org. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  25. ^ Lepage, Denis. "Cassia Crossbill". Avibase. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  26. ^ "Rufous-winged Sparrow". Observation.org. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  27. ^ "Natural Occurrence Questionable (Identification Established)". Rare Birds of California. Retrieved 19 September 2023.

See also edit

March 10, 2024
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This list of birds of California is a comprehensive listing of all the bird species seen naturally in the U S state of California as determined by the California Bird Records Committee CBRC 1 Additional accidental and hypothetical species have been added from different sources The California quail is the official state bird of California As of August 5 2022 there are 681 species on the CBRC list Two of these species are endemic 13 were introduced by humans directly or indirectly one species has been extirpated and one was extirpated in the wild but its reintroduction is in progress Five additional species have been documented but the CBRC could not reach a consensus as to whether records of these species involved true naturally occurring vagrants or escapes from captivity The following tags note species in each of those categories and one additional category En Endemic to California I Introduced but now established in California Ex Extirpated from California RI Reintroduction in progress not yet established California Bird Records Committee Review Species 200 species in general review species average four or fewer occurrences per year in California over the most recent ten year period UO Of unknown originIndividuals or even flocks of many additional species have been recorded in California but these birds are assumed to be deliberately released or escaped from captivity In the absence of evidence of wild origin they are not included in the CBRC list This list is presented in the taxonomic sequence of the Check list of North and Middle American Birds 7th edition through the 623rd Supplement published by the American Ornithological Society AOS 2 Common and scientific names are also those of the Check list except that the common names of families are from the Clements taxonomy because the AOS list does not include them Contents 1 Ducks geese and waterfowl 2 Guans chachalacas and curassows 3 New World quail 4 Pheasants grouse and allies 5 Grebes 6 Pigeons and doves 7 Cuckoos 8 Nightjars and allies 9 Swifts 10 Hummingbirds 11 Rails gallinules and coots 12 Cranes 13 Stilts and avocets 14 Oystercatchers 15 Plovers and lapwings 16 Sandpipers and allies 17 Skuas and jaegers 18 Auks murres and puffins 19 Gulls terns and skimmers 20 Tropicbirds 21 Loons 22 Albatrosses 23 Southern storm petrels 24 Northern storm petrels 25 Shearwaters and petrels 26 Storks 27 Frigatebirds 28 Boobies and gannets 29 Anhingas 30 Cormorants and shags 31 Pelicans 32 Herons egrets and bitterns 33 Ibises and spoonbills 34 New World vultures 35 Osprey 36 Hawks eagles and kites 37 Barn owls 38 Owls 39 Kingfishers 40 Woodpeckers 41 Falcons and caracaras 42 New World and African parrots 43 Tityras and allies 44 Tyrant flycatchers 45 Vireos shrike babblers and erpornis 46 Shrikes 47 Crows jays and magpies 48 Penduline tits 49 Tits chickadees and titmice 50 Larks 51 Grassbirds and allies 52 Swallows 53 Long tailed tits 54 Leaf warblers 55 Bulbuls 56 Sylviid warblers parrotbills and allies 57 Kinglets 58 Waxwings 59 Silky flycatchers 60 Nuthatches 61 Treecreepers 62 Gnatcatchers 63 Wrens 64 Mockingbirds and thrashers 65 Starlings 66 Dippers 67 Thrushes and allies 68 Old World flycatchers 69 Waxbills and allies 70 Old World sparrows 71 Wagtails and pipits 72 Finches euphonias and allies 73 Longspurs and snow buntings 74 Old World buntings 75 New World sparrows 76 Yellow breasted chat 77 Troupials and allies 78 New World warblers 79 Cardinals and allies 80 Tanagers and allies 81 References 82 See alsoDucks geese and waterfowl editOrder Anseriformes Family Anatidae nbsp Canada goose nbsp American wigeonThe family Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck like waterfowl such as geese and swans These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet bills which are flattened to a greater or lesser extent and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to special oils Black bellied whistling duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Fulvous whistling duck Dendrocygna bicolor Emperor goose Anser canagica Snow goose Anser caerulescens Ross s goose Anser rossii Greater white fronted goose Anser albifrons Tundra bean goose Anser serrirostris Brant Branta bernicla Cackling goose Branta hutchinsii Canada goose Branta canadensis Trumpeter swan Cygnus buccinator Tundra swan Cygnus columbianus Whooper swan Cygnus cygnus Wood duck Aix sponsa Baikal teal Sibirionetta formosa Garganey Spatula querquedula Blue winged teal Spatula discors Cinnamon teal Spatula cyanoptera Northern shoveler Spatula clypeata Gadwall Mareca strepera Falcated duck Mareca falcata Eurasian wigeon Mareca penelope American wigeon Mareca americana Eastern spot billed duck Anas zonorhyncha accidental 3 Mallard Anas platydiazirhynchos Mexican duck Anas diazi American black duck Anas rubripes Northern pintail Anas acuta Green winged teal Anas crecca Canvasback Aythya valisineria Redhead Aythya americana Common pochard Aythya ferina Ring necked duck Aythya collaris Tufted duck Aythya fuligula Greater scaup Aythya marila Lesser scaup Aythya affinis Steller s eider Polysticta stelleri King eider Somateria spectabilis Common eider Somateria mollissima Harlequin duck Histrionicus histrionicus Surf scoter Melanitta perspicillata White winged scoter Melanitta deglandi Common scoter Melanitta nigra Black scoter Melanitta americana Long tailed duck Clangula hyemalis Bufflehead Bucephala albeola Common goldeneye Bucephala clangula Barrow s goldeneye Bucephala islandica Smew Mergellus albellus Hooded merganser Lophodytes cucullatus Common merganser Mergus merganser Red breasted merganser Mergus serrator Masked duck Nomonyx dominicus hypothetical 4 Ruddy duck Oxyura jamaicensisGuans chachalacas and curassows editOrder Galliformes Family CracidaeThe chachalacas guans and curassows are birds in the family Cracidae These are large birds similar in general appearance to turkeys The guans and curassows live in trees but the smaller chachalacas are found in more open scrubby habitats They are generally dull plumaged but the curassows and some guans have colorful facial ornaments Plain chachalaca Ortalis vetula hypothetical 4 New World quail editOrder Galliformes Family OdontophoridaeThe New World quails are small plump terrestrial birds only distantly related to the quails of the Old World but named for their similar appearance and habits Mountain quail Oreortyx pictus California quail Callipepla californica Gambel s quail Callipepla gambeliiPheasants grouse and allies editOrder Galliformes Family PhasianidaePhasianidae consists of the pheasants and their allies including partridges grouse turkeys and Old World quail These are terrestrial species variable in size but generally plump with broad relatively short wings Many species are gamebirds or have been domesticated as a food source for humans Wild turkey Meleagris gallopavo I Ruffed grouse Bonasa umbellus White tailed ptarmigan Lagopus leucurus I Sooty grouse Dendragapus fuliginosus Sharp tailed grouse Tympanuchus phasianellus Ex Greater sage grouse Centrocercus urophasianus Ring necked pheasant Phasianus colchicus I Chukar Alectoris chukar I Grebes editOrder Podicipediformes Family Podicipedidae nbsp Red necked grebeGrebes are small to medium large freshwater diving birds They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers However they have their feet placed far back on the body making them quite ungainly on land Least grebe Tachybaptus dominicus Pied billed grebe Podilymbus podiceps Horned grebe Podiceps auritus Red necked grebe Podiceps grisegena Eared grebe Podiceps nigricollis Western grebe Aechmorphorus occidentalis Clark s grebe Aechmorphorus clarkiiPigeons and doves editOrder Columbiformes Family Columbidae nbsp Mourning dovePigeons and doves are stout bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere Rock pigeon Columba livia I Band tailed pigeon Patagioenas fasciata Oriental turtle dove Streptopelia orientalis European turtle dove Streptopelia turtur accidental 5 Eurasian collared dove Streptopelia decaocto I Spotted dove Spilopelia chinensis I Inca dove Columbina inca Common ground dove Columbina passerina Ruddy ground dove Columbina talpacoti White tipped dove Leptotila verreauxi hypothetical 6 White winged dove Zenaida asiatica Eared dove Zenaida auriculata accidental 7 Mourning dove Zenaida macrouraCuckoos editOrder Cuculiformes Family Cuculidae nbsp Greater roadrunnerThe family Cuculidae includes cuckoos roadrunners and anis These birds are of variable size with slender bodies long tails and strong legs The Old World cuckoos are brood parasites Groove billed ani Crotophaga sulcirostris Common cuckoo Cuculus canorus Greater roadrunner Geococcyx californianus Yellow billed cuckoo Coccyzus americanus Black billed cuckoo Coccyzus erythropthalmus Nightjars and allies editOrder Caprimulgiformes Family Caprimulgidae nbsp Common nighthawk drawn in 1859Nightjars are medium sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground They have long wings short legs and very short bills Most have small feet of little use for walking and long pointed wings Their soft plumage is cryptically colored to resemble bark or leaves Lesser nighthawk Chordeiles acutipennis Common nighthawk Chordeiles minor Common poorwill Phalaenoptilus nuttallii Chuck will s widow Antrostomus carolinensis Buff collared nightjar Antrostomus ridgwayi Eastern whip poor will Antrostomus vociferus Mexican whip poor will Antrostomus arizonaeSwifts editOrder Apodiformes Family ApodidaeThe swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground perching instead only on vertical surfaces Many swifts have long swept back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang Black swift Cypseloides niger White fronted swift Cypseloides storeri hypothetical 4 White collared swift Streptoprocne zonaris Chimney swift Chaetura pelagica Vaux s swift Chaetura vauxi Common swift Apus apus White throated swift Aeronautes saxatalisHummingbirds editOrder Apodiformes Family TrochilidaeHummingbirds are small birds capable of hovering in mid air due to the rapid flapping of their wings They are the only birds that can fly backwards nbsp Black chinned hummingbirdMexican violetear Colibri thalassinus Rivoli s hummingbird Eugenes fulgens Blue throated mountain gem Lampornis clemenciae Ruby throated hummingbird Archilochus colubris Black chinned hummingbird Archilochus alexandri Anna s hummingbird Calypte anna Costa s hummingbird Calypte costae Calliope hummingbird Selasphorus calliope Rufous hummingbird Selasphorus rufus Allen s hummingbird Selasphorus sasin Broad tailed hummingbird Selasphorus platycercus Broad billed hummingbird Cynanthus latirostris Xantus s hummingbird Basilinna xantusii Violet crowned hummingbird Leucolia violiceps Rails gallinules and coots editOrder Gruiformes Family RallidaeRallidae is a large family of small to medium sized birds which includes the rails crakes coots and gallinules The most typical family members occupy dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes swamps or rivers In general they are shy and secretive birds making them difficult to observe Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces They tend to have short rounded wings and to be weak fliers nbsp American cootRidgway s rail Rallus obsoletus Virginia rail Rallus limicola Sora Porzana carolina Common gallinule Gallinula galeata American coot Fulica americana Purple gallinule Porphyrio martinicus Yellow rail Coturnicops noveboracensis Black rail Laterallus jamaicensisCranes editOrder Gruiformes Family GruidaeCranes are large long legged long necked birds Unlike the similar looking but unrelated herons cranes fly with necks outstretched not pulled back Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or dances Demoiselle crane Anthropoides virgo UO Sandhill crane Antigone canadensis Common crane Grus grus Whooping crane Grus americana hypothetical 4 Stilts and avocets editOrder Charadriiformes Family RecurvirostridaeRecurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds which includes the avocets and stilts The avocets have long legs and long up curved bills The stilts have extremely long legs and long thin straight bills Black necked stilt Himantopus mexicanus American avocet Recurvirostra americanaOystercatchers editOrder Charadriiformes Family HaematopodidaeThe oystercatchers are large obvious and noisy plover like birds with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs American oystercatcher Haematopus palliatus Black oystercatcher Haematopus bachmaniPlovers and lapwings editOrder Charadriiformes Family CharadriidaeThe family Charadriidae includes the plovers dotterels and lapwings They are small to medium sized birds with compact bodies short thick necks and long usually pointed wings They are found in open country worldwide mostly in habitats near water nbsp KilldeerBlack bellied plover Pluvialis squatarola American golden plover Pluvialis dominica Pacific golden plover Pluvialis fulva Eurasian dotterel Charadrius morinellus Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Common ringed plover Charadrius hiaticula Semipalmated plover Charadrius semipalmatus Piping plover Charadrius melodus Lesser sand plover Charadrius mongolus Greater sand plover Charadrius leschenaultii Wilson s plover Charadrius wilsonia Snowy plover Charadrius nivosus Mountain plover Charadrius montanusSandpipers and allies editOrder Charadriiformes Family Scolopacidae nbsp Semipalmated sandpiper nbsp WilletScolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium sized shorebirds including the sandpipers curlews godwits shanks tattlers woodcocks snipes dowitchers and phalaropes The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil Different lengths of legs and bills enable multiple species to feed in the same habitat particularly on the coast without direct competition for food Upland sandpiper Bartramia longicauda Bristle thighed curlew Numenius tahitiensis Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus Little curlew Numenius minutus Long billed curlew Numenius americanus Bar tailed godwit Limosa lapponica Hudsonian godwit Limosa haemastica Marbled godwit Limosa fedoa Ruddy turnstone Arenaria interpres Black turnstone Arenaria melanocephala Red knot Calidris canutus Surfbird Calidris virgata Ruff Calidris pugnax Sharp tailed sandpiper Calidris acuminata Stilt sandpiper Calidris himantopus Curlew sandpiper Calidris ferruginea Long toed stint Calidris subminuta Red necked stint Calidris ruficollis Sanderling Calidris alba Dunlin Calidris alpina Rock sandpiper Calidris ptilocnemis Purple sandpiper Calidris maritima Baird s sandpiper Calidris bairdii Little stint Calidris minuta Least sandpiper Calidris minutilla White rumped sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis Buff breasted sandpiper Calidris subruficollis Pectoral sandpiper Calidris melanotos Semipalmated sandpiper Calidris pusilla Western sandpiper Calidris mauri Short billed dowitcher Limnodromus griseus Long billed dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus Jack snipe Lymnocryptes minimus American woodcock Scolopax minor Common snipe Gallinago gallinago Wilson s snipe Gallinago delicata Terek sandpiper Xenus cinereus Spotted sandpiper Actitis macularia Solitary sandpiper Tringa solitaria Gray tailed tattler Tringa brevipes Wandering tattler Tringa incana Lesser yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Willet Tringa semipalmata Spotted redshank Tringa erythropus Common greenshank Tringa nebularia Greater yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Wood sandpiper Tringa glareola Marsh sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis Wilson s phalarope Phalaropus tricolor Red necked phalarope Phalaropus lobatus Red phalarope Phalaropus fulicariusSkuas and jaegers editOrder Charadriiformes Family StercorariidaeSkuas and jaegers are in general medium to large birds typically with gray or brown plumage often with white markings on the wings They have longish bills with hooked tips and webbed feet with sharp claws They look like large dark gulls but have a fleshy cere above the upper mandible They are strong acrobatic fliers South polar skua Stercorarius maccormicki Pomarine jaeger Stercorarius pomarinus Parasitic jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus Long tailed jaeger Stercorarius longicaudusAuks murres and puffins editOrder Charadriiformes Family AlcidaeAlcids are superficially similar to penguins due to their black and white colors their upright posture and some of their habits However they are only distantly related to the penguins and are able to fly Auks live on the open sea only deliberately coming ashore to nest nbsp Tufted puffinCommon murre Uria aalge Thick billed murre Uria lomvia Pigeon guillemot Cepphus columba Long billed murrelet Brachyramphus perdix Marbled murrelet Brachyramphus marmoratus Kittlitz s murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris Scripps s murrelet Synthliboramphus scrippsi Guadalupe murrelet Synthliboramphus hypoleucus Craveri s murrelet Synthliboramphus craveri Ancient murrelet Synthliboramphus antiquus Cassin s auklet Ptychoramphus aleuticus Parakeet auklet Aethia psittacula Least auklet Aethia pusilla Crested auklet Aethia cristatella Rhinoceros auklet Cerorhinca monocerata Horned puffin Fratercula corniculata Tufted puffin Fratercula cirrhataGulls terns and skimmers editOrder Charadriiformes Family Laridae nbsp Western gullLaridae is a family of medium to large seabirds and includes gulls terns kittiwakes and skimmers They are typically gray or white often with black markings on the head or wings They have stout longish bills and webbed feet Swallow tailed gull Creagrus furcatus Black legged kittiwake Rissa tridactyla Red legged kittiwake Rissa brevirostris Ivory gull Pagophila eburnea Sabine s gull Xema sabini Bonaparte s gull Chroicocephalus philadelphia Black headed gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus Little gull Hydrocoloeus minutus Ross s gull Rhodostethia rosea Laughing gull Leucophaeus atricilla Franklin s gull Leucophaeus pipixcan Belcher s gull Larus belcheri Black tailed gull Larus crassirostris Heermann s gull Larus heermanni Short billed gull Larus brachyrhynchus Ring billed gull Larus delawarensis Western gull Larus occidentalis Yellow footed gull Larus livens California gull Larus californicus Herring gull Larus argentatus Iceland gull Larus glaucoides Lesser black backed gull Larus fuscus Slaty backed gull Larus schistisagus Glaucous winged gull Larus glaucescens Glaucous gull Larus hyperboreus Great black backed gull Larus marinus Kelp gull Larus dominicanus Sooty tern Onychoprion fuscata Bridled tern Onychoprion anaethetus Least tern Sternula antillarum Gull billed tern Gelochelidon nilotica Caspian tern Hydroprogne caspia Black tern Chlidonias niger White winged tern Chlidonias leucopterus Common tern Sterna hirundo Arctic tern Sterna paradisaea Forster s tern Sterna forsteri Royal tern Thalasseus maximus Sandwich tern Thalasseus sandvicensis Elegant tern Thalasseus elegans Black skimmer Rynchops nigerTropicbirds editOrder Phaethontiformes Family PhaethontidaeTropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans with exceptionally long central tail feathers Their long wings have black markings as does the head White tailed tropicbird Phaethon lepturus Red billed tropicbird Phaethon aethereus Red tailed tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda Loons editOrder Gaviiformes Family GaviidaeLoons are aquatic birds the size of a large duck to which they are unrelated Their plumage is largely gray or black and they have spear shaped bills Loons swim well and fly adequately but are almost hopeless on land because their legs are placed towards the rear of the body Red throated loon Gavia stellata Arctic loon Gavia arctica Pacific loon Gavia pacifica Common loon Gavia immer Yellow billed loon Gavia adamsii Albatrosses editOrder Procellariiformes Family DiomedeidaeThe albatrosses are amongst the largest of flying birds and the great albatrosses from the genus Diomedea have the largest wingspans of any extant birds White capped albatross Thalassarche cauta Chatham albatross Thalassarche eremita Salvin s albatross Thalassarche salvini Light mantled albatross Phoebetria palpebrata Wandering albatross Diomedea exulans Laysan albatross Phoebastria immutabilis Black footed albatross Phoebastria nigripes Short tailed albatross Phoebastria albatrus Southern storm petrels edit nbsp Wilson s storm petrelOrder Procellariiformes Family OceanitidaeThe storm petrels are the smallest seabirds relatives of the petrels feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface typically while hovering The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat like Until 2018 this family s three species were included with the other storm petrels in family Hydrobatidae Wilson s storm petrel Oceanites oceanicusNorthern storm petrels editOrder Procellariiformes Family HydrobatidaeThough the members of this family are similar in many respects to the southern storm petrels including their general appearance and habits there are enough genetic differences to warrant their placement in a separate family Fork tailed storm petrel Hydrobates furcatus Ringed storm petrel Hydrobates hornbyi Leach s storm petrel Hydrobates leucorhous Townsend s storm petrel Hydrobates socorroensis Ashy storm petrel Hydrobates homochroa Band rumped storm petrel Hydrobates castro Wedge rumped storm petrel Hydrobates tethys Black storm petrel Hydrobates melania Tristram s storm petrel Hydrobates tristrami Least storm petrel Hydrobates microsomaShearwaters and petrels editOrder Procellariiformes Family Procellariidae nbsp Northern fulmarThe procellariids are the main group of medium sized true petrels characterized by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary Northern fulmar Fulmarus glacialis Gray faced petrel Pterodroma gouldi Kermadec petrel Pterodroma neglecta Murphy s petrel Pterodroma ultima Mottled petrel Pterodroma inexpectata Hawaiian petrel Pterodroma sandwichensis Cook s petrel Pterodroma cookii Stejneger s petrel Pterodroma longirostris Bulwer s petrel Bulweria bulwerii Jouanin s petrel Bulweria fallax White chinned petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis Parkinson s petrel Procellaria parkinsoni Streaked shearwater Calonectris leucomelas Cory s shearwater Calonectris diomedea Wedge tailed shearwater Ardenna pacificus Buller s shearwater Ardenna bulleri Short tailed shearwater Ardenna tenuirostris Sooty shearwater Ardenna griseus Great shearwater Ardenna gravis Pink footed shearwater Ardenna creatopus Flesh footed shearwater Ardenna carneipes Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus Newell s shearwater Puffinus newelli Black vented shearwater Puffinus opisthomelasStorks editOrder Ciconiiformes Family CiconiidaeStorks are large heavy long legged long necked wading birds with long stout bills and wide wingspans They lack the powder down that other wading birds such as herons spoonbills and ibises use to clean off fish slime Storks lack a pharynx and are mute Wood stork Mycteria americana Frigatebirds editOrder Suliformes Family FregatidaeFrigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans They are large black or black and white with long wings and deeply forked tails The males have colored inflatable throat pouches They do not swim or walk and cannot take off from a flat surface Having the largest wingspan to body weight ratio of any bird they are essentially aerial able to stay aloft for more than a week Lesser frigatebird Fregata ariel Magnificent frigatebird Fregata magnificens Great frigatebird Fregata minor Boobies and gannets editOrder Suliformes Family SulidaeThe sulids comprise the gannets and boobies Both groups are medium large coastal seabirds that plunge dive for fish Masked booby Sula dactylatra Nazca booby Sula granti Blue footed booby Sula nebouxii Brown booby Sula leucogaster Red footed booby Sula sula Northern gannet Morus bassanus Anhingas editOrder Suliformes Family AnhingidaeAnhingas are cormorant like water birds with very long necks and long straight beaks They are fish eaters which often swim with only their neck above the water Anhinga Anhinga anhinga Cormorants and shags edit nbsp Double crested cormorantOrder Suliformes Family PhalacrocoracidaeCormorants are medium to large aquatic birds usually with mainly dark plumage and areas of colored skin on the face The bill is long thin and sharply hooked Their feet are four toed and webbed Great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo hypothetical 4 European shag Gulosus aristotelis accidental 8 not on the AOS Check list Brandt s cormorant Urile penicillatus Red faced cormorant Urile urile hypothetical 9 Pelagic cormorant Urile pelagicus Double crested cormorant Nannopterum auritum Neotropic cormorant Nannopterum brasilianumPelicans editOrder Pelecaniformes Family PelecanidaePelicans are very large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak Like other birds in the order Pelecaniformes they have four webbed toes American white pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Brown pelican Pelecanus occidentalisHerons egrets and bitterns editOrder Pelecaniformes Family Ardeidae nbsp Great blue heronThe family Ardeidae contains the herons egrets and bitterns Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more secretive Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted unlike other long necked birds such as storks ibises and spoonbills American bittern Botaurus lentiginosus Least bittern Ixobrychus exilis Great blue heron Ardea herodias Gray heron Ardea cinerea accidental 10 Great egret Ardea alba Snowy egret Egretta thula Little blue heron Egretta caerulea Tricolored heron Egretta tricolor Reddish egret Egretta rufescens Cattle egret Bubulcus ibis Chinese pond heron Ardeola bacchus hypothetical 4 Green heron Butorides virescens Agami heron Agamia agami hypothetical 4 Black crowned night heron Nycticorax nycticorax Yellow crowned night heron Nyctanassa violaceaIbises and spoonbills editOrder Pelecaniformes Family ThreskiornithidaeThe family Threskiornithidae includes the ibises and spoonbills They have long broad wings Their bodies tend to be elongated the neck more so with rather long legs The bill is also long decurved in the case of the ibises straight and distinctively flattened in the spoonbills White ibis Eudocimus albus Glossy ibis Plegadis falcinellus White faced ibis Plegadis chihi Roseate spoonbill Platalea ajaja New World vultures editOrder Cathartiformes Family Cathartidae nbsp California condorThe New World vultures are not closely related to Old World vultures but superficially resemble them because of convergent evolution Like the Old World vultures they are scavengers However unlike Old World vultures which find carcasses by sight New World vultures have a good sense of smell with which they locate carcasses California condor Gymnogyps californianus RI Andean condor Vultur gryphus hypothetical 11 not on the AOS Check list Black vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey vulture Cathartes auraOsprey edit nbsp OspreyOrder Accipitriformes Family PandionidaePandionidae is a monotypic family of fish eating birds of prey Its single species possesses a very large and powerful hooked beak strong legs strong talons and keen eyesight Osprey Pandion haliaetusHawks eagles and kites editOrder Accipitriformes Family AccipitridaeAccipitridae is a family of birds of prey which includes hawks eagles kites harriers and Old World vultures These birds have very large powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey strong legs powerful talons and keen eyesight White tailed kite Elanus leucurus Swallow tailed kite Elanoides forficatus Golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos Northern harrier Circus hudsonius Hen harrier Circus cyaneus accidental 12 not on the AOS Check list Sharp shinned hawk Accipiter striatus Cooper s hawk Accipiter cooperii Eurasian goshawk Accipiter gentilis accidental 13 American goshawk Accipiter atricapillus Bald eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus Mississippi kite Ictinia mississippiensis Common black hawk Buteogallus anthracinus Harris s hawk Parabuteo unicinctus White tailed hawk Geranoaetus albicaudatus hypothetical 4 Gray hawk Buteo plagiatus Red shouldered hawk Buteo lineatus Broad winged hawk Buteo platypterus Short tailed hawk Buteo brachyurus hypothetical 11 Swainson s hawk Buteo swainsoni Zone tailed hawk Buteo albonotatus Red tailed hawk Buteo jamaicensis Rough legged hawk Buteo lagopus Ferruginous hawk Buteo regalisBarn owls editOrder Strigiformes Family TytonidaeBarn owls are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart shaped faces They have long strong legs with powerful talons Barn owl Tyto albaOwls editOrder Strigiformes Family StrigidaeTypical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey They have large forward facing eyes and ears a hawk like beak and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk nbsp Barred owlFlammulated owl Psiloscops flammeolus Whiskered screech owl Megascops trichopsis accidental 14 Western screech owl Megascops kennicottii Great horned owl Bubo virginianus Snowy owl Bubo scandiacus Northern pygmy owl Glaucidium gnoma Elf owl Micrathene whitneyi Burrowing owl Athene cunicularia Spotted owl Strix occidentalis Barred owl Strix varia Great gray owl Strix nebulosa Long eared owl Asio otus Short eared owl Asio flammeus Boreal owl Aegolius funereus hypothetical 4 Northern saw whet owl Aegolius acadicusKingfishers editOrder Coraciiformes Family AlcedinidaeKingfishers are medium sized birds with large heads long pointed bills short legs and stubby tails Ringed kingfisher Megaceryle torquata accidental 15 Belted kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon Amazon kingfisher Chloroceryle amazona hypothetical 11 Green kingfisher Chloroceryle americana hypothetical 4 Woodpeckers editOrder Piciformes Family PicidaeWoodpeckers are small to medium sized birds with chisel like beaks short legs stiff tails and long tongues used for capturing insects Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward while several species have only three toes Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks nbsp Hairy woodpeckerEurasian wryneck Jynx torquilla Lewis s woodpecker Melanerpes lewis White fronted woodpecker Melanerpes cactorum accidental 16 not on the AOS Check list Red headed woodpecker Melanerpes erythrocephalus Acorn woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus Gila woodpecker Melanerpes uropygialis Williamson s sapsucker Sphyrapicus thyroideus Yellow bellied sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius Red naped sapsucker Sphyrapicus nuchalis Red breasted sapsucker Sphyrapicus ruber American three toed woodpecker Picoides dorsalis hypothetical 4 Black backed woodpecker Picoides arcticus Downy woodpecker Dryobates pubescens Nuttall s woodpecker Dryobates nuttallii Ladder backed woodpecker Dryobates scalaris Hairy woodpecker Dryobates villosus White headed woodpecker Dryobates albolarvatus Northern flicker Colaptes auratus Gilded flicker Colaptes chrysoides Pileated woodpecker Dryocopus pileatusFalcons and caracaras editOrder Falconiformes Family FalconidaeFalconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey notably the falcons and caracaras They differ from hawks eagles and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons Crested caracara Caracara plancus Yellow headed caracara Milvago chimachima hypothetical 11 Eurasian kestrel Falco tinnunculus American kestrel Falco sparverius Merlin Falco columbarius Aplomado falcon Falco femoralis accidental 17 Bat falcon Falco rufigularis accidental 18 Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus Prairie falcon Falco mexicanusNew World and African parrots editSee also feral parrots Order Psittaciformes Family PsittacidaeCharacteristic features of parrots include a strong curved bill an upright stance strong legs and clawed zygodactyl feet Many parrots are vividly colored and some are multi colored In size they range from 8 cm 3 1 in to 1 m 3 3 ft in length Most of the more than 150 species in this family are found in the New World Yellow chevroned parakeet Brotogeris chiriri I Red crowned parrot Amazona viridigenalis I Lilac crowned parrot Amazona finschi I Nanday parakeet Aratinga nenday I Mitred parakeet Psittacara mitratus I Red masked parakeet Psittacara erythrogenys I Tityras and allies editOrder Passeriformes Family TityridaeTityridae is family of suboscine passerine birds found in forest and woodland in the Neotropics The approximately 30 species in this family were formerly lumped with the families Pipridae and Cotingidae see Taxonomy As yet no widely accepted common name exists for the family although tityras and allies and tityras mourners and allies have been used They are small to medium sized birds Rose throated becard Pachyramphus aglaiae hypothetical 4 Tyrant flycatchers editOrder Passeriformes Family TyrannidaeTyrant flycatchers are Passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America They superficially resemble the Old World flycatchers but are more robust and have stronger bills They do not have the sophisticated vocal capabilities of the songbirds Most but not all are rather plain As the name implies most are insectivorous Small billed elaenia Elaenia parvirostris Dusky capped flycatcher Myiarchus tuberculifer Ash throated flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens Nutting s flycatcher Myiarchus nuttingi Great crested flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus Brown crested flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus Sulphur bellied flycatcher Myiodynastes luteiventris Tropical kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus Couch s kingbird Tyrannus couchii Cassin s kingbird Tyrannus vociferans Thick billed kingbird Tyrannus crassirostris Western kingbird Tyrannus verticalis Eastern kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus Scissor tailed flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Fork tailed flycatcher Tyrannus savana Olive sided flycatcher Contopus cooperi Greater pewee Contopus pertinax Western wood pewee Contopus sordidulus Eastern wood pewee Contopus virens Yellow bellied flycatcher Empidonax flaviventris Alder flycatcher Empidonax alnorum Willow flycatcher Empidonax traillii Least flycatcher Empidonax minimus Hammond s flycatcher Empidonax hammondii Gray flycatcher Empidonax wrightii Dusky flycatcher Empidonax oberholseri Western flycatcher Empidonax difficilis Buff breasted flycatcher Empidonax fulvifrons Black phoebe Sayornis nigricans Eastern phoebe Sayornis phoebe Say s phoebe Sayornis saya Vermilion flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinusVireos shrike babblers and erpornis editOrder Passeriformes Family VireonidaeThe vireos and greenlets are a group of small to medium sized passerine birds mostly restricted to the New World though a few members of the family called shrike babblers are found in Asia They are typically greenish in color and resemble wood warblers apart from their heavier bills White eyed vireo Vireo griseus Bell s vireo Vireo bellii Gray vireo Vireo vicinior Hutton s vireo Vireo huttoni Yellow throated vireo Vireo flavifrons Cassin s vireo Vireo cassinii Blue headed vireo Vireo solitarius Plumbeous vireo Vireo plumbeus Philadelphia vireo Vireo philadelphicus Warbling vireo Vireo gilvus Red eyed vireo Vireo olivaceus Yellow green vireo Vireo flavoviridisShrikes editOrder Passeriformes Family Laniidae nbsp Northern shrikeShrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns A shrike s beak is hooked like that of a typical bird of prey Brown shrike Lanius cristatus Loggerhead shrike Lanius ludovicianus Northern shrike Lanius borealisCrows jays and magpies editOrder Passeriformes Family Corvidae nbsp California scrub jayThe family Corvidae includes crows ravens jays choughs magpies treepies nutcrackers and ground jays Corvids are above average in size among the Passeriformes and some of the larger species show high levels of intelligence Canada jay Perisoreus canadensis Pinyon jay Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus Steller s jay Cyanocitta stelleri Blue jay Cyanocitta cristata Island scrub jay Aphelocoma insularis En California scrub jay Aphelocoma californica Woodhouse s scrub jay Aphelocoma woodhouseii Clark s nutcracker Nucifraga columbiana Black billed magpie Pica hudsonia Yellow billed magpie Pica nuttalli En American crow Corvus brachyrhynchos Carrion crow Corvus corone accidental 19 not on the AOS Check list Chihuahuan raven Corvus cryptoleucus accidental 20 Common raven Corvus coraxPenduline tits editOrder Passeriformes Family RemizidaeThe only member of this family in the New World the verdin is one of the smallest passerines in North America It is gray overall and adults have a bright yellow head and rufous shoulder patch the lesser coverts Verdins are insectivorous continuously foraging among the desert trees and scrubs They are usually solitary except when they pair up to construct their conspicuous nests Verdin Auriparus flavicepsTits chickadees and titmice edit nbsp Black capped chickadeeOrder Passeriformes Family ParidaeThe Paridae are mainly small stocky woodland species with short stout bills Some have crests They are adaptable birds with a mixed diet including seeds and insects Black capped chickadee Poecile atricapilla Mountain chickadee Poecile gambeli Chestnut backed chickadee Poecile rufescens Oak titmouse Baeolophus inornatus Juniper titmouse Baeolophus ridgwayiLarks editOrder Passeriformes Family AlaudidaeLarks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights Most larks are fairly dull in appearance Their food is insects and seeds Eurasian skylark Alauda arvensis Horned lark Eremophila alpestrisGrassbirds and allies editOrder Passeriformes Family LocustellidaeLocustellidae are a family of small insectivorous songbirds found mainly in Eurasia Africa and the Australian region They are smallish birds with tails that are usually long and pointed and tend to be drab brownish or buffy all over Lanceolated warbler Locustella lanceolata Swallows editOrder Passeriformes Family Hirundinidae nbsp Barn swallowThe family Hirundinidae is adapted to aerial feeding They have a slender streamlined body long pointed wings and a short bill with a wide gape The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking and the front toes are partially joined at the base Bank swallow Riparia riparia Tree swallow Tachycineta bicolor Violet green swallow Tachycineta thalassina Northern rough winged swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis Purple martin Progne subis Barn swallow Hirundo rustica Cliff swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota Cave swallow Petrochelidon fulva Long tailed tits editOrder Passeriformes Family AegithalidaeThe long tailed tits are a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails They make woven bag nests in trees Most eat a mixed diet which includes insects Bushtit Psaltriparus minimusLeaf warblers editOrder Passeriformes Family PhylloscopidaeLeaf warblers are a family of small insectivorous birds found mostly in Eurasia and ranging into Wallacea and Africa The Arctic warbler breeds east into Alaska The species are of various sizes often green plumaged above and yellow below or more subdued with grayish green to grayish brown colors Wood warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix Yellow browed warbler Phylloscopus inornatus Dusky warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus Willow warbler Phylloscopus trochilus Arctic warbler Kamchatka leaf warbler Phylloscopus borealis P examinandus Bulbuls editOrder Passeriformes Family PycnonotidaeThe bulbuls are a family of medium sized passerine songbirds native to Africa and tropical Asia These are noisy and gregarious birds with often beautiful striking songs Red whiskered bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus I Sylviid warblers parrotbills and allies editOrder Passeriformes Family SylviidaeThe family Sylviidae is a group of small insectivorous passerine birds They mainly occur as breeding species as the common name implies in Europe Asia and to a lesser extent Africa Most are of generally undistinguished appearance but many have distinctive songs Wrentit Chamaea fasciataKinglets editOrder Passeriformes Family RegulidaeThe kinglets are a small family of birds which resemble the titmice They are very small insectivorous birds The adults have colored crowns giving rise to their name Ruby crowned kinglet Corthylio calendula Golden crowned kinglet Regulus satrapaWaxwings editOrder Passeriformes Family BombycillidaeThe waxwings are a group of birds with soft silky plumage and unique red tips to some of the wing feathers In the Bohemian and cedar waxwings these tips look like sealing wax and give the group its name These are arboreal birds of northern forests They live on insects in summer and berries in winter Bohemian waxwing Bombycilla garrulus Cedar waxwing Bombycilla cedrorumSilky flycatchers editOrder Passeriformes Family PtiliogonatidaeThe silky flycatchers are a small family of passerine birds which occur mainly in Central America They are related to waxwings and most species have small crests Gray silky flycatcher Ptiliogonys cinereus UO Phainopepla Phainopepla nitensNuthatches edit nbsp White breasted nuthatchOrder Passeriformes Family SittidaeNuthatches are small woodland birds They have the unusual ability to climb down trees head first unlike other birds which can only go upwards Nuthatches have big heads short tails and powerful bills and feet Red breasted nuthatch Sitta canadensis White breasted nuthatch Sitta carolinensis Pygmy nuthatch Sitta pygmaeaTreecreepers editOrder Passeriformes Family CerthiidaeTreecreepers are small woodland birds brown above and white below They have thin pointed down curved bills which they use to extricate insects from bark They have stiff tail feathers like woodpeckers which they use to support themselves on vertical trees Brown creeper Certhia americanaGnatcatchers editOrder Passeriformes Family PolioptilidaeThese dainty birds resemble Old World warblers in their structure and habits moving restlessly through the foliage seeking insects The gnatcatchers are mainly soft bluish gray in color and have the typical insectivore s long sharp bill Many species have distinctive black head patterns especially males and long regularly cocked black and white tails Blue gray gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Black tailed gnatcatcher Polioptila melanura California gnatcatcher Polioptila californicaWrens editOrder Passeriformes Family Troglodytidae nbsp Rock wrenWrens are small and inconspicuous birds except for their loud songs They have short wings and thin down turned bills Several species often hold their tails upright All are insectivorous Rock wren Salpinctes obsoletus Canyon wren Catherpes mexicanus House wren Troglodytes aedon Pacific wren Troglodytes pacificus Winter wren Troglodytes hiemalis Sedge wren Cistothorus platensis Marsh wren Cistothorus palustris Bewick s wren Thryomanes bewickii Cactus wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillusMockingbirds and thrashers editOrder Passeriformes Family MimidaeThe mimids are a family of passerine birds which includes thrashers mockingbirds tremblers and the New World catbirds These birds are notable for their vocalization especially their remarkable ability to mimic a wide variety of birds and other sounds heard outdoors The species tend towards dull grays and browns in their appearance nbsp Northern mockingbirdBlue mockingbird Melanotis caerulescens UO Gray catbird Dumetella carolinensis Curve billed thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre Brown thrasher Toxostoma rufum Bendire s thrasher Toxostoma bendirei Gray thrasher Toxostoma cinereum UO not on the AOS Check list placement is per the Clements taxonomy California thrasher Toxostoma redivivum LeConte s thrasher Toxostoma lecontei Crissal thrasher Toxostoma crissale Sage thrasher Oreoscoptes montanus Northern mockingbird Mimus polyglottosStarlings editOrder Passeriformes Family Sturnidae nbsp European starling at Bodega Head CaliforniaStarlings are small to medium sized Old World passerine birds with strong feet Their flight is strong and direct and most are very gregarious Their preferred habitat is fairly open country and they eat insects and fruit The plumage of several species is dark with a metallic sheen European starling Sturnus vulgaris I Dippers editOrder Passeriformes Family CinclidaeDippers are a group of perching birds whose habitat includes aquatic environments in the Americas Europe and Asia They are named for their bobbing or dipping movements These birds have adaptations which allows them to submerge and walk on the bottom to feed on insect larvae American dipper Cinclus mexicanusThrushes and allies editOrder Passeriformes Family TurdidaeThe thrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly but not exclusively in the Old World They are plump soft plumaged small to medium sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores often feeding on the ground Many have attractive songs nbsp Western bluebirdWestern bluebird Sialia mexicana Mountain bluebird Sialia currucoides Townsend s solitaire Myadestes townsendi Veery Catharus fuscescens Gray cheeked thrush Catharus minimus Swainson s thrush Catharus ustulatus Hermit thrush Catharus guttatus Wood thrush Hylocichla mustelina Eyebrowed thrush Turdus obscurus Rufous backed robin Turdus rufopalliatus American robin Turdus migratorius Varied thrush Ixoreus naeviusOld World flycatchers editOrder Passeriformes Family MuscicapidaeThe Old World flycatchers form a large family of small passerine birds These are mainly small arboreal insectivores many of which as the name implies take their prey on the wing Bluethroat Cyanecula svecica Siberian rubythroat Calliope calliope Red flanked bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus Yellow rumped flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia accidental 21 not on the AOS Check list Taiga flycatcher Ficedula albicilla European pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca accidental 22 not on the AOS Check list Rufous tailed rock thrush Monticola saxatilis accidental 23 not on the AOS Check list Blue rock thrush Monticola solitarius accidental 24 not on the AOS Check list Asian stonechat Saxicola maurus Northern wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe Waxbills and allies editOrder Passeriformes Family EstrildidaeThe members of this family are small passerine birds native to the Old World tropics They are gregarious and often colonial seed eaters with short thick but pointed bills They are all similar in structure and habits but have wide variation in plumage colors and patterns Scaly breasted munia Lonchura punctulata I Old World sparrows editOrder Passeriformes Family PasseridaeOld World sparrows are small passerine birds In general sparrows tend to be small plump brownish or grayish birds with short tails and short powerful beaks Sparrows are seed eaters but they also consume small insects House sparrow Passer domesticus I Wagtails and pipits editOrder Passeriformes Family Motacillidae nbsp American pipitMotacillidae is a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails They include the wagtails longclaws and pipits They are slender ground feeding insectivores of open country Eastern yellow wagtail Motacilla tschutschensis Citrine wagtail Motacilla citreola Gray wagtail Motacilla cinerea White wagtail Motacilla alba Olive backed pipit Anthus hodgsoni Red throated pipit Anthus cervinus American pipit Anthus rubescens Sprague s pipit Anthus spragueiiFinches euphonias and allies editOrder Passeriformes Family FringillidaeFinches are seed eating passerine birds that are small to moderately large and have a strong beak usually conical and in some species very large All have twelve tail feathers and nine primaries These birds have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings and most sing well nbsp Cassin s finchBrambling Fringilla montifringilla Evening grosbeak Coccothraustes vespertinus Common rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus Pine grosbeak Pinicola enucleator Gray crowned rosy finch Leucosticte tephrocotis Black rosy finch Leucosticte atrata House finch Haemorhous mexicanus Purple finch Haemorhous purpureus Cassin s finch Haemorhous cassinii Oriental greenfinch Chloris sinica Common redpoll Acanthis flammea Red crossbill Loxia curvirostra Cassia crossbill Loxia sinesciuris accidental 25 White winged crossbill Loxia leucoptera Pine siskin Spinus pinus Lesser goldfinch Spinus psaltria Lawrence s goldfinch Spinus lawrencei American goldfinch Spinus tristisLongspurs and snow buntings editOrder Passeriformes Family CalcariidaeThe Calcariidae are a group of passerine birds that had been traditionally grouped with the New World sparrows but differ in a number of respects and are usually found in open grassy areas Lapland longspur Calcarius lapponicus Chestnut collared longspur Calcarius ornatus Smith s longspur Calcarius pictus Thick billed longspur Rhynchophanes mccownii Snow bunting Plectrophenax nivalis Old World buntings editOrder Passeriformes Family EmberizidaeEmberizidae is a family of passerine birds containing a single genus Until 2017 the New World sparrows Passerellidae were also considered part of this family Little bunting Emberiza pusilla Rustic bunting Emberiza rustica New World sparrows editOrder Passeriformes Family Passerellidae nbsp Song sparrowUntil 2017 these species were considered part of the family Emberizidae Most of the species are known as sparrows but these birds are not closely related to the Old World sparrows which are in the family Passeridae Many of these have distinctive head patterns Rufous winged sparrow Peucaea carpalis accidental 26 Cassin s sparrow Peucaea cassinii Grasshopper sparrow Ammodramus savannarum Black throated sparrow Amphispiza bilineata Lark sparrow Chondestes grammacus Lark bunting Calamospiza melanocorys Chipping sparrow Spizella passerina Clay colored sparrow Spizella pallida Black chinned sparrow Spizella atrogularis Field sparrow Spizella pusilla Brewer s sparrow Spizella breweri Fox sparrow Passerella iliaca American tree sparrow Spizelloides arborea Dark eyed junco Junco hyemalis White crowned sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys Golden crowned sparrow Zonotrichia atricapilla Harris s sparrow Zonotrichia querula White throated sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis Sagebrush sparrow Artemisiospiza nevadensis Bell s sparrow Artemisiospiza belli Vesper sparrow Pooecetes gramineus LeConte s sparrow Ammospiza leconteii Nelson s sparrow Ammospiza nelsoni Baird s sparrow Centronyx bairdii Savannah sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Song sparrow Melospiza melodia Lincoln s sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Swamp sparrow Melospiza georgiana Abert s towhee Melozone aberti California towhee Melozone crissalis Rufous crowned sparrow Aimophila ruficeps Green tailed towhee Pipilo chlorurus Spotted towhee Pipilo maculatusYellow breasted chat editOrder Passeriformes Family IcteriidaeThis species was historically placed in the wood warblers Parulidae but nonetheless most authorities were unsure if it belonged there It was placed in its own family in 2017 Yellow breasted chat Icteria virensTroupials and allies editOrder Passeriformes Family IcteridaeThe icterids are a group of small to medium sized often colorful passerine birds restricted to the New World and include the grackles New World blackbirds and New World orioles Most species have black as a predominant plumage color often enlivened by yellow orange or red nbsp Western meadowlarkYellow headed blackbird Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus Bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivorus Western meadowlark Sturnella neglecta Eastern meadowlark Sturnella magna Orchard oriole Icterus spurius Hooded oriole Icterus cucullatus Streak backed oriole Icterus pustulatus Bullock s oriole Icterus bullockii Baltimore oriole Icterus galbula Black backed oriole Icterus abeillei UO Scott s oriole Icterus parisorum Red winged blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Tricolored blackbird Agelaius tricolor Bronzed cowbird Molothrus aeneus Brown headed cowbird Molothrus ater Rusty blackbird Euphagus carolinus Brewer s blackbird Euphagus cyanocephalus Common grackle Quiscalus quiscula Great tailed grackle Quiscalus mexicanusNew World warblers editOrder Passeriformes Family ParulidaeThe wood warblers are a group of small and often colorful passerine birds restricted to the New World Most are arboreal but some are more terrestrial Most members of this family are insectivores nbsp Yellow warbler nbsp Yellow rumped warblerOvenbird Seiurus aurocapilla Worm eating warbler Helmitheros vermivorum Louisiana waterthrush Parkesia motacilla Northern waterthrush Parkesia noveboracensis Golden winged warbler Vermivora chrysoptera Blue winged warbler Vermivora cyanoptera Black and white warbler Mniotilta varia Prothonotary warbler Protonotaria citrea Tennessee warbler Leiothlypis peregrina Orange crowned warbler Leiothlypis celata Lucy s warbler Leiothlypis luciae Nashville warbler Leiothlypis ruficapilla Virginia s warbler Leiothlypis virginiae Connecticut warbler Oporornis agilis MacGillivray s warbler Geothlypis tolmiei Mourning warbler Geothlypis philadelphia Kentucky warbler Geothlypis formosa Common yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Hooded warbler Setophaga citrina American redstart Setophaga ruticilla Cape May warbler Setophaga tigrina Cerulean warbler Setophaga cerulea Northern parula Setophaga americana Tropical parula Setophaga pitiayumi Magnolia warbler Setophaga magnolia Bay breasted warbler Setophaga castanea Blackburnian warbler Setophaga fusca Yellow warbler Setophaga petechia Chestnut sided warbler Setophaga pensylvanica Blackpoll warbler Setophaga striata Black throated blue warbler Setophaga caerulescens Palm warbler Setophaga palmarum Pine warbler Setophaga pinus Yellow rumped warbler Setophaga coronata Yellow throated warbler Setophaga dominica Prairie warbler Setophaga discolor Grace s warbler Setophaga graciae Black throated gray warbler Setophaga nigrescens Townsend s warbler Setophaga townsendi Hermit warbler Setophaga occidentalis Golden cheeked warbler Setophaga chrysoparia Black throated green warbler Setophaga virens Canada warbler Cardellina canadensis Wilson s warbler Cardellina pusilla Red faced warbler Cardellina rubrifrons Painted redstart Myioborus pictusCardinals and allies editOrder Passeriformes Family CardinalidaeThe cardinals are a family of robust seed eating birds with strong bills They are typically associated with open woodland The sexes usually have distinct plumages nbsp Lazuli buntingHepatic tanager Piranga flava Summer tanager Piranga rubra Scarlet tanager Piranga olivacea Western tanager Piranga ludoviciana Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Pyrrhuloxia Cardinalis sinuatus Rose breasted grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus Black headed grosbeak Pheucticus melanocephalus Blue grosbeak Passerina caerulea Lazuli bunting Passerina amoena Indigo bunting Passerina cyanea Varied bunting Passerina versicolor Painted bunting Passerina ciris Dickcissel Spiza americanaTanagers and allies editOrder Passeriformes Family ThraupidaeThe tanagers are a large group of small to medium sized passerine birds restricted to the New World mainly in the tropics Many species are brightly colored As a family they are omnivorous but individual species specialize in eating fruits seeds insects or other types of food Cinnamon rumped seedeater Sporophila torqueola hypothetical 27 References edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Birds of California Official California Checklist California Bird Records Committee August 9 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 Check list of North and Middle American Birds American Ornithological Society September 9 2022 Retrieved September 9 2022 Eastern Spot billed Duck iNaturalist Retrieved 12 February 2024 a b c d e f g h i j k l Identification Not Established Rare Birds of California Retrieved 19 September 2023 California CA United States Observation org Retrieved 11 February 2024 Searcy Adam J Daniels Brian E Feenstra Jonathan S Tietz James R Benson Thomas A 2018 The 41st Annual Report of the California Bird Records Committee 2015 Records PDF Western Birds 49 24 46 Eared Dove iNaturalist Retrieved 19 September 2023 European Shag Observation org Retrieved 11 February 2024 Rottenborn Stephen C McCaskie Guy Daniels Brian E Garrett John March 2016 The 39th Annual Report of the California Bird Records Committee 2013 Records PDF Western Birds 47 1 Gray Heron iNaturalist Retrieved 2 February 2024 a b c d Tietz Jim McCaskie Guy eds Update to Rare Birds of California PDF Retrieved 19 September 2023 Hen Harrier Observation org Retrieved 11 February 2024 Eurasian Goshawk Observation org Retrieved 11 February 2024 California CA United States Observation org Retrieved 11 February 2024 Ringed Kingfisher iNaturalist Retrieved 2 February 2024 White fronted Woodpecker Observation org Retrieved 11 February 2024 Aplomado Falcon Observation org Retrieved 5 January 2024 Bat Falcon iNaturalist Retrieved 19 September 2023 Carrion Crow iNaturalist Retrieved 2 February 2024 California CA United States Observation org Retrieved 11 February 2024 Yellow rumped Flycatcher Observation org Retrieved 11 February 2024 European Pied Flycatcher Observation org Retrieved 11 February 2024 Common Rock Thrush Observation org Retrieved 11 February 2024 Blue Rock Thrush Observation org Retrieved 11 February 2024 Lepage Denis Cassia Crossbill Avibase Retrieved 5 January 2024 Rufous winged Sparrow Observation org Retrieved 11 February 2024 Natural Occurrence Questionable Identification Established Rare Birds of California Retrieved 19 September 2023 See also editList of birds of Channel Islands National Park List of birds of Yosemite National Park List of birds Lists of birds by region Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title List of birds of California amp oldid 1210811555, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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