Birds of Northern California Photo Gallery by gunes at pbase.com

Birds of Northern California

This gallery contains photographs of many species of birds commonly found in or around San Francisco Bay Area and parts of Northern California. Most of these photographs were taken at various state and county parks and bird preserves including the Rancho San Antonio County Park and Open Space Preserve, Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve, Shoreline Lake and Park, Ed Levin County Park, Arastradero Open Space Preserve, Half Moon Bay, Moss Landing and Point Lobos State Natural Reserve.

I hope that these pictures may help amateur birders with identification of sightings as well as non-birders who want to learn about these beautiful birds. If you see a bird that you cannot recognize and cannot find a match in your bird guide or in these pages, you may post a note here and I will try to help with identification based on your description. Note that pages for different species are currently not listed in taxonomic order - perhaps a future project for me to organize this site better.

Here is some of the equipment used to take these pictures:

All images are copyrighted. Please do not use without permission.

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Favorite Shots	Index and Lifetime List	American White Pelican	Long-billed Curlew
California Clapper Rail	Great Egret	Snowy Egret	Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet	Black-crowned Night Heron	Bullock's Oriole	Brown Pelican
Marbled Godwit	Anna's Hummingbird	California Quail	Dark-Eyed Junco
Hooded Oriole	American Robin	Steller's Jay	Ring-necked Pheasant
Western Screech Owl	Song Sparrow	Western Scrub-Jay	Nuttall's Woodpecker
White-breasted Nuthatch	American Kestrel	Golden-Crowned Sparrow	Ducks
Acorn Woodpecker	Gulls	Curve-billed Thrasher	Brewer's Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird	Mourning Dove	Barn Swallow	American Coot
White Crowned Sparrow	Rock Pigeon	European Starling	Canada Goose
Turkey Vulture	Caspian Tern	Forster's Tern	Semipalmated Plover
Least Sandpiper	Western Sandpiper	Long-billed Dowitcher	geese
Double-crested Cormorant	Great Blue Heron	Burrowing Owl	Northern Harrier
Lesser Yellowlegs	Killdeer	Greater Yellowlegs	Western Grebe
Clark's Grebe	Eared Grebe	Horned Grebe	Pied-billed Grebe
White Tailed Kite	Common Gallinule	American Coot	Belted Kingfisher
House Sparrow	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Lesser Goldfinch	Bushtit
Black Phoebe	Sanderling	Raven	House Finch
Cliff Swallow	Clark's Nutcracker	Spotted Towhee	Red-shouldered Hawk
Gray Jay	California Towhee	Northern Mockingbird	Red-Tailed Hawk
Black Turnstone	Black Oystercatcher	Red-breasted Merganser	Elegant Tern
Savannah Sparrow	Brandt's Cormorant	Pelagic Cormorant	Common Loon
Pacific Loon	Western Bluebird	Oak Titmouse	Bewick's Wren
American Goldfinch	Heermann's Gull	Western Gull	Common Murre
Fox Sparrow	Cooper's Hawk	Chestnut-backed Chickadee	Cedar Waxwing
American Bittern	Wild Turkey	Common Yellowthroat	Hooded Merganser
Willet	Chipping Sparrow	Northern Flicker	Green Heron
Short-billed Dowitcher	Brown-headed Cowbird	Red-necked Phalarope	Dunlin
Semipalmated Sandpiper	Wilson's Warbler	Evening Grosbeak	Cassin's Finch
Pine Siskin	Mountain Chickadee	White-headed Woodpecker	Tree Swallow
Red-throated Loon	White-faced Ibis	Marsh Wren	Yellow-billed Magpie
Barrow's Goldeneye	House Wren	Western Kingbird	Birds in Flight
Baird's Sandpiper	Common Merganser	Black-bellied Plover	Ruddy Turnstone
Black Skimmer	Red Knot	Ash-throated Flycatcher	Varied Thrush
bird_books	Western Meadowlark

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comment |

gunes		23-May-2015 02:04
Yes, Varied Thrush looks a bit like a woodpecker and is approximately the same size. There were many more varied thrushes than usual in South Bay this year.

cheyenne		20-May-2015 23:06
Lenore --possibly a greater grackle? Rita & Susan --a varied thrush, decidedly

Eileen		10-May-2015 03:41
We saw a very unusual bird today. It was the shape of a magpie, nearly the size of a pigeon,and his breast was bright orange like a Baltimore Oriole. Do Orioles get that big? If not, what could we have seen?

Elliot		07-May-2015 06:52
I live in Sonoma County where I heard what I believe was a northern mockingbird near midnight. Would such birds announce their presence like that with all the Hawks and owls in such proximity?

Susan		04-May-2015 03:07
RITA I have seen the bird you described, and have no idea what it is. I live in the Russian River area and saw a bird of this description about 2 months ago and again today. It almost looks like some kind of woodpecker, but with orange instead of red. If you find out what it is, lease post it. I have looked at several sites to no avail.

Lenore		21-Apr-2015 01:47
Today I saw a sleek, jet black bird smaller than a crow in Gilroy, California. His most distinctive feature was his vertical fan shaped tail. He had a loud whistling call. I've never seen a bird like that. Does anyone have an idea what kind of bird it was?

Guest		09-Apr-2015 06:29
Wonderful resource. Thank you!

Mike Reagan		15-Mar-2015 17:19
Excellent site. Has proven to be very helpful as we just moved to this area and was in need of the info you published. Thank you !!

'D'		20-Feb-2015 22:57
I love this site. Thx for all the hard work & hlpng others such as myself, (a newbie in the world of bird watching), get to know what we're seeing. This morning, as I so often do w/my pup, I was enjoying coffee, watching our daily feathered friends jump from the feeder to jumping to enjoy the bird bath. Today I saw the most amazing 'bird combo'! On 1 side of feeder, there was an American Goldfinch (according to my fold-out beginner's Guide for birds of Nor-Cal/SFBayArea) & at the same time, on the other side (of same feeder), there was perched a beautiful VERY BRIGHTLY red feathered med size bird // the red feathers covered it's head/chest/back. Cannot find what kind of bird this is; any chance it's some type of Cardinal? (Hope I don't sound naïve in asking that, but am in Stanford Cardinal area :-). am in MenloPark area. TY for help 🐥

AnimalLover		20-Feb-2015 22:24
I love this site; apologies if this comes as a 'duplicate comment'-I'm not sure it posted previously. Am in Menlo Park area & my pup & I so enjoy watching all the birdies frolick about from feeder to & from water/bath (it's so CUTE when they bathe then fluff their feathers). Anyways, this morning, I spotted the most beautiful duo & cannot figure out 1 of them. 1 sm.bird was perched on feeder/beautiful yellow head & back feathers; at the same time, was a med size bird I'd never seen b/f, though I'm new to bird watching. This 2nd bird was perched directly across from the American Goldfinch(pretty sure/so my beginner's fold-out SF/NorCal bird guide points to). 2nd guy was bigger & breathtaking. It has very bright red feathered head/chest - even down it's back. Any ideas? Thx so much. Any chance it could be a Cardinal or from same 'family'? 🐥

AnimalLover		20-Feb-2015 22:09
Hi. This morning along with the daily finches, sparrows& several other birds I enjoy watching as they happily fly from feeder to bird washer/water 'garden MUST' :-) I'm an admitted newbie when it comes to bird watching; my pup even n-joys watching & hearing all the birds :-) This AM, I looked out to the hanging feeder & saw, a Btfl sight. On 1 side of feeder perched a sm. bird w/bright yellow head, chest and even yellow down it's back; while @ the same time, on the other side, (perched & eating) there was a beautiful, small/med sized bird, almost fully covered in red feathers. Bright red too; am in Menlo Park area /any chance this could've been or is a cardinal? (Geez, I hope I don't sound dumb by asking-but..u know..'Stanford Cardinals', I thought maybe we'd have cardinals &/or similar species in this area 😊) I don't see anything like it on my 'Local Birds of SF/Bay Area Fold-Out Guide'. Thoughts? TY. 🐥

Rita		05-Feb-2015 18:12
I have a "robin-size" bird in my back yard: Orange chest framed with a black line, the back has black and white feathers... any idea which bird this is?

Sara's Farm		04-Jan-2015 18:07
Great pics of birds I see around my property. Excellent site. Thanks

Guest		04-Dec-2014 14:51
Shots are great and very helpful to identifying birds seen locally. Thanks! Patricia

Guest		09-Aug-2014 22:41
i love this

Michael		19-Mar-2014 02:16
I love birds because I learn about birds Oh! My favorite bird is Hummingbird because. There are so cute

Michael		19-Mar-2014 02:11
I like the Anna's humming birds because there so cute.

Guest		10-Mar-2014 18:32
Just saw a western blue bird at the Clover Creek Preserve in Redding CA. Thank you for the website as it helped me to identify the bird.

Guest		18-Jan-2014 16:57
gratitude!

Joe James		21-Oct-2013 16:12
That's an absolutely amazing collection of photos. I am very impressed. I enjoy spotting and shooting birds too, and I have a pretty big collection of photos, but nowhere near the diversity of species you have, and all identified. And you have some really excellent shots. Some of these birds don't even let you get within 50 feet. --Joe James, Fremont

guest		14-Sep-2013 17:04
Thank you so much for posting these lovely photos! I just moved 8 miles north in the East Bay and have found a couple of "new" birds in my yard, and your site is both more location-specific and more detailed than my trusty Peterson's guide. (Also more fun to look at.)

Barbara Walsh		12-Sep-2013 19:40
Love your site. I am trying to identify a bird we photographed in the Lake Tahoe area. It was small but not tiny (more warbler than sparrow), dull to bright yellow all over, with grayish wings and tail. No red-ish stripes on the stomach. The female was grayer. No orange crown visible on the male. I have good photos if you have an email address I can send some images.

Janis Ireland		25-May-2013 19:06
Sitting on the top of a very tall pine tree in Emerald Hills, California, is a large bird, and even with this distance I can see the whole breast is yellow/orange. Has to be larger than a robin...much larger.....and when it flies I still see the yellow/orange. Any idea what this is? Thanks

Gordon		03-Apr-2013 15:03
We have seen a bird here at our home in Sonoma,CA that I can not ID. It is a small long beak bird with yellow strips down the back sides of the wings with the tip of the tail is red.

Guest		06-Mar-2013 00:15
Excellent site. Thank you for taking the time and energy to put it together, not to mention photographing all of these birds. Well done!

Joan		24-Mar-2011 19:48
This is a wonderful gallery! Thank you so much for your beautiful work. I am in the SF Bay Area--East Bay, Contra Costa County. I have some very large birds, ground dwelling, I think, that I assumed were wild turkeys. They are very noisy. Beautiful black and white "dotted" breast. Any ideas?

Guest		04-Mar-2011 17:50
I saw a bird on the Sonoma County Coast, scratching on the ground. It had a yellow breast, and a very distinctive black collar. Anybody know what it might be?

Jane		30-Jan-2011 21:33
We have a small black and white bird about the size of a junco. It has a pointy beak and a black strip from the beak to the back neck. White around the eyes and underbelly. It walks up and down the tree trunk easily. Can you identify it. I have several pictures.

Dean		30-Aug-2010 01:21
A bird walked around my backyard for hours, morning dove or flicker look & shape, light brown body, dark orange beak & also around its eye's,while standing has vertical black & white layered feathers running under its wings,(looks like thin stripes almost. help, can't I.D it.

cp		25-Jul-2010 15:51
A pigeon-sized brown bird with yellow feet and beak, and a white strip across his head?

Becky Kimball		13-Jul-2010 02:49
Thanks for a great site! I THINK just saw a glimpse of a dark bird in flight with yellow shoulders and back. Patches, I'd say. I live in coastal California. I'd sure love to know what it was...

Letha		28-Jun-2010 17:15
We just came back from vacation in the eastern sierras and we did not bring the computer! this is a great site, I now know the names of all the birds we saw! Your now on my favorites list!

D. K.		23-Jun-2010 15:50
I have a pair of birds in my back yard that are nested in a tree. I have never seen this type of bird before. They have a yellow breast and a black half circle under the neck. Do you know what type of bird this could be? Northern California east bay.

Guest		21-Jun-2010 19:16
Some birds keep returning to our yard and curious what they are. Just moving to Northern California from British Columbia, not familiar with the common birds here. This variety is dark with white on the wings. It sits atop the telphone pole and chirps in various sounds. Every once in a while it hops up in the air and flaps its wings. Have any idea what they are? Stu Schneider/Lodi, California

geoferrier		20-Jun-2010 19:45
Forgot to say yellow bird with red throat has black or dark grey wings with some white stripes on them. Location: SF East Bay.

geoferrier		20-Jun-2010 19:41
We have spotted a bright yellow bird with very orange red throat and longish dark tail feathers, size about like scrub jay. Thought it was some kind of oriole, but can't find one with red throat in Peterson's Western Birds book. Any help???

Elizabeth		05-Jun-2010 16:43
Your photos help me identify birds I see in my area up in Humboldt County. Excellent shots by the way!

Guest		11-May-2010 19:08
I live in American Canyon, CA, and have shiny black birds with bright yellow beaks. Does anyone know what they are?

Jim		14-Apr-2010 02:32
Great photos! Your work has helped me identify some birds, which I have photographed. Keep up the good work.

Judy		02-Apr-2010 00:30
Thank you so much for posting this web site...from your photos, I was able to identify the beautiful bird I saw in my yard earlier today (cedar waxwing).

Guest		11-Mar-2010 18:25
Wow. Great pictures. I came here first to find out what kind of bird was out my window--and sure enough--its a Cedar Waxwing. thanks.

Jeannie		05-Mar-2010 20:27
We have a nesting bird that is gray with a crest and a tail that it holds upright. It has a white line back from eye. It is not quite as big as a sparrow. We cannot identify it, can you help?

Joan Harder		15-Feb-2010 22:49
Can you tell me the name of this bird I have picture of him. bird much like wood thrush long straight beak with whitish streak from eye to beak, white under chin black round eyes. black markings on whitelight grey chest. It is trying to get into apartment window in San Francisco

Paul Zaferiou		22-Nov-2009 23:56
novato, ca. brownish with hints of brick red on rear of head and onto neck area--though not distinct but more like a hint of a wash-over effect. The main brownish color is tempered with grey. the size is almost that of a catbird.The sound is the same as a cardinal. Lives in large manzanita shrubs. Feed from bird feeders as well as on the ground. Does not travel much beyond where it lives and feeds in the immediate yard area. Seems to flit about especially when ground feeding. What is this crown-less bird that I've not found in any references? Thank you. Paul Zaferiou

Frode Johansen		18-Apr-2009 19:03
Beautiful !!

Nancy Katz		18-Mar-2009 16:11
We live in Sonoma , CA county. We have small out door birds in the basket feeder. One is bright red from the top of the head down over the chest and stomach. The other one, same size, does not and is just brown and gray. Looking at your "line up" here shows the red one as a "House Finch". My partner says it can't be a House Finch because it is too big. What do you say?

Julio Mulero		22-Feb-2009 21:49
Nice collection. We seem to bird at the same locations. See you around!

bill fetzer		17-Jan-2009 23:38
great site, thanks I my madrone tree, eating the red berries, there is a small yellow breasted bird with black head. what is it?

Guest		12-Jan-2009 19:03
A bird just landed on my parents tree which we have never seen, it has a spotted chest, long beack, red on his face, tail feathers have orange red... have you heard of this? We have some photo's that are o.k. we can email if it would help. Thanks, Tiffany

Bob Honiker		18-Mar-2008 04:37
Beautiful gallery, I'll be back to visit. Bob

Guest		10-Mar-2008 22:59
Wow, I just click on your gallery link from bird forum. Very impressive! Puts mine to shame. Well done!

dominick		23-Jun-2007 19:37
I was looking for something finch-like, yellow with orang/red from throat to head

Edwin Leemans		19-May-2007 19:15
Great bird collection. Very nice pics. Regards Edwin.

lizloveblue		13-Aug-2006 11:37
I enjoy your web site, excellent pics. "lizloveblue"

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