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Elfin Forest and Bay
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Birds seen in or from the Elfin Forest

Species Habitat    Peak Period
Loons

Red-throated Loon b Nov-Apr
Pacific Loon b Apr-May Nov-Dec
Common Loon b Nov-Apr
Grebes

Horned Grebe bu Nov-Mar
Eared Grebe bmu Oct-Apr
Pied-billed Grebe bmu Sep-Apr
Western Grebe b Oct-Apr
Clark's Grebe b Oct-Apr
Pelicans

American White Pelican bu Sep-Mar
Brown Pelican b Mar-Nov
Cormorants

Brandt's Cormorant b All Year
Pelagic Cormorant b All Year
Double-crested Cormorant b All Year
Wading Birds

American Bittern m U
Great Blue Heron mu All Year
Great Egret mu Sep-Apr
Snowy Egret mu Sep-Apr
Tricolored Heron Rare
Cattle Egret Rare Sep-May
Black-crowned Night-Heron mu All Year
Geese

Greater White-fronted Goose Rare Oct-Apr
Snow Goose m U Jul-Mar
Canada Goose m Oct-Apr
Brant bu Dec-Apr
Dabbling Ducks

Wood Duck Rare
Mallard mu Oct-Apr
Northern Pintail bmu Aug-Mar
Gadwall bmu Sep-Apr
American Wigeon bmu Oct-Mar
Eurasian Wigeon bmu Oct-Mar
Northern Shoveler bmu Sep-Apr
Blue-winged Teal bmu Sep-Apr
Cinnamon Teal bmu Jan-Apr Sep-Oct
Green-winged Teal bmu Oct-Apr
Diving Ducks

Lesser Scaup b Nov-Mar
Ring-necked Duck bu Oct-Mar
Greater Scaup b Nov-Mar
Canvasback bu Nov-Mar
Surf Scoter b Nov-Apr
Bufflehead b Dec-Apr
Common Goldeneye b U Nov-Apr
Red-breasted Merganser b Nov-Apr
Ruddy Duck bmu Oct-Apr
Raptors

Turkey Vulture a All Year
Northern Harrier a Oct-Mar
White-tailed Kite aoz All year
Cooper's Hawk a U Sep-Apr
Sharp-shinned Hawk aoz Sep-Apr
Red-shouldered Hawk a All year
Red-tailed Hawk aoz All year
Ferruginous Hawk a U Sep-Apr
Osprey a U Aug-May
Golden Eagle a U All year
American Kestrel a All year
Prairie Falcon a U All year
Merlin a Sep-Dec
Peregrine Falcon a All year
Quail

California Quail ozcsd All year
Rails and Allies

Virginia Rail m Oct-Apr
Sora m Sep-Apr
Black Rail m All year
American Coot bmu All year
Plovers

Black-bellied Plover u Jul-May
Pacific Golden-Plover Rare Sep-Dec
Semipalmated Plover mu Apr-May Jul-Sep
Killdeer m All year
Stilts and Avocets

Black-necked Stilt mu Apr-May Aug-Sep
American Avocet mu Oct-Mar
Sandpipers

Greater Yellowlegs mu Jul-Oct
Lesser Yellowlegs mu U
Spotted Sandpiper mu Jul-Apr
Whimbrel u Mar-May Jul-Sep
Long-billed Curlew mu Aug-Apr
Willet mu All year
Marbled Godwit mu Jul-Apr
Ruddy Turnstone u Jul-May
Sanderling u Jul-May
Red Knot u Aug-Apr
Dunlin mu Oct-Apr
Western Sandpiper mu Jul-May
Least Sandpiper mu Jul-Apr
Long-billed Dowitcher mu Aug-Apr
Short-billed Dowitcher mu Jul-Apr
Wilson’s Snipe mu Sep-Apr
Jaegers

Pomarine Jaeger a Sep-Oct
Parasitic Jaeger Rare
Gulls

Sabine’s Gull Rare
Bonaparte's Gull bu Apr-May Oct-Dec
Ring-billed Gull bu Sep-Apr
California Gull bu Sep-Apr
Herring Gull bu Oct-Apr
Glaucous-winged Gull bu Nov-Mar
Western Gull bu All year
Heermann's Gull bu Jul-Oct
Terns and Skimmers

Caspian Tern ab Apr-Dec
Royal Tern ab Jul-Mar
Elegant Tern ab Jul-Oct
Forster's Tern ab Aug-Apr
Black Skimmer ab U All year
Pigeons and Doves

Rock Dove ● t All year
Band-tailed Pigeon t All year
White-winged Dove Rare Aug-Nov
Mourning Dove ozcsd    All year
Eurasian Collared-Dove ● t All year
Roadrunners

Greater Roadrunner cs U All year
Owls

Barn Owl rcoz All year
Great Horned Owl rcoz All year
Burrowing Owl Rare
Short-eared Owl mcs Oct-Mar
Kingfishers

Belted Kingfisher rt All year
Swifts

White-throated Swift a All year
Vaux's Swift a U Apr-May
Hummingbirds

Anna's Hummingbird aozcs All year
Rufous Hummingbird ozcs Mar-Apr
Allen's Hummingbird ozcs Feb-Jun
Woodpeckers

Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) oz All year
Downy Woodpecker oz All year
Hairy Woodpecker oz All year
Nuttall's Woodpecker oz All year
Flycatchers

Pacific-slope Flycatcher roz Apr-Sep
Black Phoebe roz All year
Say's Phoebe cs Sep-Mar
Western Kingbird roz Apr-Sep
Shrikes and Vireos

Loggerhead Shrike ozcs All year
Hutton's Vireo roz All year
Warbling Vireo roz Apr-Aug
Jays and Crows

California Scrub Jay ozcs All year
American Crow t All year
Swallows

Tree Swallow ar Mar-Oct
Violet-green Swallow a Mar-Aug
Northern Rough-winged Swallow    a Mar-Aug
Barn Swallow ar Mar-Aug
Cliff Swallow a Mar-Sep
Titmice and Nuthatches

Oak Titmouse roz All year
Chestnut-backed Chickadee roz All year
Bushtit rozcs All year
White-breasted Nuthatch oz All year
Wrens

Marsh Wren km Aug-Mar
Bewick's Wren rozcs All year
House Wren rozcs Mar-Sep
Wrentit cs All year
Kinglets

Ruby-crowned Kinglet rozcs Oct-Mar
Gnatcatchers

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher rozcs All year
Thrushes

Western Bluebird rozcs All year
American Robin roz Oct-Apr
Swainson's Thrush roz May-Sep
Hermit Thrush rozcs Oct-Mar
Mimids

Northern Mockingbird rozcs All year
California Thrasher cs All year
Pipits

Red-throated Pipit Rare
American Pipit ukm Oct-Mar
Waxwings

Cedar Waxwing oz Nov-May
Starlings

European Starling ●● coz All year
Wood Warblers

Orange-crowned Warbler rozcs All year
Yellow Warbler Rare May-Sep
Townsend's Warbler roz Apr-May
Yellow-rumped Warbler rozcs Oct-Apr
Palm Warbler Rare
Common Yellowthroat mk All year
Wilson's Warbler roz Apr-Sep
Tanagers

Western Tanager roz Apr-Jun Aug-Oct
Sparrows and Allies

California Towhee rozcs All year
Spotted Towhee rozcs All year
Chipping Sparrow oz May-Aug
Clay-colored Sparrow
U Sep-Oct
Lark Sparrow oz All year
Savannah Sparrow mk All year
Fox Sparrow rozcs Oct-Mar
Song Sparrow rmkoz All year
Lincoln's Sparrow rcs Oct-Mar
Dark-eyed Junco rozcs All year
White-crowned Sparrow ozcs All year
Golden-crowned Sparrow rozcs Oct-Apr
Grosbeaks

Black-headed Grosbeak roz Apr-Aug
Blackbirds and Allies

Western Meadowlark t All year
Hooded Oriole oz Apr-Jul
Red-winged Blackbird rmk All year
Brewer's Blackbird krozcs All year
Great-tailed Grackle rk U All Year
Brown-headed Cowbird kroz All year
Finches

House Finch rozcs All year
Purple Finch roz All year
Lesser Goldfinch rozcs All year
Lawrence's Goldfinch rozc Mar-Jul
American Goldfinch roz All year
Pine Siskin roz Oct-Apr
Old World Sparrows

House Sparrow ● oz All year
 

Click this button for MBNEP / Califonia State Park's guide to "Common Birds of the Estero Bay Area". Lots of info plus color photos.File size: 1.0 MB.

Key
  
  Habitat (where to look for the species):
   a = aerial - hunting or mating displays
   b = bay - on open water
   c = maritime chaparral
   d = disturbed (open sand)
   k = brackish water marsh
   m = coastal salt marsh – vegetated
   o = coast live oak woodland
   r = riparian
   s = coastal dune scrub
   t = transit – just passing through – non-stop
   u = mud flat – unvegitated tidal lands and channels
   z = oak/manzanita complex
   ●= non-native species
●● = non-native species which is or has the potential to negatively impact the natives species of the Elfin Forest.

Peak Period – refers to months in which a species is, on average, most abundant.  Also:

  U = uncommon, few sightings noted in or from Elfin Forest in any given year.

  Rare = only seen a few times in or from the Forest.