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California Birding: Resident Specialties and Fall Migrants

Anyone who has never birded California should come away from this trip with an impressive list of life birds, including many California-named species: California Quail, California Gull, California Gnatcatcher, California Thrasher, California Towhee - and maybe even a California Condor.

More details about this trip:

Of course, the state-endemic Island Scrub-Jay and Yellow-billed Magpie are a prime reason for birding in California. Other likely specialties include Wandering Tattler, Black Turnstone, Surfbird, Heerman's Gull, Yellow-footed Gull, Elegant Tern, Vaux's Swift, Costa's Hummingbird, Nuttall's Woodpecker, Hutton's Vireo, Cassin's Vireo, Wrentit, Oak Titmouse and Le Conte's Thrasher. There are good possibilities to see Mountain Quail, White-headed Woodpecker, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Allen's Hummingbird, Townsend's Warbler, Hermit Warbler, Bell's Sparrow, Tricolored Blackbird, and the recently split Ridgway's Rail.

Pricing: $2,990 USD, or £2,580 GBP for 10 Days and 9 Nights

 

Group Size: Price is based upon 7 to 10 participants.

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Upcoming Dates: 

September 6 to 15, 2023

September 13 to 22, 2023

September 4 to 13, 2024

*See Schedule for more dates

We cover a large portion of southern California, from the Pacific coast, to the Channel Islands, up into the mountains, and down to the hot, dry and very birdy Salton Sea! You can expect to see around 175 bird species on this trip. This birding trip to southern California ends on a Friday to allow participants the opportunity to join a pelagic birding trip after the conclusion of the main trip. We are happy to help you organize this if desired.

Birds

Mountain Quail, California Quail, Gambel's Quail, Ashy Storm-Petrel, Black Storm-Petrel, Brandt's Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, California Condor, White-tailed Kite, Ridgway's Rail, Black Oystercatcher, Pacific Golden-Plover, Black Turnstone, Surfbird, Wandering Tattler, Heermann's Gull ,Western Gull, Yellow-footed Gull, California Gull, Elegant Tern, Spotted Dove, Vaux's Swift, Anna's Hummingbird, Costa's Hummingbird, Allen's Hummingbird, Acorn Woodpecker, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Nuttall's Woodpecker, White-headed Woodpecker, Hutton's Vireo, Island Scrub-Jay, California Scrub-Jay, Yellow-billed Magpie, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Oak Titmouse, Verdin, California Gnatcatcher, Wrentit, California Thrasher, Le Conte's Thrasher, Townsend's Warbler, Hermit Warbler, Bell's Sparrow, California Towhee, Tricolored Blackbird.

Mammals

Opossum, Raccoon, Ring-tailed Cat, Sea Otter, Striped Skunk, Coyote, Mountain Lion, Bobcat, California Sea Lion, Harbor Seal, California Ground-Squirrel, Black-tailed Jackrabbit, Desert Cottontail, Mule Deer, Bighorn Sheep, Humpback Whale, Blue Whale.

Special Sites

Channel Islands, Mt. Pinos, San Bernardino Mountains, Salton Sea, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

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