Rare Bird Alert
Jon Fisher
Rare Bird Alert - December 5, 2025

Eurasian Wigeon | Surf Scoter | Pacific Golden-Plover | Mountain Plover | Lesser Black-backed Gull | American Bittern | Western Cattle-Egret | Manx Shearwater | Swainson’s Hawk | Short-eared Owl | Williamson’s Sapsucker | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | GREATER PEWEE | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Western Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Cassin’s Vireo | Lapland Longspur | Thick-billed Longspur | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Sagebrush Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Yellow-headed Blackbird | Hooded Oriole | Baltimore Oriole | Ovenbird | Black-and-white Warbler | MacGillivray’s Warbler | American Redstart | Cape May Warbler | Northern Parula | Blackburnian Warbler | Chestnut-sided Warbler | Palm Warbler | Black-throated Green Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager | Scarlet Tanager | Black-headed Grosbeak | Indigo Bunting 

Rare Bird Alert
Jon Fisher
Rare Bird Alert - November 22, 2025

Pacific Golden-Plover | Red Phalarope | Lesser Black-backed Gull | American Bittern | Western Cattle-Egret | White-headed Woodpecker | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Western Warbling-Vireo | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Hooded Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | Nashville Warbler | Cape May Warbler | Blackburnian Warbler | Palm Warbler | Black-throated Green Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager | Scarlet Tanager

BIRDS OF THE SEASON
Susan Castor
Birds of the Season — November 2025

Following a comparatively mild summer on the coastal slope, mid-October brought some unusually early substantial rainfall to the county. November added significantly to that total. That’s a definite plus for bird habitats and should also greatly reduce the potential for wildfires.

Los Angeles County’s active birders found a remarkable number and diversity of vagrants this fall. The deserts, mountains, coastal slope and offshore waters and islands were all productive for notable birds. In large part, increased coverage is responsible for an increase in the rare birds detected, especially since the populations of many of these birds are in decline.

Inaccessible to the public, San Clemente Island has long been the envy of southern California birders due its impressive annual list of fall vagrants, including some mega-rarities. But increasing coverage of nearby Santa Catalina Island in fall has proved very worthwhile. By contrast, this island has easy public access and hosted a long list of rare birds this October and November.

Many parks and natural areas on the coastal slope held interesting passerines. The Piute Ponds, though coverage suffered due to closure during the government shutdown, still managed a number of good birds.

Birds of the Season — November 2025
Rare Bird Alert
Jon Fisher
Rare Bird Alert - November 15, 2025

Pacific Golden-Plover | Mountain Plover | Red Phalarope | Leach’s Storm-Petrel | Western Cattle-Egret | Northern “Yellow-shafted” Flicker | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Scissor-tailed Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Pacific Wren | Red-throated Pipit | Lapland Longspur | White-throated Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Black-and-white Warbler | Tennessee Warbler | American Redstart | Palm Warbler | Grace’s Warbler | Back-throated Green Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager

Rare Bird Alert
Jon Fisher
Rare Bird Alert - November 7, 2025

Surf Scoter | Pacific Golden-Plover | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Northern “Yellow-shafted” Flicker | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Eastern Phoebe | Lapland Longspur | Chestnut-collared Longspur | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Tennessee Warbler | American Redstart | Cape May Warbler | Palm Warbler | Black-throated Green Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager | Painted Bunting

Rare Bird Alert

Rare Bird Alert - Feb 1, 2019

Birds Mentioned:

“Eurasian” Green-winged Teal | White-winged Scoter | LEAST GREBE | Red-necked Grebe | White-winged Dove | American Oystercatcher | Pacific Golden-Plover | Neotropic Cormorant | Zone-tailed Hawk | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Hairy Woodpecker | White-headed Woodpecker | "Black" Merlin | Tropical Kingbird | Scissor-tailed Flycatcher | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Pacific-slope Flycatcher | Cassin’s Vireo | RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL | "Red" Fox Sparrow | White-throated Sparrow | Harris’s Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Hooded Oriole | RUSTY BLACKBIRD | Black-and-white Warbler | American Redstart | Palm Warbler | Painted Redstart

  • Compiled by Jon Fisher

Rare Bird Alert - Jan 25, 2019

Birds Mentioned:

Eurasian Wigeon | “Eurasian” Green-winged Teal | Red-necked Grebe | White-winged Dove | Vaux’s Swift | American Oystercatcher | Pacific Golden-Plover | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Neotropic Cormorant | Swainson’s Hawk | Zone-tailed Hawk | Rough-legged Hawk | Ferruginous Hawk | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Northern “Yellow-shafted” Flicker | Ash-throated Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | Scissor-tailed Flycatcher | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Cassin’s Vireo | RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL | Clay-colored Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | White-throated Sparrow | Harris’s Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | RUSTY BLACKBIRD | American Redstart | Palm Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager

  • Compiled by Jon Fisher

Rare Bird Alert - Jan 18, 2019

Birds Mentioned:

“Eurasian” Green-winged Teal | Red-necked Grebe | Spotted Dove | White-winged Dove | American Oystercatcher Pacific Golden-Plover | Mountain Plover | Neotropic Cormorant | Zone-tailed Hawk | Rough-legged Hawk | Burrowing Owl | Short-eared Owl | Williamson’s Sapsucker | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Northern “Yellow-shafted” Flicker | Ash-throated Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | Scissor-tailed Flycatcher | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Pacific-slope Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL | Clay-colored Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | White-throated Sparrow | Harris’s Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Orchard Oriole | RUSTY BLACKBIRD | Black-and-white Warbler | Tennessee Warbler | Painted Redstart

  • Compiled by Jon Fisher

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