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 - January 24, 2020

Tundra Swan | “Eurasian” Green-winged Teal | Barrow’s Goldeneye | Red-necked Grebe | Vaux’s Swift | American Oystercatcher | Pacific Golden-Plover | Mountain Plover | American Bittern | Swainson’s Hawk | Short-eared Owl | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Brown-crested Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | GREATER PEWEE | Pacific-slope Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Cassin’s Vireo | Pacific Wren | American Dipper | Evening Grosbeak | Red Crossbill | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Orchard Oriole | Hooded Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | Lucy’s Warbler | American Redstart | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager

Rare Bird Alert - January 17, 2020

Trumpeter Swan | “Eurasian” Green-winged Teal | Barrow’s Goldeneye | American Oystercatcher | Mountain Plover | Solitary Sandpiper | American Bittern | Northern “Yellow-shafted” Flicker | Brown-crested Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | GREATER PEWEE | Pacific-slope Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Cassin’s Vireo | Cliff Swallow | Pacific Wren | Clay-colored Sparrow | White-throated Sparrow | Orchard Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | Lucy’s Warbler | Nashville Warbler | American Redstart | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager

Rare Bird Alert - January 3, 2020

Trumpeter Swan | Red-necked Grebe | White-winged Dove | American Oytercatcher | Pacific Golden-Plover | Solitary Sandpiper | Short-eared Owl | Northern "Yellow-shafted" Flicker | "Black" Merlin | Ash-throated Flycatcher | Brown-crested Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | Greater Pewee | Pacific-slope Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Cassin's Vireo | Cliff Swallow | Dark-eyed "Gray-headed" Junco | Dark-eyed "Pink-sided" Junco | Orchard Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler| Northern Parula | Palm Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager

Rare Bird Alert - December 13, 2019

Tundra Swan | White-winged Scoter | Black Scoter | Red-necked Grebe | White-winged Dove | American Oystercatcher | Pacific Golden-Plover |Pacific Loon | “Black” Merlin | Ash-throated Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Pacific-slope Flycatcher | Pacific Wren | Harris’s Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Black-and-white Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager

Rare Bird Alert - November 15, 2019

White-winged Scoter | Black Scoter | Long-tailed Duck | White-winged Dove | Sandhill Crane | American Oystercatcher | Pacific Golden-Plover | Red Knot | Laughing Gull | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Ash-throated Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Red-throated Pipit | Lapland Longspur | Clay-colored Sparrow | Grasshopper Sparrow | White-throated Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Bobolink | Black-and-white Warbler | MacGillivray’s Warbler | American Redstart | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager | Lazuli Bunting | Painted Bunting

Rare Bird Alert - October 4, 2019

American Oystercatcher | Sabine’s Gull | Common Tern | Cattle Egret | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Townsend’s Solitaire | Green-tailed Towhee | Clay-colored Sparrow | Grasshopper Sparrow | Northern Waterthrush | Black-and-white Warbler | Tennessee Warbler | Virginia’s Warbler | American Redstart | Chestnut-sided Warbler | Blackpoll Warbler | Prairie Warbler | Canada Warbler

Rare Bird Alert - September 27, 2019

White-winged Dove | Pacific Golden-Plover | Sabine’s Gull | Common Tern | Neotropic Cormorant | Little Blue Heron | Cattle Egret | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Zone-tailed Hawk | Ferruginous Hawk | Plumbeous Vireo | Green-tailed Towhee | Clay-colored Sparrow | Black-throated Sparrow | Northern Waterthrush | Black-and-white Warbler | Tennessee Warbler | Lucy’s Warbler | Virginia’s Warbler | American Redstart | Blackpoll Warbler | Summer Tanager

Rare Bird Alert - September 20, 2019

Common Merganser | Common Ground-Dove | White-winged Dove | Pacific Golden-Plover | Red Knot | Sabine’s Gull | Common Tern | Arctic Tern | Neotropic Cormorant | Little Blue Heron | Cattle Egret | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Purple Martin | Bank Swallow | Green-tailed Towhee | Clay-colored Sparrow | Black-throated Sparrow | Black-and-white Warbler | Virginia’s Warbler | American Redstart | Blackpoll Warbler

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