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 - March 22, 2020

Inca Dove | American Oystercatcher | Pacific Golden-Plover | Neotropic Cormorant | "Prairie" Merlin | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Scissor-tailed Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Cassin's Vireo | BLUE-HEADED VIREO | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed "Pink-sided" Junco | Harris's Sparrow | White-throated Sparrow | Orchard Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager

Rare Bird Alert - March 6, 2020

American Oystercatcher | Pacific Golden-Plover | Brown Booby | American Bittern | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Brown-crested Flycatcher | GREATER PEWEE | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Eastern Phoebe | Cassin’s Vireo | BLUE-HEADED VIREO | Gray Catbird | Evening Grosbeak | Harris’s Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | Northern Waterthrush | Black-and-white Warbler | American Redstart | Summer Tanager | Black-headed Grosbeak

Rare Bird Alert - February 28, 2020

White-winged Dove | American Oystercatcher | MASKED BOOBY | American Bittern | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Zone-tailed Hawk | “Black” Merlin | Ash-throated Flycatcher | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Tropical Kingbird | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Pacific-slope Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Pacific Wren | Gray Catbird | Evening Grosbeak | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Black-and-white Warbler | Palm Warbler | Summer Tanager

Rare Bird Alert - February 21, 2020

Red-necked Grebe | American Oystercatcher | MASKED BOOBY | Zone-tailed Hawk | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Brown-crested Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Pacific-slope Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Pacific Wren | Gray Catbird | Evening Grosbeak | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Harris’s Sparrow | “Large-billed” Savannah Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Northern Waterthrush | Black-and-white Warbler | American Restart | Palm Warbler | Summer Tanager

Rare Bird Alert - February 7, 2020

White-winged Scoter | Black Scoter | Spotted Dove | American Oystercatcher | Lesser Black-backed Gull | American Bittern | California Condor | Ash-throated Flycatcher | Brown-crested Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Eastern Phoebe | Cassin’s Vireo | Evening Grosbeak | Clay-colored Sparrow | White-throated Sparrow | Black-and-white Warbler | American Redstart | Palm Warbler | Painted Redstart | Black-headed Grosbeak

Rare Bird Alert - January 31, 2020

Barrow’s Goldeneye | Red-necked Grebe | American Bittern | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | “Prairie” Merlin | Ash-throated Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | GREATER PEWEE | Eastern Phoebe | Cassin’s Vireo | Evening Grosbeak | Red Crossbill | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Hooded Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | American Redstart | Palm Warbler | Painted Redstart

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