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 - December 24, 2021

Tundra Swan | Red-necked Grebe | Mountain Plover | Solitary Sandpiper | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Neotropic Cormorant | Zone-tailed Hawk | Rough-legged Hawk | “Prairie” Merlin | Ash-throated Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Dusky Flycatcher | Pacific-slope Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Cassin’s Vireo | Mountain Bluebird | Varied Thrush | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | Harris’s Sparrow | White-throated Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Hooded Oriole | Scott’s Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | Lucy’s Warbler | Chestnut-sided Warbler | Black-throated Green Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager

Rare Bird Alert - December 17, 2021

“Eurasian” Green-winged Teal | Pacific Golden-Plover | Mountain Plover | Solitary Sandpiper | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Rough-legged Hawk | Short-eared Owl | Tropical Kingbird | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Dusky Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Cassin’s Vireo | American Pipit (japonicus) | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Black-and-white Warbler | Nashville Warbler | American Redstart | Chestnut-sided Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager

Rare Bird Alert - December 10, 2021

White-winged Scoter | Long-tailed Duck | Pacific Golden-Plover | Mountain Plover | Solitary Sandpiper | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Scripp’s Murrelet | Laysan Albatross | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Zone-tailed Hawk | Rough-legged Hawk | Tropical Kingbird | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Dusky Flycatcher | Pacific-slope Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | American Pipit (japonicus) | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Black-and-white Warbler | Nashville Warbler | Chestnut-sided Warbler | American Redstart | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager | Black-headed Grosbeak

Rare Bird Alert - December 3, 2021

Rare Bird Alert - December 3, 2021

Long-tailed Duck| Sandhill Crane | Pacific Golden-Plover | Mountain Plover | Solitary Sandpiper | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Harris’s Hawk | Zone-tailed Hawk | Rough-legged Hawk | Short-eared Owl | Ash-throated Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | Pacific-slope Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Scott’s Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | Nashville Warbler | Chestnut-sided Warbler | Palm Warbler | American Redstart | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager | Black-headed Grosbeak

BIRD WALKS | Nov–Dec 2021

BIRD WALKS | Nov–Dec 2021

Bird Walk events are returning to the Los Angeles Area. Please read on and share this post with others. Please note that some of these leader led walks require RSVP and may be limited as to the number of participants.

Rare Bird Alert - November 26, 2021

Rare Bird Alert - November 26, 2021


“Eurasian” Green-winged Teal | White-winged Scoter | Black Scoter | Long-tailed Duck | Pacific Golden-Plover | Mountain Plover | Solitary Sandpiper | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Neotropic Cormorant | Harris’s Hawk | Zone-tailed Hawk | Rough-legged Hawk | Short-eared Owl | “Black” Merlin | Ash-throated Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | American Pipit (japonicus) | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | Harris’s Sparrow | White-throated Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Scott’s Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | Nashville Warbler | American Redstart | Painted Redstart

Rare Bird Alert - November 19, 2021

Rare Bird Alert - November 19, 2021

White-winged Scoter | Black Scoter | Long-tailed Duck | Sandhill Crane | Pacific Golden-Plover | Mountain Plover | Solitary Sandpiper | Cattle Egret | Harris’s Hawk | Zone-tailed Hawk | Williamson’s Sapsucker | Tropical Kingbird | Scissor-tailed Flycatcher | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Cassin’s Vireo | American Pipit (japonicus) | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | Harris’s Sparrow | White-throated Sparrow | Vesper Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Black-and-white Warbler | American Redstart | Painted Redstart

Rare Bird Alert - November 12, 2021

Rare Bird Alert - November 12, 2021

Surf Scoter | Long-tailed Duck| Pacific Golden-Plover | Mountain Plover | Stilt Sandpiper | Pacific Loon | Little Blue Heron | Cattle Egret | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Zone-tailed Hawk | Tropical Kingbird | Willow Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | American Pipit (japonicus) | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Orchard Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | American Redstart | Bay-breasted Warbler | Palm Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager | Painted Bunting

Rare Bird Alert - November 5, 2021

Rare Bird Alert - November 5, 2021

Surf Scoter | White-winged Scoter | Long-tailed Duck | White-winged Dove | Lesser Nighthawk | Pacific Golden-Plover | Red Phalarope | Pacific Loon | Red-footed Booby | Little Blue Heron | Cattle Egret | Zone-tailed Hawk | Short-eared Owl | Tropical Kingbird | Eastern Phoebe | American Pipit (japonicus) | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Ovenbird | Black-and-white Warbler | Prothonotary Warbler | American Redstart | Bay-breasted Warbler | Blackburnian Warbler | Palm Warbler | Pine Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager | Indigo Bunting | Painted Bunting

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