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
Jon Fisher
Rare Bird Alert - October 31, 2025

Lesser Nighthawk | Williamson’s Sapsucker | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Western Cattle Egret | Broad-winged Hawk | Short-eared Owl | Northern “Yellow-shafted” Flicker | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Sage Thrasher | Lapland Longspur | Chestnut-collared Longspur | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Black-and-white Warbler | Tennessee Warbler | American Redstart | Cape May Warbler | Blackburnian Warbler | Palm Warbler | Black-throated Green Warbler | Summer Tanager | Indigo Bunting

Volume 80

Western Tanager, Vol. 80 No. 6, July-August 2014

Western Tanager, Vol. 80 No. 6, July August 2014

Click to open PDF

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

  • Birds of the Season — June 2014

  • 2014 Schreiber Grant Recipient

  • Ballona Wetlands Education Program

  • Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch, By Louis Tucker

, ,

Western Tanager, Vol. 80 No. 5, May-Jun 2014

, ,
Sandhill Cranes, Pixley NWR & Kern NWR, March 25, 2014 Photo by Tommye Hite

Sandhill Cranes, Pixley NWR & Kern NWR, March 25, 2014 Photo by Tommye Hite

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Western Tanager, Vol. 80 No. 5, May-June 2014

• Birds of the Season—April 2014 | By Jon Fisher

• Conservation Art Show 2014 at Leo Politi Elementary School

• Cactus Commencement Celebration 2014

• Sandhill Crane Field Trip Pixley and Kern NWR’s | By Jim Moore

• TRIP REPORT: Anza-Borrego Birds and More (March 22-23, 2014) | By Kurt Leuschner

• Spring in Ballona —A Little Rain Can Do Wonders | By Cindy Hardin

SCHEDULES, Bird Walks, Field Trips, Monthly Program Presentations

Download PDF Vol. 80 No. 5, May-Jun 2014
, ,

Western Tanager, Vol. 80 No. 4, Mar-Apr 2014

, ,

Cover Photo of the Owens Valley, Photo by Mary Freeman

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Western Tanager, Vol. 80 No. 4 Mar-Apr 2014

• Love and Thanks! Spring — Love is in the Air! | By Carol Babeli

• Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area: A park of the future that you should visit now! | By Cindy Hardin, Environmental Education

• The Magical Tejon Ranch Tour | By Louis Tucker, Field Trip Leader

• Vacation Interrupted: A Campus CBC | By Brad Rumble

• INTERPRETING NATURE: Los Angeles Audubon Expands its Snowy Plover Field Trip Program | By Stacey Vigallon, Director of Interpretation

• Birds of the Season—February 2014 | By Jon Fisher

SCHEDULES, Bird Walks, Field Trips, Monthly Program Presentations

Dowload PDF, Vol. 80 No. 4, Mar-Apr 2014
, ,

Western Tanager, Vol. 80 No. 3, Jan-Feb 2013

, ,
Moon over Piute Ponds, 2013 Lancaster CBC, Photo by Mary Freeman

Moon over Piute Ponds, 2013 Lancaster CBC, Photo by Mary Freeman

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Western Tanager, Vol. 80 No. 3, Jan-Feb 2013

• The Aesthetics of Grass | By Kreigh Hampel

• Sound Bite of the Warbler Sound Workshop 2013 | By Linda Oberholtzer, Photos by Mary Freeman

• INTERPRETING NATURE: How I became a Baldwin Hills Greenhouse Intern | By Melvin Harris III, Baldwin Hills Greenhouse Intern, and Stacey Vigallon, Director of Interpretation

• ANNUAL DOCENT TRAINING: School Is Now In Session! | By Cindy Hardin, Environmental Education, Photographs by Leslie Davidson

• BIRDS OF THE SEASON—December 2013 | By Jon Fisher

• SCHEDULES, BIRD WALKS, FIELD TRIPS, MONTHLY PROGRAM PRESENTATIONS

Download PDF, Vol. 80 No. 3, Jan-Feb 2013
, ,

Western Tanager, Vol. 80 No. 2 Nov-Dec 2013

, ,
From Mt. Wilson Observatory looking east to Mt. Baldy | Photo by Mary Freeman

From Mt. Wilson Observatory looking east to Mt. Baldy | Photo by Mary Freeman

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Western Tanager, Vol. 80 No. 2 Nov-Dec 2013

• Marsh Madness at Ballona | By Don Sterba

• INTERPRETING NATURE: Los Angeles Audubon Youth Education Programs: Here’s Why It’s Worth the Effort… | By Stacey Vigallon

• Birds of the Season–October 2013 | By Jon Fisher

• Ralph W. Schreiber Ornithology Research Grants 2014

• CONSERVATION CONVERSATION: A Bird-friendly Los Angeles? | By Garry George

• TRIP REPORT: San Gabriel Mountains and Mount Wilson | By Dessi Sieburth

• Ballona Docents Head North | By Cindy Hardin, Photographs by Leslie Davidson

• 2013 End-of-Year Appeal

SCHEDULES

Bird Walks, Field Trips, Christmas Bird Counts, Monthly Program Presentations

Download PDF Vol. 80 No. 2 Nov-Dec 2013
, ,

Western Tanager, Vol. 80 No. 1, Sep-Oct 2013

, ,

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Western Tanager, Vol. 80 No. 1 Sep-Oct 2013

• Zuma Canyon Recoveries | By Walter Sakai

• Identifying Confusing Vocalizations Using Sonograms and Song Structure | By Tom Stephenson, Photos by Tom Stephenson and Scott Whittle

• Birds of the Season — August 2013 | By Jon Fisher

• EDUCATION: It's Not Just For Kids! | By Cindy Hardin

• Docent Training

• Interpreting Nature: Exploring Nature in the City: Los Angeles Audubon’s First Summer Program for Middle School Students

• In Memoriam: Hanna Heyman (Aug. 4 1924–Jul. 15, 2013)

Download PDF, Vol. 80 No. 1 Sep-Oct 2013
Subscribe

Sign up to join our mailing list to receive our newsletter and updates on upcoming events.