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

Rare Bird Alert

Rare Bird Alert - March 24, 2023

TUNDRA BEAN-GOOSE | Surf Scoter | Red-necked Grebe | Inca Dove | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | California Condor | Zone-tailed Hawk | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | “Prairie” Merlin | “Black” Merlin | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Lapland Longspur | Chestnut-collared Longspur | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | Harris’s Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Orchard Oriole | Baltimore Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | Tennessee Warbler | Cape May Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager

Rare Bird Alert - March 17, 2023

TUNDRA BEAN-GOOSE | White-winged Dove | Sandhill Crane | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Ancient Murrelet | Manx Shearwater | California Condor | Zone-tailed Hawk | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Pacific Wren | Chestnut-collared Longspur | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Baltimore Oriole | Scott’s Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | Tennessee Warbler | Nashville Warbler |Palm Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager

Rare Bird Alert - March 10, 2023

TUNDRA BEAN-GOOSE | Red-necked Grebe | White-winged Dove | Sandhill Crane | Tufted Puffin | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Brown Booby | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Zone-tailed Hawk | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Northern “Yellow-shafted” Flicker | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Least Flycatcher | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Pacific Wren | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Scott’s Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | Tennessee Warbler | Cape May Warbler | Palm Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager

Rare Bird Alert - March 2, 2023

Sandhill Crane | American Oystercatcher | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Short-eared Owl | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Brown-crested Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Western Kingbird | Least Flycatcher | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Pacific-slope Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Bell’s Vireo | Pacific Wren | Lapland Longspur | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Scott’s Oriole| Black-and-white Warbler | Palm Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager

Rare Bird Alert - February 24, 2023

American Oystercatcher | Lesser Black-backed Gull | California Condor | Zone-tailed Hawk | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Northern “Yellow-shafted” Flicker | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | Western Kingbird | Least Flycatcher | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Pacific-slope Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Cassin’s Vireo | Grasshopper Sparrow | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | Harris’s Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Scott’s Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | Tennessee Warbler | Nashville Warbler | Cape May Warbler | Palm Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager

Rare Bird Alert - February 17, 2023

Sandhill Crane | American Oystercatcher | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Northern “Yellow-shafted” Flicker | “Prairie” Merlin | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Western Kingbird | Least Flycatcher | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Pacific-slope Flycatcher | Lapland Longspur | Chestnut-collared Longspur | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | Harris’s Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Scott’s Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | Tennessee Warbler | Lucy’s Warbler | Nashville Warbler | Cape May Warbler | Pine Warbler | Painted Redstart

Rare Bird Alert - February 10, 2023

White-winged Dove | Sandhill Crane | American Oystercatcher | Pacific Golden-Plover | Mountain Plover | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Neotropic Cormorant | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | California Condor | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Brown-crested Flycatcher | Western Kingbird | Least Flycatcher | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Cassin’s Vireo | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Harris’s Sparrow | White-throated Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Scott’s Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | Tennessee Warbler | Nashville Warbler | Cape May Warbler | Palm Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager

Rare Bird Alert - February 2, 2023

Long-tailed Duck | White-winged Dove | American Oystercatcher | Pacific Golden-Plover | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Neotropic Cormorant | California Condor | Zone-tailed Hawk | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Ash-throated Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Pacific-slope Flycatcher | Cassin’s Vireo | Pacific Wren | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Harris’s Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Hooded Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | Tennessee Warbler | Cape May Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager

Rare Bird Alert - January 27, 2023

White-winged Scoter | Black Scoter | Long-tailed Duck | White-winged Dove | Sandhill Crane | Pacific Golden-Plover | Mountain Plover | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Neotropic Cormorant | Brown Booby | Zone-tailed Hawk | Northern “Yellow-shafted” Flicker | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | Western Kingbird | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Pacific-slope Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Bell’s Vireo | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Hooded Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | Cape May Warbler | Palm Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager | Black-headed Grosbeak

Rare Bird Alert - January 20, 2023

White-winged Dove | Sandhill Crane | American Oystercatcher | Pacific Golden-Plover | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Neotropic Cormorant | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Zone-tailed Hawk | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | Western Kingbird | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | SEDGE WREN | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Baltimore Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | Tennessee Warbler | Nashville Warbler | Cape May Warbler | Palm Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager

Subscribe

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