Don Edwards San Francisco BayBirds |
Birds at Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in California. Published by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).
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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Don Edwards
San Francisco Bay
National Wildlife
Refuge
Bird List
Waves of migrating
birds pulse through
the Don Edwards San
Francisco Bay National
Wildlife Refuge during
the spring and fall
migrations.
From tidal salt marsh
to salt ponds, from
seasonal vernal pools
to upland habitat, the
refuge offers wildlife
viewing year-round.
American Avocets
© Greg Block
Introduction
A major stop
on the Pacific
Flyway
Great Blue
Heron
San Francisco Bay is the largest
estuary on the west coast of the
United States. Its 30,000 acres of
wetlands, open water, and upland
habitats are home to at least 800,000
birds at any given time and to millions
during peak migration. Some of
these birds are permanent residents
and a few come here only to breed.
Most, however, use the bay as
a resting and feeding
stop on their long
migrations. Seventy percent
of the birds that migrate along the
Pacific Flyway spend some time
each year at San Francisco Bay.
This list, which includes 234
species, includes all avian
species found on refuge lands
in Alameda, San Mateo,
and Santa Clara Counties.
The relative abundances in
the checklist indicate how
frequently you might expect to
see a bird in its favored habitat.
The refuge is undergoing a large
wetland restoration project.
The restoration, coupled with
changing climates, will alter species
abundance and richness over time.
It is expected that this list will need
revisions in the next few years. We
welcome your input.
Bird List Key
Abbreviations
and Symbols
Sp - Spring, March through May
S - Summer, June through August
F - Fall, September through
November
W - Winter, December through
February
Abundance Symbols
a - abundant - a common species
which is very numerous
c - common - certain to be seen in
suitable habitat
u - uncommon - present, but not
certain to be seen
o - occasional - seen only a few times
during a season
r - rare - known to be present, but
not every year
* - birds known to nest locally
Threatened & Endangered Species
NRefuge - species found in northern
range of the refuge
SRefuge - species found in southern
range of the refuge
Consult field guides or reference
books to learn the specific habitats
in which a particular species can be
found. Also check with ebird.org for
latest sightings. This list generally
follows the A.O.S. checklist of North
American Birds, 7th edition. It
deviates slightly by grouping some
families together that use similar
habitats for easier reference.
California Clapper Rail
© Bill Purcell
Common Name
Sp S F W
Common Name
Waterfowl
Greater White-fronted Goose
r o
Snow Goose r
Ross’s Goose r
Brant
r r
Cackling Goose
o o
*Canada Goose
c c c
Tundra Swan r
*Gadwall
c c c
Eurasian Wigeon
r o
American Wigeon
c r a
*Mallard
c c c
Blue-winged Teal
o o
*Cinnamon Teal
c u c
*Northern Shoveler
c u a
*Northern Pintail
c u c
Green-winged Teal
u r c
*Canvasback
c r c
Redhead
S Refuge r u
Ring-necked Duck
r r
Tufted Duck
r r
Greater Scaup
c r c
*Lesser Scaup
c u a
Surf Scoter
u c
White-winged Scoter
r r
Black Scoter
r r
Long-tailed Duck
r r
Bufflehead
c r c
Common Goldeneye
u u
Barrow’s Goldeneye
r r
Hooded Merganser
r o
Common Merganser
r r
Red-breasted Merganser
S Refuge u u
*Ruddy Duck
c u a
Northern Pintails
o
r
r
r
o
c
r
c
o
a
c
o
c
a
c
c
a
u
r
r
a
a
c
r
r
r
a
c
r
o
r
c
a
Sp S
F
W
*Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
*Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Clark’s Grebe
c u c
u u
r r
a o c
c o c
c o c
c
u
r
a
c
c
Rails
Black Rail
*Ridgway’s Rail
Virginia Rail
Sora
*Common Moorhen
*American Coot
r r
u u
u
u
u u
c c
r
u
c
c
u
a
r
u
u
u
u
a
*Black-necked Stilt
*American Avocet
c
c
c
c
a
a
a
a
Plovers
Black-bellied Plover
Pacific Golden-Plover
*Snowy Plover
Semipalmated Plover
*Killdeer
c
r
o
c
c
u
r
o
u
c
a
r
u
c
c
c
Whimbrel
o o
Long-billed Curlew
c u
Marbled Godwit
a c
Ruddy Turnstone
o r
Black Turnstone
o r
Red Knot
u r
Ruff
r
Stilt Sandpiper
Sanderling
u r
Dunlin
a r
Baird’s Sandpiper
r r
Least Sandpiper
c u
Pectoral Sandpiper
r r
Semipalmated Sandpiper r
Western Sandpiper
a c
u
c
a
o
o
u
r
r
u
a
r
c
o
r
a
Grebes
Stilts and Avocets
u
u
c
Sandpipers and Phalaropes
u
c
a
o
o
o
r
u
a
c
a
Sandpipers & Phalaropes continued next page
Common Name
Sp S
F
W
c u a
a u a
u u
o o
r r
o o u
c u a
c u c
o a u
c a a
r r
c
a
u
r
Sandpipers & Phalaropes continued
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson’s Snipe
Spotted Sandpiper
Wandering Tattler
Lesser Yellowlegs
Willet
Greater Yellowlegs
Wilson’s Phalarope
Red-necked Phalarope
Red Phalarope
Jaegers
Parasitic Jaeger
r
Auks and Puffins
Common Murre
o
o
o
a
c
r
r
r
Gulls and Terns
Sabine’s Gull r
Bonaparte’s Gull
c o c
Franklin’s Gull
r r r
Heermann’s Gull r
Mew Gull
u u
Ring-billed Gull
c u a
*Western Gull
c u c
*California Gull
a a a
Herring Gull
a r a
Thayer’s Gull
u u
Glaucous-winged Gull
u o c
Glaucous Gull
r
Least Tern
u u r
*Caspian Tern
c c c
Black Tern
r r
Common Tern
r o
*Forster’s Tern
a a c
Elegant Tern r u
*Black Skimmer
u u o
Loons
Red-throated Loon
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
o o
r r
o o
c
c
a
c
a
a
u
c
o
u
o
o
r
o
Common Name
Cormorants
Brandt’s Cormorant
*Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Sp S
F
W
r
c
r
r
c
r
r
a
r
r
c
r
u
r
u
u
c
c
c
o
Bitterns, Herons and Egrets
American Bittern
r
Least Bittern
*Great Blue Heron
c
*Great Egret
c
*Snowy Egret
c
*Little Blue Heron
r
*Cattle Egret
r
Green Heron
o
*Black-crowned Night-Heron
c
r
r
c
c
c
r
r
o
c
r
r
c
c
c
r
r
o
c
r
Pelicans
American White Pelican
Brown Pelican
c
c
c
r
r
c
Ibises and Spoonbills
*White-faced Ibis
r r
Gallinaceous Birds
California Quail
r r
*Ring-necked Pheasant
u u
Wild Turkey
r
u
r
r
u
r
Pigeons and Doves
Rock Pigeon
*Mourning Dove
Eurasian Collared-dove
u
c
u
u
c
u
u
c
u
u
c
u
New World Vultures
Turkey Vulture
c
c
c
c
u r
c o
r r
c c
o
u r
o o
u
o
r
c
u
u
u
u
c
r
c
o
u
o
Osprey, Kites, Hawks and Eagles
Osprey
*White-tailed Kite
Bald Eagle
*Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Osprey, Kites, etc. continued next page
Common Name
Sp S
F
W
c
r
r
o
Sp S
F
c
r
r
o
Pacific-slope Flycatcher u
*Black Phoebe
u u u
Say’s Phoebe
o o
Ash-throated Flycatcher r
Western Kingbird
o r r
u
*Loggerhead Shrike
o
u
o
Hutton’s Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Osprey, Kites, etc. continued
*Red-tailed Hawk
c c
Ferruginous Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
r
Golden Eagle
r r
Common Name
W
u
o
Shrikes
Barn Owls
*Barn Owl
u
Typical Owls
Great Horned Owl
*Burrowing Owl
*Short-eared Owl
u
u
u
u
u
r
o
o
c
u
c
c
u
c
c
u
c
c
u
c
o
o
o
o
Vireos
o
u
r
o
u
r
o
u
r
o
Crows, Jays and Magpies
*California Scrub-Jay
American Crow
*Common Raven
c
r
r
c
*Horned Lark
o
o
Woodpeckers
Red-breasted Sapsucker r
Nuttall’s Woodpecker
o o o
Downy Woodpecker
o o
Northern Flicker
o o
o
o
o
Swallows
Purple Martin
*Tree Swallow
u u
Violet-green Swallow
u
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
u o
Bank Swallow
r r
*Cliff Swallow
a a
*Barn Swallow
a a
Swifts
Vaux’s Swift
White-throated Swift
o
o o
Hummingbirds
*Anna’s Hummingbird
c c
Rufous Hummingbird
r
Allen’s Hummingbird
Kingfishers
Belted Kingfisher
o
o
u
u
Larks
Falcons
*American Kestrel
u u u u
Merlin
o u u
*Peregrine Falcon
u u u u
Prairie Falcon r r
Tyrant Flycatchers
Western Wood-Pewee o
Willow Flycatcher o
Scaup
u
r
u o
c o
u
r
u
c r
Titmice and Chickadees
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
o o o
Oak Titmouse
o
r
Bushtits
*Bushtit
c
c
c
c
Wrens
Rock Wren
House Wren
*Marsh Wren
*Bewick’s Wren
r r
r
c c
u u
r
o
c
u
r
r
c
u
Gnatcatchers
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
r r
Common Name
Sp S
F
W
Kinglets
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
r o
u u
r
u
r
r
Wrentits
Wrentit
r
r
Thrushes
Western Bluebird
o o
Swainson’s Thrush
o r
Hermit Thrush
u u
American Robin
o o o
Varied Thrush r
o
u
u
r
Mimic Thrushes
c
Starlings
*European Starling
c
c
o o
u
u
u
u
c c
c
Waxwings
Cedar Waxwing
c
r
Old World Sparrows
*House Sparrow
Wagtails and Pipits
American Pipit
Finches
*House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
*American Goldfinch
Purple Finch
a
u
u
r
u
a
u
u
r
a
u
u
r
W
Swamp Sparrow r
White-throated Sparrow
r r
White-crowned Sparrow
c c
Golden-crowned Sparrow
c c
Dark-eyed Junco
r r o
r
r
c
c
o
Blackbirds and Orioles
California Thrasher
Sage Thrasher
r r
*Northern Mockingbird
c c c
c
Common Name
Sp S F
a
u
u
r
*Western Meadowlark
Hooded Oriole
*Bullock’s Oriole
*Red-winged Blackbird
Tricolored Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
S Refuge
u u
o o
o o
c c
o
u u
u u
r r
c
c
r
c
u
u
u
r
c
o
o
u
r
Wood Warblers
Northern Waterthrush r
Orange-crowned Warbler
o u
Nashville Warbler
r r
*Common Yellowthroat
c c c
Yellow Warbler
o u
Blackpoll Warbler r
Palm Warbler r
Yellow-rumped Warbler
c c
Townsend’s Warbler
r r
Wilson’s Warbler
u u
r
r
c
r
c
r
Tanagers
Western Tanager
o o
Cardinals, Grosbeaks and Allies
Black-headed Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
u u
r r r
Sparrows and Towhees
Spotted Towhee o
*California Towhee
c c c c
*Savannah Sparrow
c c c c
Nelson’s Sparrow
r r
Fox Sparrow
u c u
*Song Sparrow
a a a a
Lincoln’s Sparrow
u u u
Canada Goose
Accidental
Species
Red-tailed
Hawk
Yellow Rail
Magnificent Frigatebird
Sandhill Crane
Black Oystercatcher
Hudsonian Godwit
Bar-tailed Godwit
Surfbird
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Curlew Sandpiper
Little Stint
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Pigeon Guillemot
Ancient Murrelet
Black-headed Gull
Little Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Slaty-backed Gull
Arctic Tern
Brown Booby
Glossy Ibis
Band-tailed Pigeon
Chimney Swift
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Least Flycatcher
Hammond’s Flycatcher
Dusky Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Cassin’s Kingbird
Solitary Vireo
White Wagtail
Yellow-breasted Chat
Pine Siskin
Chestnut-collared Longspur
Chipping Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Brewer’s Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Bell’s Sparrow
American Redstart
Magnolia Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Notes
Snowy Egret
© Larry Wade
Don Edwards San Francisco Bay
National Wildlife Refuge
1 Marshlands Road
Fremont, California 94555
510/792 0222
http://www.fws.gov/refuge/don_edwards_san_francisco_bay
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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
http://www.fws.gov
Refuge Information
1 800/344 WILD
September 2017
Printed on 100% recycled paper with a minimum
50% post-consumer fiber content.
Black-necked Stilt
© Bill Purcell