Neighborhood Birds

As you walk around our neighborhood, you might like to watch for these birds. This list includes many flyovers, so remember to look overhead for geese, ducks, hawks, herons, swallows, and others that may rarely land or feed in the neighborhood.

For help identifying a bird, try the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s All About Birds site (https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/search.aspx) or google the name of a bird and photos (Bushtit photos).

Codes on this list:

Y = Year-round in the neighborhood
W = Winters in the neighborhood
S = Summers in the neighborhood
M = Migrates through the neighborhood
B = Breeds in the neighborhood

C = Common – Can usually be found daily to weekly in neighborhood
F = Fairly common – Can usually be found weekly to monthly in neighborhood
U = Uncommon to rare – Several reports, but not seen often in the neighborhood
R = Rare to very rare/casual – At least one reliable sighting in the neighborhood

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Canada Goose (YC)
Mallard (YU)
California Quail (SU)
Wild Turkey (R)
White-tailed Kite (U)
Rock Pigeon (YU)
Band-tailed Pigeon (R)
Eurasian Collared-Dove (R)
Mourning Dove (YCB)
Vaux’s Swift (R)
White-Throated Swift (R)
Black-chinned Hummingbird (MU)
Anna’s Hummingbird (YCB)
Rufous Hummingbird (M)
Allen’s Hummingbird (M)
Killdeer (WF) (Feeding in Monta Loma Park at night)
California Gull (YC)
Ring-billed Gull (YR)
Great Blue Heron (YR)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (YU) (Feeding in Thaddeus and Monta Loma Parks at night)
Turkey Vulture (YC)
Golden Eagle (YU)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (YU)
Cooper’s Hawk (YFB)
Bald Eagle (YR)
Red-shouldered Hawk (YU)
Swainson’s Hawk (YR)
Red-tailed Hawk (YF)
Barn Owl (YF)
Western Screech-Owl (R)
Great Horned Owl (R)
Red-breasted Sapsucker (WU)
Downy Woodpecker (YU)
Nuttall’s Woodpecker (YCB)
Hairy Woodpecker (R)
Northern Flicker (WF)
Kestrel (YU)Merlin (YU)
Black Phoebe (YCB)
Say’s Phoebe (WR)
Hutton’s Vireo (R)
Steller’s Jay (R)
California Scrub-Jay (YCB)
American Crow (YCB)
Common Raven (R)
Chestnut-backed Chickadee (YCB)
Oak Titmouse (YCB)
Tree Swallow (SU)
Violet-green Swallow (SU)
Bushtit (YFB)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (WF)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (M)
White-breasted Nuthatch (YFB)
Pygmy Nuthatch (MR)
Brown Creeper ( R )
Bewick’s Wren (YCB)
European Starling (YF)
California Thrasher (R )
Northern Mockingbird (YCB)
Western Bluebird (YU)
Varied Thrush (WU)
Hermit Thrush (WU)
American Robin (WC)
Cedar Waxwing (WF)
House Sparrow (YCB)
House Finch (YCB)
Pine Siskin (WU)
Lesser Goldfinch (YCB)
American Goldfinch (YU)
Fox Sparrow (WU)
Dark-eyed Junco (YCB)
White-crowned Sparrow (WC)
Golden-crowned Sparrow (WF)
White-throated Sparrow (R)
California Towhee (YCB)
Rufous-crowned Sparrow (R)
Spotted Towhee (YU)
Hooded Oriole (SFB)
Bullock’s Oriole (SR)
Red-winged Blackbird (R)
Brown-headed Cowbird (SFB)
Brewer’s Blackbird (U)
Yellow Warbler (M)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (WC)
Townsend’s Warbler (R)
Western Tanager (M)
Black-headed Grosbeak (R)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Escapees and other birds not officially listed for Santa Clara County:
Red-crowned parrot (SU) (Flock follows ripening fruit in trees throughout Mountain View.)
Cockatiel (R)
Yellow Canary (R)
Sulfur-crested Cockatoo (R)
Blue Parakeet (R)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Email your bird questions and unusual bird sightings to Dotty Calabrese <dottycala at aol.com>.

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