This is a list of all bird species seen in or from my yard since 1 July 1993. It includes flyovers as well as species that stayed around; it does not include heard-only birds. We live on steep slope on the south side of Claremont Canyon, with a north-facing view. We are at 900+ feet elevation and often have strong wind. It is very much a neighborhood in transition. When we moved into our rebuilt house in June 1993 [after the 1991 Oakland Hills fire], we were among the earliest back into the neighborhood. At that time there were few houses and lots of open space, but no tall trees and little in the way of sheltering vegetation. So in 1993, the neighborhood was attractive to raptors, bluebirds and meadowlarks. Since then we have had continuous construction, with the last vacant lots near us scheduled to be built on in 2002. Now we have many huge houses on tiny lots and very little open space. The planted landscaping - both native and exotic - is growing. Regrettably, the number of cats also is growing.
In the yard (actually, on our two decks), we have 3 seed feeders and 3 hummingbird feeders. We also have 3 birdbaths, all of which are used. Most of the planting is California natives. We average 54 species per year, with one or two new species added each year. Current yard total = 95. (18 May 2002)
Osprey flyover. (4 April 1999)
Indigo Bunting. (1 September 1999)
Lazuli Bunting. (4 May 2000)
Warbling Vireo (14 September 2000)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (15 September 2000)
Merlin (11 March 2001)
Hooded Oriole (29 May 2001)
Acorn Woodpecker (4 September 2001)
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) - flyover
on 4 Apr 1999
Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)
Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
Merlin (Falco columbarius) - 11
March 2001
California Quail (Callipepla californica)
California Gull (Larus californicus)
Western Gull (Larus occidentalis)
Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia)
Rock Dove (Columba livia)
Band-tailed Pigeon (Columba fasciata)
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) - Likely escapee
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
White-throated Swift (Aeronautes saxatalis)
Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna)
Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)
Allen's Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin)
Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon)
Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) - 4 September
2001
Nuttall's Woodpecker (Picoides nuttallii)
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)
Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus)
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)
Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi)
Western Wood-Pewee (Contopus sordidulus)
Pacific-slope Flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis)
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans)
Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens)
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus) - 14 September 2000
Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica)
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
Common Raven (Corvus corax)
Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina)
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)
Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens)
Oak Titmouse (Baeolophus inornatus)
Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) - 15 September 2000
Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)
Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana)
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
California Thrasher (Toxostoma redivivum)
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)
Orange-crowned Warbler (Vermivora celata)
Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata) - Audubon's &
Myrtle
Townsend's Warbler (Dendroica townsendi)
MacGillivray's Warbler (Oporornis tolmiei)
Wilson's Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla)
Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana)
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)
California Towhee (Pipilo crissalis)
Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida)
Brewer's Sparrow (Spizella breweri)
Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca)
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii)
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)
Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus)
Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena) - at feeder on 4 May &
7 June 2000
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) - at
feeder on 1 September 1999
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)
Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus)
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus) - 29 May 2001
Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus)
Cassin's Finch (Carpodacus cassinii)
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus)
Lesser Goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria)
American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)