Thanks to everyone who told us about their first bird of the day. As usual, it’s a great list. The hummingbirds (mostly Anna’s), Brewer’s Blackbirds, California Towhees, and Mourning Doves sort of leap out in big numbers. But lots of other great species as well. Check out the full list below (photo of Brewer’s Blackbird [...]

Share on Facebook

[Read more →]

Every Friday morning, we ask visitors to our social media to look outside, take note of the first bird they see, and then come back and tell us about it. We collect these responses until about noon, then report back later in the afternoon with all the responses. The final list is always pretty cool. So [...]

Share on Facebook

[Read more →]

The San Diego Zoo is just one piece of a large network of public agencies and private organizations helping to bring the California Condor back from the brink of extinction. The San Diego Union-Tribune takes a look at the progress of the endangered bird and the zoo’s role in the recovery program. Share on Facebook

Share on Facebook

[Read more →]

Redbud Audubon’s annual Heron Festival is this weekend in Clear Lake. If you’ve never been, this is a great event, and a great chance to see some cool birds. Sure, there are the herons, but you also see the grebes in all their glory. Share on Facebook

Share on Facebook

[Read more →]

We’re hearing reports that the Vaux’s Swifts are back in downtown Los Angeles, and the Audubon Center at Debs Park and Los Angeles Audubon are hosting another Birds Over Broadway event to get the public out to see them. Join the fun on the top floor of Joe’s Auto Park at 440 S. Broadway at [...]

Share on Facebook

[Read more →]

Today is John James Audubon’s 226th birthday. Google is honoring the day by putting his birds on its homepage. You can honor birds by simply stepping outside and watching a few in action. Share on Facebook

Share on Facebook

[Read more →]

We’re immensely grateful for all the people who have stepped up to help us protect rare Tricolored Blackbirds in the Central Valley. While we still have a long way to go, the outpouring of support we’ve received so far has been inspirational. As a side note: it’s pretty interesting how many people are choosing the [...]

Share on Facebook

[Read more →]

Looks like the Yolo Bypass area, one of the state’s best places to watch birds, is open again after being closed for a month due to flooding. It’s also an Important Bird Area, meaning it’s critical for conservation. Share on Facebook

Share on Facebook

[Read more →]

Audubon President David Yarnold appears today on the Huffington Post making the point that Earth Day — and the environmental movement as a whole — needs to include everybody if it’s going to be relevant. Share on Facebook

Share on Facebook

[Read more →]

Wow, lots of responses to today’s Firstbird survey. And a great list. Glancing at the list, we see a lot of Acorn Woodpeckers, California Towhees, Crows, House Finch, and mockingbirds. But lots and lots of variety. Probably more than 60 different species in all. Also great to have contributions from outside of California, and the [...]

Share on Facebook

[Read more →]

We do it every Friday, and it’s fun. When you look outside for the first time today, just make note of the first bird you see. Then come back here and tell us what it was. You can use this link, or just post a comment below. We’ll take responses until around noon, then bring [...]

Share on Facebook

[Read more →]

Things didn’t look so good for an injured Red-tailed Hawk when it was found at a Pasadena Senior Center. But things have turned around quite well. Share on Facebook

Share on Facebook

[Read more →]

Just learned something interesting from our Tricolored Blackbird experts in the field about the at-risk breeding colonies we discussed yesterday. The total number of birds in these locations is about 130,000, which is about one-third of all the Tricolored Blackbirds in the world. The speaks both to the incredible size of these colonies, and to [...]

Share on Facebook

[Read more →]

The Audubon Starr Ranch is well known for its live Barn Owl cam, but now it’s also got a Black Phoebe cam as well. If she’s not on the nest when you look, keep trying back. Share on Facebook

Share on Facebook

[Read more →]

As you read this, Audubon California is negotiating with a handful of farmers in California’s Central Valley to protect colonies of rare Tricolored Blackbirds that are nesting in their fields. Tricolored Blackbirds, which live almost exclusively in California, often use wheat fields for breeding because most of their native habitat has been lost. The problem [...]

Share on Facebook

[Read more →]