California has an enormous variety of birds thanks to its coasts, deserts, forests and wetlands. Here is a friendly guide to some of the common species you are likely to see.
Backyard birds
Many California gardens are visited by house finches, lesser goldfinches, mourning doves and Annas hummingbirds, which stay year-round along much of the coast. The California scrub-jay is a bold blue-and-grey bird that often raids feeders, and the acorn woodpecker is common in oak country. Northern mockingbirds sing loudly from rooftops. Providing seed, water and native plants will draw many of these visitors. See our hummingbird guide and our types of birds guide.
State bird and open-country birds
The California quail is the state bird, a plump ground bird with a curved topknot that travels in small groups called coveys. In open and grassy areas you may spot western meadowlarks, red-tailed hawks perched on poles, and turkey vultures circling overhead. The greater roadrunner lives in the drier south of the state. These birds favour fields, scrub and desert edges rather than dense gardens, so a drive into the countryside often turns them up.
Coastal and water birds
California's long coastline and wetlands host many water birds. Brown pelicans glide low over the waves, western gulls patrol the shore, and great blue herons and snowy egrets stalk the shallows. Ducks, coots and sandpipers gather at marshes and lagoons, especially in winter. The Salton Sea and San Francisco Bay are famous stopovers for migrating birds. See our water birds guide for more on these species.