A practical guide to bird watching in Sonoma County, California
(Unless otherwise indicated, all phone numbers are in the 707 area code)
Sonoma County: Rare species
Birds for which only a VERY small number of county records exist (sometimes only one). These are highly unlikely in the county, but have been recorded at least once.
Pelagic Species: Shy Albatross, Wandering Albatross, Short-tailed Albatross, Mottled Petrel, Wilson's Storm-petrel, Leach's Storm-petrel, Black Storm-petrel, Red-billed Tropicbird, Magnificent Frigatebird, Long-tailed Jaeger, Long-billed Murrelet, Xantus's Murrelet, Craveri's Murrelet, Parakeet Auklet, Crested Auklet
Loons, Grebes: Arctic Loon, Yellow-billed Loon
Ducks, Geese: King Eider
Shorebirds, Wading Birds: Least Bittern, Little Blue Heron, Tri-colored Heron, White-faced Ibis, Yellow Rail, Mongolian Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Storks: Wood Stork
Vultures: California Condor
Raptors: Northern Goshawk, Common Black Hawk
Gulls: Laughing Gull, Iceland Gull
Roadrunners: Greater Roadrunner
Cuckoos: Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Owls: Snowy Owl, Barred Owl
Hummingbirds: Broad-billed Hummingbird, Violet-crowned Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Calliope Hummingbird
Woodpeckers: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-naped Sapsucker
Tyrant Flycatchers: Eastern Wood-pewee, Least Flycatcher, Hammond's Flycatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher, Gray Flycatcher, Dusky Flycatcher, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Eastern Kingbird, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Fork-tailed Flycatcher
Vireos: Plumbeous Vireo, Philadelphia Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo
Jays, Magpies: Blue Jay, Yellow-billed Magpie
Swallows: Bank Swallow
Chickadees: Mountain Chickadee
Thrushes: Northern Wheatear, Mountain Bluebird
Thrashers: Gray Catbird, Sage Thrasher
Wagtails, Pipits: Yellow Wagtail, Red-throated Pipit
Warblers: Blue-winged Warbler, Virginia's Warbler, Lucy's Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Black-throated blue Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Ovenbird, Kentucky Warbler, Connecticut Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Canada Warbler
Waxwings: Bohemian Waxwing
Tanagers: Summer Tanager
Towhees, Sparrows, and Allies: Green-tailed Towhee, American Tree Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Brewer's Sparrow, Black-chinned Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Lark Bunting, Lapland Longspur, Chestnut-collared Longspur
Buntings, Grosbeaks: Snow Bunting, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Painted Bunting
Blackbirds, Orioles: Bobolink, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole, Scott's Oriole, Common Grackle
Finches: Cassin's Finch,
© Colin Talcroft, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Unless noted, all photos by the author. If you would like to use one of my images, please ask for permission for non-commercial use with proper credit or commercial use with proper compensation.