Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Melospiza ("song finch") melodia ("singing")

Adult male Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) at Hayward, California - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: Unclear
Weight: 11-53g  /  Length: 11-18cm  /  Wingspan: 18-25cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

When I first heard this species singing, I understood why it is named the Song Sparrow - compared to other seed "finch like" birds it is very melodic and clear. Is is also a species with a huge array of subspecies which seem to adapt readily to different habitats - there are multiple endemic subspecies in California alone!

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Passerellidae
Genus: Melospiza
SUBSPECIES: M. m. melodia, M. m.atlantica, M. m.maxima, M. m.sanaka, M. m.insignis, M. m.kenaiensis, M. m. caurina, M. m.rufina, M. m. morphna, M. m. merrilli, M. m. montana, M. m. cleonensis, M. m.gouldii, M. m.maxillaris, M. m. heermanni, M. m.graminea, M. m. samuelis, M. m. pusillula, M. m. fallax, M. m. rivularis, M. m. goldmani, M. m. mexicana, M. m. villai, M. m. adusta, M. m. zacapu

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Found at different times of the year through every state except Hawai'i
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at San Jose, Berkeley and Hayward  

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

OTHER NAMES: Buzzard
Latin Etymology: Cathartes ("cleanser") aura (based on an indigineous Mexican name for species)

Adult Turkey Vulture (subspecies C. a. meridionalis) at Berkeley, California - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: Western Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura meridionalis)
Weight: 0.8-2.4kg  /  Length: 62-81cm  /  Wingspan: 160-183cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Turkey Vulture is a member of the New-World Vultures, a group that is evolutionarily distinct from the Vultures featured on this website to date, belonging to their own separate family. The Turkey vulture is probably the archetypal bird of this family, a large black bird with a bright red head which feeds on carrion. They were one of the commonest raptors we encountered on the trip, particularly in hilly areas where they were often thermaling.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Cathartidae
Genus: Cathartes
SUBSPECIES: C. a. aura, C. a. jota, C. a. meridionalis, C. a. ruficollis, C. a. septentrionalis

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Found throughout the Lower 48 - Summer visitor to more Northern states, resident in the South
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at San Jose, Berkeley, Hayward and Big Sur

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

OTHER NAMES: Redtail, Chickenhawk
Latin Etymology: Buteo ("buzzard") jamaicensis ("of Jamaica")

Two Adult Red-tailed Hawk (subspecies B. j. calurus) at San Jose, California - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: Western Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis calurus)
Weight: 690-1370g  /  Length: 46-65cm  /  Wingspan: 105-141cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The most abundant of North America Raptors, the Red tailed hawk fills roughly the same ecological niche as the Common Buzzard - a very adaptable medium sized raptors that will both scavenge and take prey. They are found across every habitat found in the continental North America, limited in the North only by the end of the treeline and extending southwards to te tropics of Central America. They are a popular bird in falconry due to how common they are and being more trainable than almost all other raptors.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Buteo
SUBSPECIES: B. j. jamaicensis, B. j. alascensis, B. j.borealis, B. j. calurus, B. j. costaricensis, B. j. fueresi, B. j. fumosus, B. j. hadropus, B. j. harlani, B. j. kemsiesi, B. j. kriderii, B. j. socorreoensis, B. j. solitudinus, B. j. umbrinus

 - Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA
A common resident.
 - COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: One bird seen at San Gerardo de Dota

UNITED STATES 
Found across all Lower 48 and much of Alaska
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Berkeley, Monterey,San Jose, Hayward  and San Francisco

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Pelecanus ("pelican") erythrorhynchos ("red billed") 

Two adult American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) at Hayward, California - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 3.5-13.6kg  /  Length: 50-70cm  /  Wingspan: 240-300cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

An emormous bird - which reaches the top 15 or so by any metric of largest extant flying species, and in the top 2 or 3 of any listing for North America. I saw them fairly regularly throughout my trip to California, but in most instances only thermalling at extreme height in large flocks - only on the last day did I see these two individuals at anything resembling close range.

Related Species:
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Pelecanidae
Genus: Pelecanus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 

Patchy breeder in central and Western Lower 48, Wimtering in CSouthern alifornia and Florida through Texas
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Hayward  and San Jose

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Elegant Tern (Thalasseus elegans)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Thalasseus elegans

Non-breeding Elegant Tern (Thalasseus elegans) at Monterey, California - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 200-300g  /  Length: 39-43cm  /  Wingspan: 76-81cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

A somewhat paradoxical species - they have incredibly dense breeding colonies but only in a few very specific locations around the Gulf of California, but meanwhile its non-breeding range stretches from central Chile up along the Pacific Coast to the Oregon. They also, from a birding perspective are unusually variable in their non-breeding plumage, with their bills in particular ranging across red, orange, yellow and pink, making it a somewhat frustrating exercise to pick out other species in amongst them.

Related Species:

Order: Charadriiformes

Family: Laridae (Formerly Sternidae)

Genus: Thalasseus

SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Breeds at a single site in California, nn-breeding along Souther Half of West Coast
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Hayward and Monterey 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Western Gull (Larus occidentalis)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Larus ("gull") occidentalis ("western")

Adult Western Gull (subspecies L. o. occidentalis) at Berkeley, California - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: Laris occidentalis occidentalis
Weight: 1000g  /  Length: 55-68cm  /  Wingspan: 130-144cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A large and almost entirely coastal species of gull, the Western Gull was the most commonly seen gull species during my visit to California. They share the versatility of many gull species in terms of feeding in terms of scavenging, but are also known to be actively predatory to birds when the opportunity arises. Further North they regularly hybridise with Glaucous-winged Gull to produce a hybrid known as the "Olympic Gull" which in the intergrade zone of the two species proves to be very successful.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Larus
SUBSPECIES: L. o. occidentalis, L. o. wymani

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Resident on the coasts of California, Washington and Oregon
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Hayward, Berkeley, Monterey and on the Half Moon Bay Pelagic Trip

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Larus ("gull") delawarensis ("of the Delaware river")

 
Adult Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) at Berkeley, California - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 300-700g  /  Length: 43-54cm  /  Wingspan: 105-117cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

An incredibly widely distributed and adaptable gull species which can be found in any part of the lower 48, it represents one of the smaller Larus species. They are an adaptable species that has succeeded in many human created habitats, and is also traditionally one of the North American species that has the biggest history of vagrancy to Europe.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Larus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Breeds in Northern States, Winters in Coastl and Southern Ones
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Hayward and Berkeley

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Willet (Tringa semipalmata)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Tringa (bird named by Aristotle) semipalmata ("semipalmated - partially webbed")

 

Non-breeding Willet (subspecies T. s. inornata) at Hayward, California - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: Tringa semipalmata inornata
Weight: 200-330g/kg  /  Length: 33-41cm  /  Wingspan: 70cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The willet is in some ways a slightly confusing looking bird to someone used to British birding - it's most closely related to the shanks but is substantially more larger, being much more on a scale with godwits, a feature to which its only visible in flight black and white wing barring also suggests. To me it's call also registered as more like an Oystercatcher than anything else. They proved to be one of the more common large waders we saw.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Genus: Tringa
SUBSPECIES: T. s. inortnata, T. s. semipalmata

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Breeds in North West of the Lower 48 and the North East Coast, Wintering along the coast
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Hayward, Berkeley and Monterey

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Tringa (bird named by Aristotle) melanoleuca ("black and white")

Molting adult Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) at Hayward, California - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 11-250g/kg  /  Length: 29-40cm  /  Wingspan: 60cm
NO UK STATUS/ IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Given it's relationship to the other tringa species, it's honestly somewhat frustrating to me that this bird isn't named the Greater Yellowshank because it would fit much more neatly in the naming scheme of Redshanks and Greenshanks.  Alas, it is not, and it's closest confusion species is anyway the lesser yellowlegs is found in much of the same range and with similar colouration, and mostly has to be separated by proportions and subtle markings differences.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Genus: Tringa
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Breeds in Alaska, Winters along warmer Southern coasts, passage elsewhere
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Hayward and Berkeley 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus)

OTHER NAMES: Sicklebird, Candlestick Bird
Latin Etymology: Numenius (bird mentioned by Hesychius) americanus ("American") 

Adult Long-billed Curlew (subspecies N. a. parvus) at Monterey, California -  September 2022

Featured Subspecies: Numenius americanus parvus
Weight: 490-950g  /  Length: 50-65cm  /  Wingspan: 62-92cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

One of the three curlew species that, depending on the metric you use, tie up the category of "largest wader" and certainly the largest species of the group to be regularly found in North America. As the name suggests, the long probing beak is the immediate feature that sticks out and while overlapping with the similar Far-Eastern Curlew, holds the record for the longest beak of a wader at up to 21.9cm.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Genus: Numenius
SUBSPECIES: N. a. americanus, N. a. parvus 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Breeds in West-Central North America and Winter along much of the Coast of the Lower 48
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP:  Seen at Hayward, Berkeley and Monterey
 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa)

OTHER NAMES: Greater American Godwit
Latin Etymology:  Limosa (species specific name) fedoa (old English word for godwit)

Non-breeding Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa - unknown subspecies) at Monterey, California - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: Unknown
Weight: 325-390g  /  Length: 44cm  /  Wingspan: 71cm
NO UK STATUS/ IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The largest of the four extant godwit species, they slightly unusual compared ot many of the othe waders seen on the California trip in that the bulk of their breeding range is much further south and inland around the Dakotas and into Canada rather than the tundra favoured by many species. They then migrate to different typical wintering sites along the coast depending on which population they are from.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae 
Genus: Limosa 
SUBSPECIES: L. f. beringiae, L. f. fedoa

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Description
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Hayward, Berkeley and Monterey

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Calidris (bird named by Aristotle) mauri (after botanist Ernesto Mauri)

Nonbreeding Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) at Berkeley, California - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 22-35g  /  Length: 14-17cm  /  Wingspan: 35-37cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Western Sandpiper is a small wader that breeds on the Western most edge of Alaska and just into the tip of Siberia, before migrating southwards to Winter around the majority of the coast of the Lower 48, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and upper South America. In terms of European equivalent, their bill shape and proportions put me in mind of dunlin, although their non-breeding plumage is much brighter.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Genus: Calidris
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Breeds in Alaska, Wintering along most of the Southern and Western States
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Hayward, Berkeley and Monterey

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Calidris (bird named by Aristotle) minutilla ("very small") 

Winter plumage Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) at Monterey, California - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 19-30g  /  Length: 13-15cm  /  Wingspan: 27-28cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The smallest of all waders, the Least Sandpiper is an extremely diminutive bird with distinctive yellow feet that make it easy to pick out for a bird of its size. It nests in Tundra and Bogs and Winter from the Southern USA to the northern third of South America, primarily on mudflats.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Genus: Calidris
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Breeds in Alaska, Wintering along most of the Southern States
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Hayward, Berkeley and Monterey
 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology:Charadrius (a bird named in the Vulgate Bible) nivosus ("snowy")

Female Snowy Plover (subspecies C. a. nivosus) at Hayward, California - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: Charadrius nivosus nivosus
Weight: 32-58g  /  Length: 15-17cm  /  Wingspan: 34-43cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

A small plover formerly considered to be a population of Kentish Plover, the Snowy is largely resident in coastal areas, though it also breeds inland in certain areas in the South-West quarter of the USA, and into Mexico, associating with bracking water. It is a species that suffers greatly from human disturbance due to being a beach nester, and as such conservation efforts in the USA have largely centred on protecting sites during breeding season.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Charadridae
Genus: Charadrius
SUBSPECIES: C. a. nivosus, C. a. occidentalis

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
A resident of South and West Coasts, also breeding inland on brackish pools
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Hayward

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Charadrius (from the Vulgate Bible) vociferus ("vocal")

Adult Killdeer (subspecies C. v. vociferus) at Berkeley, California - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: Charadrius vociferus vociferus
Weight: 72-121g  /  Length: 20-28cm  /  Wingspan: 59-63cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

I must admit that when I first heard the name "killdeer", I was trying to work out precisely how a tiny plover would kill a deer? But in fact this species gets its name from its call with which it is most usually first detected. Relative to other "ringed" type plovers which tend to be closely associated with water, the killdeer breeds on flat open land with low lying vegetation, and even occassionally on the roofs of buildings!

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Charadridae
Genus: Charadrius
SUBSPECIES: C. v. vociferus, C. v. ternominatus, C. v. peruvianus 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
An extremely widely distributed species, resident in much of the Lower 48, and breeding in the majority of the rest and into Alaska.
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Berkeley, Monterey and Hayward

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Recurvirostra ("curved backwards beak") americana ("American")

Post-breeding season moulting American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) at Berkeley, California - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 300-460g  /  Length: 41-51cm  /  Wingspan: 80cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

White the Pied Avocet of the Old World is a decidedly monochrome bird at any time of year, the American Avocet in its breeding plummage gains a very distinct rusty-golden mane while breeding, which certainly seems to benefit photographing it as my cameras have always had trouble getting the most out of the starkness of the pied. Theyhowever do share that similar distinctie upturned avocet beak which they use to filter aquatic invertibrates from the water.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Recurvirostridae
Genus: Recurvirostra
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Resident in parts of California, otherwise breeding inland in the Western half of the Lower 48 and Wintering along the Carribbean Coast
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Berkeley, Monterey and Hayward

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Himantopus (species specific name) mexicanus (of Mexico)

Adult Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) at Monterey, California - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 150-180g  /  Length: 35-39cm  /  Wingspan: 71-75cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The taxonomy of the stilts is something of a mess frankly, with multiple layers of nesting being lumped or split depending on authority - in this case the Black-necked is the intermediate level - the taxon found in North America which is considered by some to be a subspecies of the "Common Stilt" which would also include the Black-winged of Eurasia.  It in turn may or may not contain the White-backed and Hawaiian Stilts as subspecies, or they may be full in their own right. Either way, as with all stilts, it is a delightful bird with the trademark comically long legs.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Recurvirostridae
Genus: Himantopus
SUBSPECIES: Depends on authority, White-back Stilt and Hawaiian Stilt are sometimes considered subspecies, but for here will be considered separate

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
A species with variable status in the Southern-half of the Lower 48 and migrant breeder in the North-West.
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Berkeley, Monterey and Hayward

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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