A Beginners Checklist of Birds  for Bethel Island, lowlands of East Contra Costa County, California

Compiled by Steve Glover, John Sterling and Bethi Carver

Best Birding! www.NearTheFastWater.com 

163 native birds. Residents or migrants to the "Heart of the Delta" rivers, sloughs, islands and towns.

On the Pacific Flyway, over 300 birds can be seen in the Delta throughout a year.  

Bird Identification Books: Audubon Sibley Guide to Birds & National Geographic Birds of North America

Key :    S - Summer   W - Winter   R - Resident   M - Migration  (Spring & Fall)

Copyright 2009

Bethi Carver

 

Loons, Grebes, Pelicans & Cormorants 
	Common Loon 		W
	Pied-billed Grebe 		R
	Western Grebe 		R
	Clark’s Grebe 		R
	Eared Grebe 		W
	Double-crested Cormorant	R
	American White Pelican 	R
 Wading Birds
	American Bittern 		R
	Least Bittern 		S
	Black-crowned Night Heron 	R
	Green Heron 		R
	Cattle Egret 		R
	Snowy Egret 		R
	Great Egret 		R
	Great Blue Heron 		R
	White-faced Ibis 		WM
  Geese & Ducks
	Tundra Swan 		WM
	Greater White-fronted Goose 	WM
	Snow Goose 		W
	Ross’s Goose 		W
	Canada Goose 		WM
	Cackling Goose 		WM
	Wood Duck 		R
	Gadwall 			R
	American Wigeon 		WM
	Mallard 			R
	Cinnamon Teal 		R
	Northern Shoveler 		WM
	Northern Pintail 		WM
	Green-winged Teal 		WM
	Canvasback 		W
	Redhead 			WM
	Greater Scaup 		WM
	Lesser Scaup 		WM
	Bufflehead 			WM
	Ruddy Duck 		R
  Diurnal Raptors
	Turkey Vulture 		R
	Osprey 			R
	White-tailed Kite 		R
	Bald Eagle 			W
	Northern Harrier 		R
	Sharp-shinned Hawk 		WM
	Cooper’s Hawk 		R
	Red-shouldered Hawk 		W
	Red-tailed Hawk 		R
	Ferruginous Hawk 		W
	Rough-legged Hawk 		W
	Golden Eagle 		W
	American Kestrel 		R
	Merlin 			W
	Prairie Falcon 		R
	Peregrine Falcon 		R
  Pheasants & Quail
	Chukar 			W
	Ring-necked Pheasant 		R
	California Quail 		R
  Gruiformes
	Virginia Rail 			W
	Sora 			W
	Common Moorhen 		R
	American Coot 		R
	Sandhill Crane 		W
  Shorebirds
	Black-bellied Plover 		WM
	Killdeer 			R
	Semi-palmated Plover 		WM
	Black-necked Stilt 		W
	American Avocet 		W
	Greater Yellowlegs 		WM
	Lesser Yellowlegs 		M
	Spotted Sandpiper 		M
	Long-billed Curlew 		W
	Least Sandpiper 		WM
	Western Sandpiper 		M
	Dunlin 			W
	Short-billed Dowitcher 		M
	Long-billed Dowitcher 		WM
	Wilson’s Snipe 		W
	Wilson’s Phalarope 		M
	Northern Phalarope 		M
 Gulls & Terns
	Mew Gull 			W
	Ring-billed Gull 		WM
	California Gull 		R
	Sabine's Gull		M
	Herring Gull 		W
	Glaucous-winged Gull 		W
	Caspian Tern 		R
	Least Tern			R
	Forster’s Tern 		R
	Black Tern 			M
  Doves
	Mourning Dove 		R
 
 
 
 printed from www.NearTheFastWater.com
Owls
	Barn Owl 			R
	Great Horned Owl 		R
	Western Screech-Owl 		R
	Northern Saw-whet Owl	R
	Burrowing Owl 		R
Goatsuckers & Swifts
	Lesser Nighthawk 		S
	Vaux’s Swift 		M
	White-throated Swift 		M
  Hummingbirds
	Black-chinned Hummingbird 	S
	Anna’s Hummingbird 		R
	Allen’s Hummingbird 		M
  Kingfishers
	Belted Kingfisher 		R
  Woodpeckers
	Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker	R
	Acorn Woodpecker 		R
	Nuttaill’s Woodpecker 		R
	Downy Woodpecker 		R
  Flycatchers, Shrikes & Vireos
	Western Wood-Pewee 	M
	Willow Flycatcher 		M
	Black Phoebe		R
	Say's Phoebe		W
	Western Kingbird 		S
	Loggerhead Shrike 		R
	Warbling Vireo 		M
	Cassin’s Vireo 		M
Crows & Jays
	Yellow-billed Magpie 		R
	Western Scrub Jay 		R
	American Crow 		R
	Common Raven 		R
Swallows
	Tree Swallow 		S
	Violet-green Swallow 		M
	Cliff Swallow 		S
	Barn Swallow 		S
	Northern Rough-winged Swallow 	S
 
 Chickadees, Thrushes & Their Allies
	Oak Titmouse 		R
	Bushtit 			R
	White-breasted Nuthatch 	R
	Bewick’s Wren 		R
	House Wren 		S
	Marsh Wren 		R
	Golden-crowned Kinglet 	W
	Ruby-crowned Kinglet 		W
	Varied Thrush 		W
	Hermit Thrush 		W
	Phainopepla 		W
	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 		WM
	American Robin 		R
	Northern Mockingbird 		R
	American Pipit 		W
	Cedar Waxwing 		WM
  Warblers
	Orange-crowned Warbler 	WM
	Nashville Warbler 		M
	Audubon’s Yellow-rumped Warbler W
	Black-throated Gray Warbler 	M
	Townsend’s Warbler 		WM
	Hermit Warbler 		M
	Yellow Warbler 		WM
	MacGillivray’s Warbler 		M
	Common Yellowthroat 		R
	Yellow-breasted Chat 		S
	Western Tanager 		WM
  Sparrows & Their Allies
	Spotted Towhee 		R
	California Towhee 		R
	Chipping Sparrow 		M
	White-crowned Sparrow 	W
	Golden-crowned Sparrow 	W
	Fox Sparrow 		W
	Song Sparrow 		R
	Lincoln’s Sparrow 		W
	Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco 	W
 Cardinals & Buntings
	Black-headed Grosbeak 	S
	Blue Grosbeak 		S
	Lazuli Bunting 		S
  Icterids
	Western Meadowlark 		R
	Yellow headed Blackbird		S
	Red-winged Blackbird 		R
	Bi-colored Blackbird		R
	Tri-colored Blackbird 		R
	Great-tailed Grackle 		M
	Brewer’s Blackbird 		R
	Brown-headed Cowbird 	S
	Hooded Oriole		S
	Bullock’s Oriole 		S
 Finches
	House Finch 		R
	Lesser Goldfinch 		R
	American Goldfinch 		R
	House Sparrow 		R

BIRDING TIPS:

Do not disturb  birds, nests or people.

Obtain permission  from residents before birding on their property.

Be aware of weather, tides, fishing and hunting seasons.

BEFORE BIRDING

STOP the boat.

WEAR a life jacket.

PARK the car.

STAY on VISIBLE DIRT trails and roads.

TULLE FOG can be thick, patchy and icy, 10' visibility.

"Peat dirt" is flammable and can be quicksand if soaked.

Delta weather   changes, LAYER non-shiny clothing.

Wear sturdy shoes.

Take water and a snack.

Field Trip

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