Birds in California in August: What to Photograph (60 Species)

60 birds were recorded seen in California in August in our iNaturalist sample; 5 of the top 50 are at their peak this month. The list is ranked by number of research-grade observations.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Top birds in August

Western Gull6,227 obs.

Great Blue Heron5,086 obs.

Red-tailed Hawk5,064 obs.

Mallard4,780 obs.

Snowy Egret4,681 obs.

Anna's Hummingbird4,638 obs.

Black Phoebe4,408 obs.

House Finch4,324 obs.

Great Egret4,275 obs.

California Scrub-Jay4,224 obs.

Brown Pelican4,175 obs.

Acorn Woodpecker4,005 obs.

All birds seen in California in August

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Western Gull	Larus occidentalis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	6,227	Aug (peak)
2	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	5,086	Jan (past peak)
3	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	5,064	Jan (past peak)
4	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	4,780	Apr (past peak)
5	Snowy Egret	Egretta thula	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	4,681	Jan (past peak)
6	Anna's Hummingbird	Calypte anna	Hummingbirds	4,638	Apr (past peak)
7	Black Phoebe	Sayornis nigricans	Tyrant Flycatchers	4,408	Apr (past peak)
8	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	4,324	Apr (past peak)
9	Great Egret	Ardea alba	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	4,275	Jan (past peak)
10	California Scrub-Jay	Aphelocoma californica	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	4,224	Apr (past peak)
11	Brown Pelican	Pelecanus occidentalis	Pelicans	4,175	Sep (rising)
12	Acorn Woodpecker	Melanerpes formicivorus	Woodpeckers	4,005	Apr (past peak)
13	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	3,979	Apr (past peak)
14	Black-crowned Night Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	3,941	Apr (past peak)
15	Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura	New World Vultures	3,840	Apr (past peak)
16	Lesser Goldfinch	Spinus psaltria	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	3,652	Apr (past peak)
17	California Towhee	Melozone crissalis	New World Sparrows	3,603	Apr (past peak)
18	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	3,196	Apr (past peak)
19	Cooper's Hawk	Astur cooperii	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	3,159	Jul (past peak)
20	Red-shouldered Hawk	Buteo lineatus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	3,043	Jan (past peak)
21	Western Bluebird	Sialia mexicana	Thrushes	3,032	Apr (past peak)
22	Heermann's Gull	Larus heermanni	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	2,918	Aug (peak)
23	Double-crested Cormorant	Nannopterum auritum	Cormorants and Shags	2,906	Jan (past peak)
24	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	2,904	Apr (past peak)
25	California Quail	Callipepla californica	New World Quails	2,730	Apr (past peak)
26	Steller's Jay	Cyanocitta stelleri	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	2,630	Jul (past peak)
27	Great Horned Owl	Bubo virginianus	Typical Owls	2,609	Apr (past peak)
28	Willet	Tringa semipalmata	Sandpipers and Allies	2,444	Jan (past peak)
29	Common Raven	Corvus corax	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	2,395	Apr (past peak)
30	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	2,388	Apr (past peak)
31	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	2,320	Apr (past peak)
32	Osprey	Pandion haliaetus	Ospreys	2,273	Jul (past peak)
33	Least Sandpiper	Calidris minutilla	Sandpipers and Allies	2,219	Sep (rising)
34	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	2,132	Apr (past peak)
35	Brewer's Blackbird	Euphagus cyanocephalus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	1,914	Apr (past peak)
36	Long-billed Curlew	Numenius americanus	Sandpipers and Allies	1,795	Sep (rising)
37	Marbled Godwit	Limosa fedoa	Sandpipers and Allies	1,766	Sep (rising)
38	Northern Mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos	Mockingbirds and Thrashers	1,752	Apr (past peak)
39	Bushtit	Psaltriparus minimus	Long-tailed Tits and Bushtits	1,698	Apr (past peak)
40	American White Pelican	Pelecanus erythrorhynchos	Pelicans	1,692	Jan (past peak)
41	Green Heron	Butorides virescens	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	1,668	Aug (peak)
42	Black-necked Stilt	Himantopus mexicanus	Stilts and Avocets	1,661	Jan (past peak)
43	Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica	Swallows and Martins	1,633	May (past peak)
44	Pied-billed Grebe	Podilymbus podiceps	Grebes	1,620	Jan (past peak)
45	Caspian Tern	Hydroprogne caspia	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	1,582	Jul (past peak)
46	Elegant Tern	Thalasseus elegans	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	1,539	Aug (peak)
47	California Gull	Larus californicus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	1,526	Jan (past peak)
48	Western Sandpiper	Calidris mauri	Sandpipers and Allies	1,521	Apr (past peak)
49	Hooded Oriole	Icterus cucullatus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	1,495	Apr (past peak)
50	Red-necked Phalarope	Phalaropus lobatus	Sandpipers and Allies	1,478	Aug (peak)

Birds Seen in California in August

Top birds in August

All birds seen in California in August