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

60 birds were recorded seen in California in November in our iNaturalist sample; 0 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 November

Red-tailed Hawk8,822 obs.

White-crowned Sparrow8,080 obs.

Black Phoebe6,385 obs.

Yellow-rumped Warbler6,348 obs.

Great Egret5,625 obs.

American Coot5,436 obs.

Great Blue Heron5,412 obs.

Mallard5,150 obs.

Western Gull5,083 obs.

Snowy Egret4,894 obs.

Anna's Hummingbird4,293 obs.

California Scrub-Jay4,267 obs.

All birds seen in California in November

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	8,822	Jan (past peak)
2	White-crowned Sparrow	Zonotrichia leucophrys	New World Sparrows	8,080	Jan (past peak)
3	Black Phoebe	Sayornis nigricans	Tyrant Flycatchers	6,385	Apr (past peak)
4	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Setophaga coronata	New World Warblers	6,348	Jan (past peak)
5	Great Egret	Ardea alba	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	5,625	Jan (past peak)
6	American Coot	Fulica americana	Rails, Gallinules, and Coots	5,436	Jan (past peak)
7	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	5,412	Jan (past peak)
8	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	5,150	Apr (past peak)
9	Western Gull	Larus occidentalis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	5,083	Aug (past peak)
10	Snowy Egret	Egretta thula	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	4,894	Jan (past peak)
11	Anna's Hummingbird	Calypte anna	Hummingbirds	4,293	Apr (past peak)
12	California Scrub-Jay	Aphelocoma californica	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	4,267	Apr (past peak)
13	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	4,081	Apr (past peak)
14	Double-crested Cormorant	Nannopterum auritum	Cormorants and Shags	3,859	Jan (past peak)
15	Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura	New World Vultures	3,740	Apr (past peak)
16	Red-shouldered Hawk	Buteo lineatus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	3,714	Jan (past peak)
17	Ruby-crowned Kinglet	Corthylio calendula	Kinglets	3,451	Dec (rising)
18	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	3,370	Apr (past peak)
19	Acorn Woodpecker	Melanerpes formicivorus	Woodpeckers	3,253	Apr (past peak)
20	Western Bluebird	Sialia mexicana	Thrushes	3,228	Apr (past peak)
21	Brown Pelican	Pelecanus occidentalis	Pelicans	3,180	Sep (past peak)
22	Say's Phoebe	Sayornis saya	Tyrant Flycatchers	3,154	Jan (past peak)
23	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	3,028	Apr (past peak)
24	Golden-crowned Sparrow	Zonotrichia atricapilla	New World Sparrows	3,009	Jan (past peak)
25	Bufflehead	Bucephala albeola	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	3,006	Jan (past peak)
26	American Kestrel	Falco sparverius	Falcons and Caracaras	2,983	Jan (past peak)
27	American Wigeon	Mareca americana	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	2,936	Jan (past peak)
28	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	2,905	Apr (past peak)
29	Black-crowned Night Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	2,837	Apr (past peak)
30	California Towhee	Melozone crissalis	New World Sparrows	2,820	Apr (past peak)
31	Cooper's Hawk	Astur cooperii	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	2,799	Jul (past peak)
32	Lesser Goldfinch	Spinus psaltria	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	2,737	Apr (past peak)
33	Common Raven	Corvus corax	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	2,732	Apr (past peak)
34	Northern Shoveler	Spatula clypeata	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	2,701	Jan (past peak)
35	Northern Mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos	Mockingbirds and Thrashers	2,464	Apr (past peak)
36	Pied-billed Grebe	Podilymbus podiceps	Grebes	2,401	Jan (past peak)
37	Townsend's Warbler	Setophaga townsendi	New World Warblers	2,372	Oct (past peak)
38	Hermit Thrush	Catharus guttatus	Thrushes	2,314	Oct (past peak)
39	Willet	Tringa semipalmata	Sandpipers and Allies	2,297	Jan (past peak)
40	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	2,219	Apr (past peak)
41	Northern Harrier	Circus hudsonius	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	2,142	Jan (past peak)
42	Brewer's Blackbird	Euphagus cyanocephalus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	2,137	Apr (past peak)
43	American White Pelican	Pelecanus erythrorhynchos	Pelicans	2,108	Jan (past peak)
44	Savannah Sparrow	Passerculus sandwichensis	New World Sparrows	2,096	Oct (past peak)
45	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	2,096	Oct (past peak)
46	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	2,082	Apr (past peak)
47	Ruddy Duck	Oxyura jamaicensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	2,073	Jan (past peak)
48	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	2,047	Apr (past peak)
49	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	1,988	Apr (past peak)
50	Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	1,957	Jan (past peak)

Birds Seen in California in November

Top birds in November

All birds seen in California in November