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

60 birds were recorded seen in California in October in our iNaturalist sample; 4 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 October

Red-tailed Hawk8,640 obs.

White-crowned Sparrow8,243 obs.

Yellow-rumped Warbler6,398 obs.

Black Phoebe6,155 obs.

Great Blue Heron5,572 obs.

Great Egret5,550 obs.

Anna's Hummingbird5,129 obs.

Mallard4,935 obs.

California Scrub-Jay4,903 obs.

Western Gull4,825 obs.

Snowy Egret4,617 obs.

House Finch4,339 obs.

All birds seen in California in October

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	8,640	Jan (past peak)
2	White-crowned Sparrow	Zonotrichia leucophrys	New World Sparrows	8,243	Jan (past peak)
3	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Setophaga coronata	New World Warblers	6,398	Jan (past peak)
4	Black Phoebe	Sayornis nigricans	Tyrant Flycatchers	6,155	Apr (past peak)
5	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	5,572	Jan (past peak)
6	Great Egret	Ardea alba	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	5,550	Jan (past peak)
7	Anna's Hummingbird	Calypte anna	Hummingbirds	5,129	Apr (past peak)
8	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	4,935	Apr (past peak)
9	California Scrub-Jay	Aphelocoma californica	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	4,903	Apr (past peak)
10	Western Gull	Larus occidentalis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	4,825	Aug (past peak)
11	Snowy Egret	Egretta thula	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	4,617	Jan (past peak)
12	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	4,339	Apr (past peak)
13	American Coot	Fulica americana	Rails, Gallinules, and Coots	3,872	Jan (past peak)
14	Western Bluebird	Sialia mexicana	Thrushes	3,816	Apr (past peak)
15	Red-shouldered Hawk	Buteo lineatus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	3,798	Jan (past peak)
16	Acorn Woodpecker	Melanerpes formicivorus	Woodpeckers	3,780	Apr (past peak)
17	Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura	New World Vultures	3,728	Apr (past peak)
18	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	3,582	Apr (past peak)
19	Brown Pelican	Pelecanus occidentalis	Pelicans	3,522	Sep (past peak)
20	California Towhee	Melozone crissalis	New World Sparrows	3,478	Apr (past peak)
21	Double-crested Cormorant	Nannopterum auritum	Cormorants and Shags	3,294	Jan (past peak)
22	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	3,262	Apr (past peak)
23	Cooper's Hawk	Astur cooperii	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	3,245	Jul (past peak)
24	Common Raven	Corvus corax	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	3,175	Apr (past peak)
25	Lesser Goldfinch	Spinus psaltria	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	2,990	Apr (past peak)
26	Say's Phoebe	Sayornis saya	Tyrant Flycatchers	2,939	Jan (past peak)
27	Golden-crowned Sparrow	Zonotrichia atricapilla	New World Sparrows	2,883	Jan (past peak)
28	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	2,837	Apr (past peak)
29	Black-crowned Night Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	2,789	Apr (past peak)
30	Northern Mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos	Mockingbirds and Thrashers	2,774	Apr (past peak)
31	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	2,773	Oct (peak)
32	American Kestrel	Falco sparverius	Falcons and Caracaras	2,693	Jan (past peak)
33	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	2,688	Apr (past peak)
34	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	2,625	Apr (past peak)
35	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	2,548	Apr (past peak)
36	Townsend's Warbler	Setophaga townsendi	New World Warblers	2,477	Oct (peak)
37	Hermit Thrush	Catharus guttatus	Thrushes	2,370	Oct (peak)
38	Savannah Sparrow	Passerculus sandwichensis	New World Sparrows	2,365	Oct (peak)
39	Brewer's Blackbird	Euphagus cyanocephalus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	2,179	Apr (past peak)
40	Willet	Tringa semipalmata	Sandpipers and Allies	2,171	Jan (past peak)
41	Pied-billed Grebe	Podilymbus podiceps	Grebes	2,055	Jan (past peak)
42	Ruby-crowned Kinglet	Corthylio calendula	Kinglets	2,042	Dec (rising)
43	Bushtit	Psaltriparus minimus	Long-tailed Tits and Bushtits	2,037	Apr (past peak)
44	Great Horned Owl	Bubo virginianus	Typical Owls	1,977	Apr (past peak)
45	Killdeer	Charadrius vociferus	Plovers and Lapwings	1,967	Apr (past peak)
46	Marbled Godwit	Limosa fedoa	Sandpipers and Allies	1,915	Sep (past peak)
47	American White Pelican	Pelecanus erythrorhynchos	Pelicans	1,881	Jan (past peak)
48	Least Sandpiper	Calidris minutilla	Sandpipers and Allies	1,855	Sep (past peak)
49	Greater Yellowlegs	Tringa melanoleuca	Sandpipers and Allies	1,847	Jan (past peak)
50	Osprey	Pandion haliaetus	Ospreys	1,796	Jul (past peak)

Birds Seen in California in October

Top birds in October

All birds seen in California in October