San Diego Bird Watching
Bird at the San Diego Bay
Bird watching in San Diego
San Diego's great outdoors beckons bird watchers from around the globe. The region's beautiful and diverse landscape, from 70 miles of oceanfront beaches and bayfront tidelands to inland foothills, canyons, mountains and deserts, provides a permanent or migratory home to some of nature's most notable feathered friends.
San Diego County is one of those rare and exciting destinations where a birder can enjoy four distinct bird habitats all in the space of one day. More than 480 species of birds have been observed in San Diego County—more than any other county in the United States. It is a bird haven along the Pacific Flyway—the diverse migratory route along the west coast of the United States—where many birds make their winter homes or nest. San Diego is also a birder's delight due to of its year-round near-idyllic climate. Most days are sunny and warm with an average daily temperature of 70 degrees, and visitors have an opportunity to view birds in a comfortable outdoor setting almost any day of the year.
The following are some prime bird watching spots around San Diego County:
The Coast
• Tijuana Estuary, Imperial Beach (Fifth Street & Iris). Maintained by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the estuary features 2,500 acres of coastal wetlands and an interpretive center. Over 370 species of birds (320 of which are migratory) have been observed here, including Belding's savannah sparrow, American peregrine falcon, white pelican, egrets, plovers, sandpipers, jaegers, ospreys, short-eared owls, clapper rails and little blue herons.
• Dairy Mart Ponds Ecological Reserve, south San Diego (I-5 South to Dairy Mart Rd. south). These freshwater ponds of the Tijuana River Valley, left by abandoned salt mining operations, include birds such as the blue grosbeak, common moorhen, white pelican and common yellowthroat.
• The 16 acres of salt marsh and open waters of the Kendall Frost Marsh and Northern Wildlife Preserve, on Mission Bay, are home to two endangered species of birds. Guests can view undisturbed the Light-footed Clapper Rail and Belding’s Savannah Sparrow from the northern edge of the Bay. Many different species, including Swallows, Grebe, Pelicans, and Herons, can also be viewed from the preserve’s observation platform.
• Chula Vista Nature Center, located in the Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge on San Diego Bay, is an internationally recognized zoo/aquarium showcasing plants and animals native to the San Diego region. Dedicated to exhibiting types of birds representative of the local ecosystem, the Nature Center has more than 224 species for guests to identify, including the Hooded Merganser, Black-necked Stilt and the Western Screech Owl.
• Shelter Island, north San Diego Bay. The island provides great views of the bay's deep water channels, where diving pelicans and cormorants can be seen. In the winter, birders can spot loons, grebes and ducks. At the western end of the island, surf scooters, bufflehead, auklets and murres can be seen.
• Cabrillo National Monument, Point Loma (1800 Cabrillo Memorial Dr.). This 144-acre park features an interpretive center and lighthouse, fantastic views of San Diego Bay and the Pacific Ocean, tidepools and a protected coastal sage scrub habitat, which is home to birds like the California towhee, western scrub jay and wrentit. Cabrillo National Monument is also one of the best places to view spring and fall migrating birds.
• Famosa Slough, Point Loma (W. Point Loma Blvd. and Famosa Blvd.). This small tidal marsh offers walking trails and benches from which birders can view waterfowl, shorebirds and blue-winged teal.
• San Diego River Flood Control Channel/Robb Field/Dog Beach, Ocean Beach. Birders can walk or bike along the flood channel, referred to as San Diego's "Mile of Birds." Birds include blue-winged teal, ruddy duck, osprey, gulls, terns, black brant, red knot and cormorants.
• Northern Wildlife Preserve/Kendall Frost Marsh, Mission Bay (Crown Point Shores Dr. at Lamont). Birders should look for skimmers, clapper rails, shorebirds and brant at this 25-acre marsh. This is also a good winter spot for large-billed savannah sparrow.
• La Jolla coast (Coast Blvd. off of Prospect Street). The rocky shoreline north of La Jolla Cove is a great spot for shorebirds, gulls and terns, especially at low tide.
• Torrey Pines State Reserve, La Jolla (Torrey Pines Rd.). Located high above Torrey Pines State Beach, the home of the rare and ancient Torrey Pine is also a beautiful protected habitat for swifts, thrashers, woodpeckers and wrentits.
• San Elijo Lagoon East and West, Solana Beach (I-5 North to Lomas Santa Fe Dr. west, right on Rios). Birds include waterfowl, shorebirds, neotropicals and land birds. Waterfowl, shorebirds, least terns and hawks can be seen at this large lagoon.
Inland Foothills, Canyons and Lakes
• Guajome Regional Park, Vista (N. Santa Fe Road). Birds in the park include waterfowl, neotropicals, pheasants, kites and hawks.
• Lopez Canyon, Sorrento Valley (Sorrento Valley Blvd.). Birds include soaring hawks, nesting owls and neotropicals.
• Lake Hodges, Rancho Bernardo (Park at Joslyn Senior Center, 18402 W. Bernardo Dr.). A variety of birds can be seen, including waterfowl, hawks, sage sparrow, California gnatcatchers and cactus wren. Clark's grebes perform their mating dance on the lake in early spring.
• Blue Sky Ecological Preserve, Poway (East on Bernardo Dr.; right on Espola. The entrance is on the left). Birds include hawks, turkey vultures, warblers and neotropicals.
• Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve, Mira Mesa (Mercy Road). Birds found within the preserve include hawks, woodpeckers, bluebirds, great blue herons, egrets and mallard ducks.
• Marion Bear Memorial Park/San Clemente Canyon, Clairemont Mesa (Park entrances are off of Genesee Ave. and Regents Rd.). Birders can enjoy three miles of mostly flat trails along the length of the canyon. Birds include hawks, towhees, woodpeckers and warblers.
• Tecolote Canyon Natural Park, Bay Park (Tecolote Road). The Canyon features
6.5 miles of trails and a Nature Center with exhibits on the area's animal and plant life. Birds include hawks, owls (tecolote means "owl" in Spanish), jays, woodpeckers and migrating warblers.
• Mission Trails Regional Park, Mission Valley (Mission Gorge Rd. and Father Junipero Serra Trail). With more than 5,800 acres to explore, Mission Trails is the largest urban park in California. Features include 40 miles of trails, four small mountain peaks, Old Mission Dam on the San Diego River, Lake Murray and a state-of-the-art visitors center. Birds in the area include the orange-crowned warbler, least Bell's vireo, swallows, raptors and numerous riparian species.
• Santee Lakes, in San Diego’s East County, is home to a variety of bird species due to the area’s seven lakes and adjoining habitats of Mission Trails Regional Park. Bird migrations in the winter, fall and spring reward viewing observations of Red-shouldered Hawks, Tree and Rough-winged Swallows, and Tricolored Blackbirds. Santee Lakes is also the county’s premier breeding site for Wood Ducks. www.santeelakes.com
• Otay Sweetwater National Wildlife Refuge, Rancho San Diego (Singer Lane; parking near the historic steel Sweetwater Bridge). This rich stream habitat is surrounded by native chaparral and sage scrub. Birds that might be seen include Costa's hummingbird, Nuttall's woodpecker, California gnatcatcher, spotted towhee, Lazuli bunting and yellow-breasted chat.
• Lower Otay Reservoir, Chula Vista (Wueste Road to Lower Otay County Park). Lake residents include the red-tailed hawk, white-tailed kite, Clark's grebe and rufous-crowned sparrow.
• Sweetwater River Regional Park, Chula Vista (along Bonita Road in Bonita Valley). Birders should watch for red-shouldered hawk, Anna's hummingbird, black phoebe and tri-colored blackbird.
Mountains
• "Hawk Alley"/Lake Henshaw. This vast open area, surrounded by rugged hills, is a great place to spot raptors, such as ferruginous hawks, golden eagles and bald eagles, especially in the winter. The lake also attracts waterfowl, gulls, red-naped and red-breasted sapsuckers, Lewis' woodpeckers and mountain bluebirds.
• Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, Descanso. Birders hike to Azalea Springs through pine and oak woodlands and grassy meadows to view white-headed woodpeckers and green- tailed towhee. During the winter, Cuyamaca Lake is attractive to waterfowl and bald eagles.
• Many resident and migratory birds can be viewed in the mountain town of Julian, including the wild turkey, California and mountain quail, white-headed woodpeckers, Bullock Orioles, western tanager, black-headed grosbeak, Brewer's blackbird, Lazuli bunting, Steller's and scrub jay, American crow, common raven, mountain chickadee, red-breasted/white-breasted/pygmy nuthatches, pine siskin, and European starlings.
• Palomar Mountain State Park, Palomar Mountain (Highway S7). Another popular mountain birding area, birders can spot Cassin's vireo, brown creepers, white-breasted nuthatch, Nuttall's woodpeckers and western bluebirds.
Desert
• With more than 600,000 acres, the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in Borrego Springs offers visitors an unparalleled opportunity to experience the natural wonders of the desert. Teeming with wildlife, 268 species of birds have been recorded in the desert. Birding hot spots include Lower Willows in Coyote Canyon, Yaqui Well, Vallecito, Agua Caliente, Mountain Palm Springs, Bow Willow Canyon, and Carrizo Marsh.
