Welcome Birders!
This page is a summary of "rare" and "specialty" birds seen recently in southern California and Arizona. Our aim is to update this summary daily. Please understand that not all of these records have been confirmed. The information on this page comes from the following sources:
Rare Birds
Rarities are those birds not expected to be at the indicated location, or not expected at that time of year. They could be vagrant, like a Black-throated Blue Warbler, or a wintering migrant, like a Cliff Swallow. Some birds may be listed because they are locally rare, like a Black Skimmer at Lake Havasu.
Specialty Birds
Specialty birds are those which might be of interest to visitors to our area. Examples might be Black Rail, Mountain Quail, Elegant Trogon, or Le Conte's Thrasher. Even though it's possible to see or hear many of these specialty birds year-round, it's always nice to know when someone reports them, and where they were seen.
COMING SOON: Links to birding location maps and bird photos!
| ARIZONA Rare & Specialty Bird Sightings - Dec 30, 2012- Jan 5, 2013 | ||
SUN |
SOUTHEAST AZ |
Sierra Vista: Long-tailed Duck (Wastewater Plant) Whitewater Draw: Rough-legged Hawk (Coffman Rd.) Lake Patagonia: Botteri's Sparrows (2) Tucson: American Redstart (behind Hardesty Bldg), Rufous-backed Robin (SW) Huachuca Canyon: Arizona Woodpecker, Winter Wren St. David: Winter Wren Catalina State Park: Crissal Thrasher, Black-chinned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow |
CENTRAL AZ |
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NORTHERN AZ |
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WESTERN AZ |
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MON |
SOUTHEAST AZ |
Tucson: Rufous-backed Robin (SW) Green Valley: Zone-tailed Hawk Sweetwater Wetlands: Eared Grebe |
CENTRAL AZ |
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NORTHERN AZ |
Sedona CBC: Pinyon Jay (18, NW); Painted Redstart (Lomalai) | |
WESTERN AZ |
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TUE |
SOUTHEAST AZ |
Willcox Twin Lakes: Sandhill Crane (200+) Florida Canyon: Rufous-capped Warbler (2, 1/4 mile up from dam) Sierra Vista EOP: Long-tailed Duck Sweetwter Wetlands: Black-and-white Warbler; Summer Tanager; Harris's Hawk St. David: Winter Wren (Holy Trinity Monastery) |
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CENTRAL AZ |
Gilbert Water Ranch: Winter Wren and Northern Parula (Honey Bee Point); Harris's Hawk Phoenix, Greenwood Memorial Lawn Cemetery: White-throated Sparrow; Harris's Hawk |
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NORTHERN AZ |
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WESTERN AZ |
Wellton: Le Conte's Thrasher (east of Wellton) Growler Pond, NE of Tacna: Swamp Sparrow; Sandhill Crane (8) Yuma, farm fields south of Yuma: Mountain Plover (4); Ferrugionous Hawk (37) Yuma, Cocopah RV Resort: Herring Gull Bill Williams NWR: White-winged Scoter (3) |
WED |
SOUTHEAST AZ |
Catalina SP: Golden-crowned Sparrow Patagonia Lake: Ruddy Ground-dove (3, near Visitor Center); Swamp Sparrow; White-throated Sparrow; Winter Wren Patagonia, Paton's feeders: White-throated Sparrow Roger Road WRF: Chestnut-sided Warbler; Black-and-white Warbler St. David: Winter Wren and Swamp Sparrow (Holy Trinity Monastery) Douglas, Slaughter Ranch: Rufous-backed Warbler Montosa Canyon: Elegant Trogon; Hepatic Tanager |
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CENTRAL AZ |
Gilbert Water Ranch: Winter Wren Tres Rios Overflow Wetlands: Northern Parula Sunflower: White-throated Sparrow |
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NORTHERN AZ |
Hwy 89A to Fredonia, AZ: Rough-legged Hawk (2) | ||
WESTERN AZ |
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THU |
SOUTHEAST AZ |
Patagonia Roadside Rest: Rufous-backed Robin Tucson: Pine Warbler (Evergreen Cemetery); Northern Parula (Tohono Chul Park) St. David: Winter Wren; Eastern Bluebird; White-throated Sparrow Sulphur Springs Valley: Ferruginous Hawk Kansas Settlement and Arzberger Rds: Ferruginous Hawk Lake Cochise: Sandhill Crane Dragoon Mts: Rufous Hummingbird (private feeder) |
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CENTRAL AZ |
Gilbert Water Ranch: Rufous-backed Robin | ||
NORTHERN AZ |
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WESTERN AZ |
Cibola NWR: Sandhill Crane (1500) |
FRI |
SOUTHEAST AZ |
Santa Cruz Flats: Mountain Plover (24, Evergreen Sod Farm) Tucson, SW: Rufous-backed Robin (private yard birdbath) Carmen: Bullock's Oriole (female, Anza Trail) Tubac: Red-breasted Nuthatch (golf course) Roger Road WRF: Yellow-throated Warbler Catalina SP: Golden-crowned Sparrow Fort Lowell Park: Northern Parula Portal: Broad-tailed Hummingbird |
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CENTRAL AZ |
Phoenix: White-throated Sparrow (Greenwood Memorial Lawn Cemetery) Tempe, ASU: Summer Tanager (male, north side of Engineering Research Center) Gilbert Water Ranch: Rufous-backed Robin; Northern Parula |
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NORTHERN AZ |
Camp Verde: Grasshopper Sparrow (2) |
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WESTERN AZ |
Parker Valley: Mountain Plover (38, Navajo Rd and Co Rd 1); Sandhill Crane (60); Ferruginous Hawk (5) Parker Dam: Neotropic Cormorant; Long-tailed Duck Bill Williams NWR: White-winged Scoter (3); Surf Scoter (2); Barrow's Goldeneye |
SAT |
SOUTHEAST AZ |
Tucson, SW: Rufous-backed Robin (private yard) | |
CENTRAL AZ |
Cave Creek: Pyrrhuloxia (private yard) Phoenix, Greenwood Cemetery: White-throated Sparrow and Harris's Hawk (4) |
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NORTHERN AZ |
Monument Valley: Gray-crowned Rosy-finch (possible) Flagstaff, V bar V Ranch: White-throated Sparrow; Golden-crowned Sparrow |
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WESTERN AZ |
Bill Williams NWR: Nutting's Flycatcher (Planet Road, Mile Marker 2) |
| CALIFORNIA Rare & Specialty Bird Sightings - Dec 30 - Jan 5, 2013 | ||
SUN |
SAN DIEGO CO. |
San Diego: Summer Tanager (Point Loma, San Gorgonio Str) Oceanside CBC: Allen's Hummingbird (222); Eurasian Wigeon (3); Ruddy Ground-dove (2); Black-and-white Warbler; Summer Tanager (5); Western Tanager (2); Hooded Oriole (2); White-throated Sparrow (3); Bullock's Oriole |
IMPERIAL CO. |
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RIVERSIDE CO. |
Palm Springs: Northern Parula (Bel Air Greens Golf Course) Prado Regional Park: Eastern Phoebe Lakeview: Glaucous Gull, Thayer's Gulls, Lesser Black-backed Gull (Norco Egg Ranch) Lake Perris: Horned Grebe |
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| MON | SAN DIEGO CO. |
Lower Otay Lake: Bay-breasted Warbler and Prairie Warbler Jacumba: Evening Grosbeak San Diegito Valley: Thick-billed Kingbird and Tropical Kingbird (near SE corner of polo field) |
IMPERIAL CO. |
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RIVERSIDE CO. |
| TUE | SAN DIEGO CO. |
Lower Otay Lake: Bay-breasted Warbler and Prairie Warbler Del Mar: Thick-billed Kingbird and Tropical Kingbird (near SE corner of polo field) Mission Bay: Bullock's Oriole Pantoja Park: Chestnut-sided Warbler (one block north of park, intersection Columbia and E Streets) National City, Greenwood Cemetery: Pine Warbler (sw of office bldg) |
IMPERIAL CO. |
Parker Dam: Long-tailed Duck |
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RIVERSIDE CO. |
San Jacinto Wildlife Area: Eastern Phoebe Ramona Expressway, egg ranch: Lesser Black-backed Gull; Glaucous Gull Palm Springs: Northern Parula (Bel Air Greens on El Cielo, in large olive tree) |
| WED | SAN DIEGO CO. |
Jacumba: Evening Grosbeak Lower Otay Lake: Prairie Warbler; Bay-breasted Warbler Del Mar: Thick-billed Kingbird and Tropical Kingbird (near SE corner of polo field) National City, Greenwood Cemetery: Grace's Warbler; Pine Warbler; Black-and-white Warbler |
IMPERIAL CO. |
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RIVERSIDE CO. |
Palm Springs: Northern Parula (Bel Air Greens on El Cielo, in large olive tree) Whitewater Delta: Black-throated Blue Warbler; Swamp Sparrow |
| THU | SAN DIEGO CO. |
Lower Otay Lake: Prairie Warbler; Bay-breasted Warbler; Ferruginous Hawk La Jolla Cove: Black-legged Kittiwake; Cassin's Auklet (100+) San Marcos: Summer Tanager (Discovery Lake) |
IMPERIAL CO. |
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RIVERSIDE CO. |
Palm Springs: Northern Parula (Bel Air Greens on El Cielo, in large olive tree) Lakeview: Lesser Black-backed Gull |
| FRI | SAN DIEGO CO. |
Lower Otay Lake: Prairie Warbler; Bay-breasted Warbler Mira Loma: White-throated Sparrow (private property) |
IMPERIAL CO. |
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RIVERSIDE CO. |
| SAT | SAN DIEGO CO. |
Balboa Park: Hammond's Flycatcher (south of the Marston House property) Jacumba: Evening Grosbeak; Scott's Oriole; Harris's Hawk Lower Otay Lake: Bay-breasted Warbler; Prairie Warbler National City, Greenwood Cemetery: Grace's Warbler; Pine Warbler; Plumbeous Vireo Pantoja Park: Chestnut-sided Warbler; Hermit Warbler; Black-and-white Warbler; White-throated Sparrow Nestor Park: Summer Tanager; Western Tanager; Black-and-white Warbler; American Redstart Sweetwater River: Eurasian Wigeon (2) Imperial Beach: Summer Tanager (Sports Park) Otay Valley Rd: Thick-billed Kingbird Spring Valley: Grace's Warbler |
IMPERIAL CO. |
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RIVERSIDE CO. |
Last update: January 6, 2013