Santa Clara County Bird List 2024

Cumulative list compiled and discussions written by Brooke Miller. Monthly reports are made up of both eBird sightings and postings on South Bay Birds. Please email additions, corrections, or comments to Brooke at idbirds@me.com.

Please post all your sightings to southbaybirds@groups.io and/or eBird.

See the Santa Clara County Bird List Discussion Archive 2024 or view all the cumulative year lists.

Discussion for October 2024

For October we had a total of 3 new species, bringing us to 284 species at the end of October. The average for October is 5, and the average total is 281. Thank you to everyone who birded, and took the time to report birds either on SBB, eBird, or send emails directly to me.

The 3 new birds seen in October are as follows:

  1. Lapland Longspur (6), 10/6/2024, seen by Pete Dunten along Laguna Ave. in Coyote Valley;

  2. Clay-colored Sparrow (5), 10/14/2024, found by Adam Burnett at the O’Donohue Family Stanford Educational Farm;

  3. Vesper Sparrow (5), 10/29/2024, seen by Caroline Bliss at the Palo Alto Baylands.

My monthly reports are made up of eBird sightings, postings on south-bay-birds, and direct emails. The monthly cumulative lists are archived on the SCVBA website at https://scvbirdalliance.org/sc-county-cumulative-year-lists. Please post all your sightings to: south-bay-birds@groups.io or to www.ebird.org .

Please contact me if you find errors or omissions, or have questions or comments.

Brooke Miller

Birds observed through October 2024

Bird Name 2024 date RARITY CODE OBSERVER
Fulvous Whistling-Duck 6
Snow Goose 1/11/2024 4 MOb
Ross's Goose 1/4/2024 4 MMR
Greater White-fronted Goose 1/1/2024 3 DCh
Brant 5
Cackling Goose 1/1/2024 3 DCh
Canada Goose 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Tundra Swan 5
Wood Duck 1/2/2024 3 MMR, MJM
Garganey 6
Blue-winged Teal 1/2/2024 4 MOb
Cinnamon Teal 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Northern Shoveler 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Gadwall 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Eurasian Wigeon 1/2/2024 3 CSi, JSi
American Wigeon 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Mallard 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Northern Pintail 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Green-winged Teal 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Canvasback 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Redhead 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Ring-necked Duck 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Tufted Duck 5
Greater Scaup 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Lesser Scaup 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Surf Scoter 1/1/2024 2 MOb
White-winged Scoter 5
Black Scoter 6
Long-tailed Duck 5
Bufflehead 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Common Goldeneye 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Barrow's Goldeneye 1/17/2024 4 RTr
Hooded Merganser 1/1/2024 3 MOb
Common Merganser 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Red-breasted Merganser 1/1/2024 2 MMR, RGJ
Ruddy Duck 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Mountain Quail 6
California Quail 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Wild Turkey 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Ring-necked Pheasant 1/12/2024 4 MJM
Pied-billed Grebe 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Horned Grebe 1/1/2024 3 JHe, GL
Red-necked Grebe 1/6/2024 5 SRot
Eared Grebe 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Western Grebe 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Clark's Grebe 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Rock Pigeon 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Band-tailed Pigeon 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Oriental Turtle-Dove 6
Eurasian Collared-Dove 1/1/2024 2 MOb
White-winged Dove 9/2/2024 6 CGa
Mourning Dove 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Greater Roadrunner 4/20/2024 4 CE
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 6
Lesser Nighthawk 6
Common Nighthawk 6
Common Poorwill 3/31/2024 3 TMi
Black Swift 5/27/2024 4 CGa, SWe
Chimney Swift 6
Vaux's Swift 3/23/2024 3 OA
White-throated Swift 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Black-chinned Hummingbird 4/16/2024 3 BM
Anna's Hummingbird 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Costa's Hummingbird 9/3/2024 5 MBar
Calliope Hummingbird 4/16/2024 4 EMe, JPa
Rufous Hummingbird 3/7/2024 3 GL
Allen's Hummingbird 1/29/2024 3 Anonymous
Broad-tailed Hummingbird 6
Ridgway's Rail 1/1/2024 3 MOb
Virginia Rail 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Sora 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Common Gallinule 1/1/2024 2 MOb
American Coot 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Yellow Rail 6
Black Rail 1/1/2024 5 Sensitive species
Sandhill Crane 6
Black-necked Stilt 1/1/2024 1 MOb
American Avocet 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Black Oystercatcher 4/21/2024 6 GL,MDd
Black-bellied Plover 1/1/2024 1 MOb
American Golden-Plover 5
Pacific Golden-Plover 7/28/2024 5 MDd
Snowy Plover 1/27/2024 4 MOb
Semipalmated Plover 1/3/2024 2 COv, GL
Killdeer 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Mountain Plover 6
Whimbrel 1/1/2024 3 MOb
Long-billed Curlew 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Bar-tailed Godwit 6
Hudsonian Godwit 6
Marbled Godwit 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Ruddy Turnstone 1/2/2024 5 BrK
Black Turnstone 4/23/2024 6 COv
Red Knot 4/28/2024 4 GL
Ruff 5
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 6
Stilt Sandpiper 5
Curlew Sandpiper 6
Sanderling 1/27/2024 4 MOb
Dunlin 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Baird's Sandpiper 8/11/2024 4 RNa
Little Stint 6
Least Sandpiper 1/1/2024 1 MOb
White-rumped Sandpiper 6
Buff-breasted Sandpiper 6
Pectoral Sandpiper 9/4/2024 4 JTs
Semipalmated Sandpiper 7/31/2024 4 EMe
Western Sandpiper 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Short-billed Dowitcher 1/1/2024 2 RGJ, MMR
Long-billed Dowitcher 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Wilson's Snipe 1/1/2024 3 MOb
Wilson's Phalarope 5/15/2024 2 BT
Red-necked Phalarope 4/14/2024 2 PDu
Red Phalarope 5
Spotted Sandpiper 1/1/2024 3 MOb
Solitary Sandpiper 4/9/2024 5 CGa
Wandering Tattler 6
Greater Yellowlegs 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Willet 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Lesser Yellowlegs 1/1/2024 3 GL
Pomarine Jaeger 6
Parasitic Jaeger 5
Long-tailed Jaeger 6
Common Murre 5
Pigeon Guillemot 6
Ancient Murrelet 6
Cassin's Auklet 6
Black-legged Kittiwake 6
Sabine's Gull 5
Bonaparte's Gull 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Black-headed Gull 6
Little Gull 6
Laughing Gull 3/3/2024 6 GL
Franklin's Gull 5
Heermann's Gull 6
Short-billed Gull 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Ring-billed Gull 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Western Gull 1/1/2024 1 MMR, CGa
California Gull 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Herring Gull 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Iceland Gull 1/1/2024 2
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2/16/2024 5 DSi, CaT
Slaty-backed Gull 3/15/2024 6 DSi, CvB, MFr
Glaucous-winged Gull 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Glaucous Gull 1/12/2024 4 ASu, SPv
Least Tern 7/11/2024 4 ECh
Gull-billed Tern 6
Caspian Tern 1/12/2024 2 PDu
Black Tern 5/2/2024 5 RPh
Common Tern 4
Arctic Tern 6
Forster's Tern 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Elegant Tern 4/21/2024 3 PDu
Black Skimmer 1/21/2024 3 MOb
Red-throated Loon 1/4/2024 4 CSi, JSi
Arctic Loon 6
Pacific Loon 5
Common Loon 1/9/2024 4 DN
Yellow-billed Loon 6
Ashy Storm-Petrel 6
Northern Fulmar 6
Sooty Shearwater 6
Magnificent Frigatebird 6
Nazca Booby 6
Brown Booby 6
Brandt's Cormorant 2/7/2024 6 RTr
Pelagic Cormorant 1/1/2024 6 MMR, RGJ
Double-crested Cormorant 1/1/2024 1 MOb
American White Pelican 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Brown Pelican 1/1/2024 2 MOb
American Bittern 1/26/2024 4 KrK
Least Bittern 9/13/2024 6 ER
Great Blue Heron 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Great Egret 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Snowy Egret 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Little Blue Heron 6
Cattle Egret 5
Green Heron 1/1/2024 3 MOb
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Glossy Ibis 6
White-faced Ibis 8/17/2024 4 JSch
California Condor 8/1/2024 6 RHe
Turkey Vulture 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Osprey 1/7/2024 3 HoA, MaK
White-tailed Kite 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Golden Eagle 1/1/2024 3 MOb
Northern Harrier 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1/1/2024 3 MOb
Cooper's Hawk 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Northern Goshawk 6
Bald Eagle 1/2/2024 3 MOb
Red-shouldered Hawk 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Broad-winged Hawk 6
Swainson's Hawk 1/12/2024 4 SRot
Zone-tailed Hawk 6
Red-tailed Hawk 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Rough-legged Hawk 5
Ferruginous Hawk 1/1/2024 4 MOb
Barn Owl 1/2/2024 2 GL, CMe
Flammulated Owl 6
Western Screech-Owl 1/1/2024 2 CH
Great Horned Owl 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Northern Pygmy-Owl 1/2/2024 3 MMR, MJM
Burrowing Owl 1/2/2024 3 COv
Long-eared Owl 4
Short-eared Owl 4
Northern Saw-whet Owl 1/1/2024 3 MMR
Belted Kingfisher 1/1/2024 3 MOb
Williamson's Sapsucker 1/26/2024 6 GKo
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1/3/2024 5 GL
Red-naped Sapsucker 2/16/2024 5 MJM
Red-breasted Sapsucker 1/1/2024 3 MOb
Lewis's Woodpecker 1/2/2024 4 MOb
Acorn Woodpecker 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Downy Woodpecker 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Nuttall's Woodpecker 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Hairy Woodpecker 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Pileated Woodpecker 1/2/2024 4 RHe
Northern Flicker 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Crested Caracara 6
American Kestrel 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Merlin 1/1/2024 3 APo,ShP
Peregrine Falcon 1/1/2024 3 MOb
Prairie Falcon 1/6/2024 4 MOb
Mitred Parakeet 1/1/2024 3 MPy
Olive-sided Flycatcher 4/16/2024 3 RBr
Western Wood-Pewee 4/16/2024 2 NHe
Willow Flycatcher 8/21/2024 4 CJo
Least Flycatcher 9/10/2024 6 OA
Hammond's Flycatcher 1/28/2024 4 ThS
Gray Flycatcher 5
Dusky Flycatcher 5
Pacific-slope Flycatcher 3/15/2024 1 WWe
Black Phoebe 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Eastern Phoebe 6
Say's Phoebe 1/1/2024 3 MOb
Vermilion Flycatcher 3/8/2024 6 HF
Ash-throated Flycatcher 4/8/2024 2 AAu
Tropical Kingbird 1/1/2024 6 MMR, RGJ
Cassin's Kingbird 1/10/2024 4 CMe
Thick-billed Kingbird 6
Western Kingbird 3/15/2024 2 JuB
Eastern Kingbird 6
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 6
White-eyed Vireo 6
Bell's Vireo 6
Hutton's Vireo 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Yellow-throated Vireo 6
Cassin's Vireo 3/21/2024 2 MBeg
Blue-headed Vireo 6
Plumbeous Vireo 6
Philadelphia Vireo 6
Warbling Vireo 3/10/2024 2 LSu
Red-eyed Vireo 6
Loggerhead Shrike 1/3/2024 3 MDd
Northern Shrike 6
Pinyon Jay 6
Steller's Jay 1/1/2024 1 MOb
California Scrub-Jay 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Black-billed Magpie 6
Yellow-billed Magpie 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Clark's Nutcracker 6
American Crow 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Common Raven 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Oak Titmouse 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Horned Lark 1/26/2024 3 MMR
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2/18/2024 2 JSi, CSi
Purple Martin 4/11/2024 4 EzG
Tree Swallow 1/2/2024 2 MOb
Violet-green Swallow 1/1/2024 1 CSi, JSi
Bank Swallow 5/18/2024 5 MDd
Barn Swallow 1/2/2024 1 DWe
Cliff Swallow 3/1/2024 1 TY
Dusky Warbler 6
Arctic Warbler 6
Bushtit 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Wrentit 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1/1/2024 4 JPa
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1/1/2024 3 MOb
White-breasted Nuthatch 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Pygmy Nuthatch 1/1/2024 4 MOb
Brown Creeper 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1/7/2024 2 AnC, RTr
Rock Wren 1/2/2024 3 GL, DN
Canyon Wren 1/4/2024 4 CMe
House Wren 1/2/2024 2 MOb
Pacific Wren 1/1/2024 3 MMR
Marsh Wren 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Bewick's Wren 1/1/2024 1 MOb
American Dipper 1/29/2024 4 GL, MJM
European Starling 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Gray Catbird 6
Brown Thrasher 6
California Thrasher 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Sage Thrasher 9/5/2024 6 JTi
Northern Mockingbird 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Western Bluebird 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Mountain Bluebird 6
Townsend's Solitaire 5
Varied Thrush 1/1/2024 3 MOb
Swainson's Thrush 4/21/2024 2 AMe, SRay
Hermit Thrush 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Wood Thrush 6
American Robin 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Bohemian Waxwing 6
Cedar Waxwing 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Phainopepla 1/1/2024 4 MOb
House Sparrow 1/1/2024 1 MOb
White Wagtail 6
Red-throated Pipit 6
American Pipit 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Evening Grosbeak 5
Gray-crowned Rosy Finch 6
House Finch 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Purple Finch 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Cassin's Finch 6
Red Crossbill 1/1/2024 5 MOb
Pine Siskin 1/1/2024 3 MOb
Lesser Goldfinch 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Lawrence's Goldfinch 1/2/2024 3 MOb
American Goldfinch 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Lapland Longspur 10/6/2024 6 PDu
Chestnut-collared Longspur 6
Snow Bunting 6
Grasshopper Sparrow 1/14/2024 3 SRot
Chipping Sparrow 1/1/2024 3 BM
Clay-colored Sparrow 10/14/2024 5 ABu
Black-chinned Sparrow 5/10/2024 4 NE
Brewer's Sparrow 5
Black-throated Sparrow 6
Lark Sparrow 1/12/2024 2 MOb
Lark Bunting 6
American Tree Sparrow 6
Fox Sparrow 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Dark-eyed Junco 1/1/2024 1 MOb
White-crowned Sparrow 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Golden-crowned Sparrow 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Harris's Sparrow 2/11/2024 6 NE
White-throated Sparrow 1/1/2024 4 MOb
Bell's Sparrow 1/2/2024 4 BW
Vesper Sparrow 10/29/2024 5 CBl
LeConte's Sparrow 6
Nelson's Sparrow 3/11/2024 5 DCh
Savannah Sparrow 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Song Sparrow 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Lincoln's Sparrow 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Swamp Sparrow 1/23/2024 4 HF
California Towhee 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Rufous-crowned Sparrow 1/1/2024 3 MOb
Green-tailed Towhee 5
Spotted Towhee 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Yellow-breasted Chat 5/5/2024 4 MiSc
Yellow-headed Blackbird 6/2/2024 5 GMu
Bobolink 6
Western Meadowlark 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Orchard Oriole 6
Hooded Oriole 3/13/2024 2 JPa
Bullock's Oriole 1/27/2024 1 ATen
Baltimore Oriole 6
Scott's Oriole 6
Red-winged Blackbird 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Tricolored Blackbird 1/1/2024 3 DCh
Brown-headed Cowbird 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Rusty Blackbird 6
Brewer's Blackbird 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Great-tailed Grackle 1/2/2024 3 MOb
Ovenbird 6
Worm-eating Warbler 6
Louisiana Waterthrush 6
Northern Waterthrush 5
Black-and-white Warbler 9/9/2024 5 RoB, JPa
Prothonotary Warbler 6
Tennessee Warbler 9/28/2024 6 MJM
Orange-crowned Warbler 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Lucy's Warbler 6
Nashville Warbler 3/9/2024 4 APo, JSch
Virginia's Warbler 6
Connecticut Warbler 6
MacGillivray's Warbler 4/19/2024 4 EMe
Kentucky Warbler 6
Common Yellowthroat 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Hooded Warbler 6
American Redstart 5
Cape May Warbler 6
Northern Parula 5
Magnolia Warbler 6
Bay-breasted Warbler 9/25/2024 6 JuB
Blackburnian Warbler 9/27/2024 6 TY
Yellow Warbler 1/4/2024 1 DWe
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1/23/2024 6 MMR
Blackpoll Warbler 9/24/2024 5 CJo
Black-throated Blue Warbler 6
Palm Warbler 1/1/2024 5 MOb
Pine Warbler 6
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1/1/2024 1 MOb
Yellow-throated Warbler 5/16/2024 6 OA
Prairie Warbler 6
Black-throated Gray Warbler 1/11/2024 3 ASu
Townsend's Warbler 1/1/2024 2 MOb
Hermit Warbler 2/3/2024 3 BAh
Black-throated Green Warbler 6
Canada Warbler 6
Wilson's Warbler 1/26/2024 1 HF
Painted Redstart 6
Summer Tanager 1/13/2024 5 CGa
Scarlet Tanager 6
Western Tanager 1/2/2024 2 AFl
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1/27/2024 5 ALi, SHe
Black-headed Grosbeak 4/1/2024 1 FCl
Blue Grosbeak 4/15/2024 4 MBeg
Lazuli Bunting 3/19/2024 2 SWe
Indigo Bunting 5
Painted Bunting 6
Dickcissel 2/20/2024 6 MDd
NOT ABA Countable:
Mute Swan
Egyptian Goose
Mandarin Duck
African Collared-Dove
Nanday Parakeet
Red-masked Parakeet 1/3/2024 GL
Northern Red Bishop 9/1/2024 MOb
Scaly-breasted Munia 1/19/2024 LO
Orange-cheeked Waxbill
European Goldfinch
Yellow-crowned Parrot
Red-whiskered Bulbul 1/26/2024 Anonymous

Observer Codes*

Abbreviation Name FIELD3
Anon Anonymous
MOb Multiple Observers
AAu Alexander Auer
ABu Adam Burnett
AnC Anqui Chen
AFl Allison Fluty
ALi Alice Liu
AMe Andrew Melnick
APo Ariel Potter
ASu Aaron Sun
ATen Annette Teng
BAh Brian Ahern
BrK Brad Keitt
BM Brooke Miller
BT BT
BW Bill Walker
CBl Caroline Bliss
CE Craige Edgerton
CGa Carter Gasiorowski
CH Chris Henry
CJo Chris Johnson
CMe Carlos Mendoza
COv Chris Overington
CSi Charles Sismondo
CvB Cedrik von Briel
DCh Dani Christensen
DN David Nickerson
DSi Dessi Sieburth
DWe Dave Weber
ECh Edric Chan
EzG Ezra Garfield
EMe Eve Meier
ER Edward Rooks
FCl Felix Cloutier
GKo Gary Koerzendorfer
GL Garrett Lau
GMu Ginny Murphy
HoA Hoatzin Aname
HF Howard Friedman
JuB Juliette Bryson
JHe Joe Heinlein
JOl Jennifer Oliver
JPa Janna Pauser
JSch John Scharpen
JSi Jillian Sismondo
JTi Joan Tisdale
JTs John Tsortos
KrK Krzysztof Kurylowicz
LO Leo O'Neill
LSu Linda Sullivan
MBar Melanie Barnett
MBeg Mike Beggs
JMD Mike Danzenbaker
MDd Matthew Dodder
MFr Marty Freeland
MaK Malini Kaushik
MJM Mike Mammoser
MPy Michael Pyle
MMR Mike Rogers
MiSc Michael Schulte
MSh Mike Shafto
NE Noah Eckman
NHe Nick Henry
OA Ozzie Altus
PDu Pete Dunten
RoB Roberta Baker
RBr Richard Bradus
RHe Rick Herder
RGJ Richard Jeffers
RNa Russ Namitz
RPh Ryan Phillips
RTr Ray Trent
SHe Shannon Hegg
ShP Shreya Patel
SPv Sergey Pavlov
SRay Sheila Raymond
SRot Steve Rottenborn
SWe Susan Weinstein
TMi Tim Miller
ThS Thirumalai Suresh
TY Tristan Yoo
WWe William Webb

Rarity Codes**

1 = common, always seen in habitat in season.
2 = fairly common, usually in habitat in season, but missed sometimes.
3 = uncommon, always around, but sometimes you can't find.
4 = rare, occurs yearly in the county, but not always in same places.
5 = very rare, does not occur every year.
6 = casual or vagrant, generally fewer than 10 records.