Cumulative list compiled by Brooke Miller. Please email additions, corrections, or comments to Brooke at idbirds@me.com
Please post all your sightings at south-bay-birds@yahoogroups.com and/or eBird.
See the Santa Clara County Bird List Discussion Archive 2015 or view all the cumulative year lists.
Birds Observed through December 2015
Total: 291
Date Rarity** Observer*
Fulvous Whistling-Duck 6
Greater White-fronted Goose 1/1/2015 4 MMR
Snow Goose 1/6/2015 4 CLa, JMD
Ross's Goose 1/3/2015 4 GL
Brant 6
Cackling Goose 1/1/2015 3 MMR
Canada Goose 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Tundra Swan 5
Wood Duck 1/1/2015 3 JMy, AV
Gadwall 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Eurasian Wigeon 1/6/2015 4 CLa, KPa
American Wigeon 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Mallard 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Blue-winged Teal 1/3/2015 4 m.ob.
Cinnamon Teal 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Northern Shoveler 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Northern Pintail 1/1/2015 1 BM, MVo
Garganey 6
Green-winged Teal 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Canvasback 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Redhead 1/2/2015 3 OA
Ring-necked Duck 1/1/2015 2 MMR
Tufted Duck 5
Greater Scaup 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Lesser Scaup 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Surf Scoter 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
White-winged Scoter 5
Black Scoter 6
Long-tailed Duck 5
Bufflehead 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Common Goldeneye 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Barrow's Goldeneye 1/13/2015 4 BM
Hooded Merganser 1/1/2015 3 BM, JMy
Common Merganser 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Red-breasted Merganser 1/1/2015 3 m.ob.
Ruddy Duck 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Mountain Quail 5
California Quail 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Ring-necked Pheasant 1/14/2015 3 CLa
Wild Turkey 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Red-throated Loon 1/1/2015 4 CLa, DZ
Arctic Loon 6
Pacific Loon 1/1/2015 5 STr
Common Loon 4/10/2015 4 JStP, CWJ
Yellow-billed Loon 6
Pied-billed Grebe 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Horned Grebe 1/1/2015 3 m.ob.
Red-necked Grebe 1/1/2015 5 MJM, MMR
Eared Grebe 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Western Grebe 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Clark's Grebe 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Northern Fulmar 6
Sooty Shearwater 6
Ashy Storm-Petrel 6
Magnificent Frigatebird 6
Brown Booby 6
Brandt's Cormorant 6
Double-crested Cormorant 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Pelagic Cormorant 1/1/2015 6 PKe, MMR
American White Pelican 1/1/2015 2 MMR
Brown Pelican 1/1/2015 3 m.ob.
American Bittern 1/1/2015 4 m.ob.
Least Bittern 6
Great Blue Heron 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Great Egret 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Snowy Egret 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Little Blue Heron 5
Cattle Egret 3/26/2015 5 JStP
Green Heron 1/1/2015 3 CLa, BM
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Glossy Ibis 6
White-faced Ibis 2/1/2015 4 KDeM
Turkey Vulture 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
California Condor 6
Osprey 1/2/2015 3 OA, SA
White-tailed Kite 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Golden Eagle 1/1/2015 2 MJM, STr
Northern Harrier 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1/1/2015 2 MMR
Cooper's Hawk 1/1/2015 2 JMy
Northern Goshawk 6
Bald Eagle 1/1/2015 4 m.ob.
Red-shouldered Hawk 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Broad-winged Hawk 4/19/2015 6 m.ob.
Swainson's Hawk 4/1/2015 5 RPh
Zone-tailed Hawk 6
Red-tailed Hawk 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Ferruginous Hawk 1/1/2015 4 m.ob.
Rough-legged Hawk 5
Yellow Rail 6
Black Rail 1/18/2015 5 SEM
Ridgway's Rail 1/2/2015 2 JaL
Virginia Rail 1/1/2015 2 MJM, AMcD
Sora 1/1/2015 2 CLa
Common Gallinule 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
American Coot 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Sandhill Crane 6
Black-necked Stilt 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
American Avocet 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Black Oystercatcher 4/14/2015 6 JStP
Black-bellied Plover 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
American Golden-Plover 5
Pacific Golden-Plover 7/9/2015 5 VHe
Snowy Plover 1/11/2015 4 PDu
Semipalmated Plover 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Killdeer 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Mountain Plover 6
Spotted Sandpiper 1/1/2015 3 DN, MMR
Solitary Sandpiper 4/18/2015 5 PDu et al
Wandering Tattler 6
Greater Yellowlegs 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Willet 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Lesser Yellowlegs 1/1/2015 3 STr
Whimbrel 1/2/2015 3 DBus
Long-billed Curlew 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Hudsonian Godwit 6
Bar-tailed Godwit 6
Marbled Godwit 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Ruddy Turnstone 7/18/2015 5 WBR, JaL
Black Turnstone 8/23/2015 6 MMR, MJM, RGJ
Red Knot 8/21/2015 5 MGr
Ruff 12/20/2015 4 STr
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 6
Stilt Sandpiper 8/25/2015 4 GZ
Curlew Sandpiper 7/5/2015 6 MJM
Sanderling 1/14/2015 4 WGB
Dunlin 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Baird's Sandpiper 8/16/2015 4 JDh
Little Stint 6
Least Sandpiper 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
White-rumped Sandpiper 6
Buff-breasted Sandpiper 6
Pectoral Sandpiper 8/23/2015 4 PD
Semipalmated Sandpiper 7/3/2015 4 SCR
Western Sandpiper 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Short-billed Dowitcher 1/1/2015 1 BM, MVo
Long-billed Dowitcher 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Wilson's Snipe 1/1/2015 3 MJM, STr
Wilson's Phalarope 1/1/2015 2 STr
Red-necked Phalarope 4/11/2015 2 GZ
Red Phalarope 5
Pomarine Jaeger 6
Parasitic Jaeger 9/13/2015 5 WGB
Long-tailed Jaeger 6
Common Murre 8/23/2015 5 MMR, MJM, RGJ
Pigeon Guillemot 6
Ancient Murrelet 6
Cassin's Auklet 6
Black-legged Kittiwake 6
Sabine's Gull 5
Bonaparte's Gull 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Black-headed Gull 6
Little Gull 6
Laughing Gull 6
Franklin's Gull 5/21/2015 5 EMo
Heermann's Gull 5
Mew Gull 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Ring-billed Gull 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Western Gull 1/1/2015 1 BM, STr
California Gull 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Herring Gull 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Thayer's Gull 1/1/2015 3 CLa, MMR
Iceland Gull 6
Lesser Black-backed Gull 11/23/2015 6 PDu
Slaty-backed Gull 1/28/2015 6 GZ
Glaucous-winged Gull 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Glaucous Gull 2/7/2015 4 SCR
Least Tern 7/25/2015 4 MJM
Gull-billed Tern 6
Caspian Tern 3/21/2015 2 TF-H
Black Tern 7/19/2015 5 VKa
Common Tern 8/2/2015 4 BM
Arctic Tern 6
Forster's Tern 1/1/2015 1 CLa, STr
Elegant Tern 4/20/2015 4 JStP, CWJ
Black Skimmer 1/3/2015 4 GZ, JZ
Rock Pigeon 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Band-tailed Pigeon 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Eurasian Collared-Dove 1/1/2015 3 m.ob.
White-winged Dove 10/19/2015 6 GKi
Mourning Dove 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 6
Greater Roadrunner 1/6/2015 4 CLa, BM
Barn Owl 1/1/2015 2 OA, SA
Flammulated Owl 6
Western Screech-Owl 1/9/2015 1 PDu
Great Horned Owl 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Northern Pygmy-Owl 2/15/2015 3 MMR
Burrowing Owl 1/1/2015 3 RuC
Long-eared Owl 4
Short-eared Owl 1/2/2015 4 KPa
Northern Saw-whet Owl 2/15/2015 3 MMR
Lesser Nighthawk 6
Common Nighthawk 6
Common Poorwill 3/28/2015 3 CLa
Black Swift 5/10/2015 5 GHa
Chimney Swift 6
Vaux's Swift 4/5/2015 3 SPe
White-throated Swift 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Black-chinned Hummingbird 3/31/2015 4 BM
Anna's Hummingbird 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Costa's Hummingbird 5
Broad-tailed Hummingbird 6
Rufous Hummingbird 3/4/2015 4 JPa
Allen's Hummingbird 1/19/2015 3 AMR
Calliope Hummingbird 4/11/2015 5 PDu
Belted Kingfisher 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Lewis's Woodpecker 1/1/2015 3 m.ob.
Acorn Woodpecker 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Williamson's Sapsucker 10/25/2015 6 AMR
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 5
Red-naped Sapsucker 1/1/2015 5 MMR, STr
Red-breasted Sapsucker 1/1/2015 3 m.ob.
Nuttall's Woodpecker 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Downy Woodpecker 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Hairy Woodpecker 1/2/2015 2 GHa, CLa
Northern Flicker 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Pileated Woodpecker 1/2/2015 4 GHa
Crested Caracara 6
American Kestrel 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Merlin 1/1/2015 3 MMR, STr
Peregrine Falcon 1/1/2015 3 BM
Prairie Falcon 1/3/2015 4 m.ob.
Olive-sided Flycatcher 4/10/2015 3 BM
Western Wood-Pewee 4/14/2015 2 KOn
Willow Flycatcher 5/22/2015 4 MMR
Least Flycatcher 6
Hammond's Flycatcher 4/3/2015 5 MMR
Gray Flycatcher 5
Dusky Flycatcher 5
Pacific-slope Flycatcher 3/14/2015 2 MDd et al
Black Phoebe 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Eastern Phoebe 10/7/2015 6 WBr
Say's Phoebe 1/1/2015 3 m.ob.
Ash-throated Flycatcher 4/2/2015 2 JPa
Tropical Kingbird 10/31/2015 6 RFU et al
Cassin's Kingbird 3/5/2015 5 GHa
Western Kingbird 3/14/2015 2 MDd et al
Eastern Kingbird 6
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 6
Loggerhead Shrike 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Northern Shrike 6
Bell's Vireo 6
Yellow-throated Vireo 6
Plumbeous Vireo 6
Cassin's Vireo 3/24/2015 2 BM
Blue-headed Vireo 6
Hutton's Vireo 1/1/2015 2 SMe
Warbling Vireo 3/7/2015 2 JPa
Philadelphia Vireo 6
Red-eyed Vireo 6
Pinyon Jay 6
Steller's Jay 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Western Scrub-Jay 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Clark's Nutcracker 6
Black-billed Magpie 6
Yellow-billed Magpie 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
American Crow 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Common Raven 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Horned Lark 1/21/2015 3 DN, GZ
Purple Martin 4/4/2015 4 JGar, AMR
Tree Swallow 1/1/2015 2 MJM, KSc
Violet-green Swallow 1/1/2015 1 MJM, BM
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1/1/2015 2 MJM
Bank Swallow 5/16/2015 5 JaL
Cliff Swallow 2/28/2015 1 BM
Barn Swallow 1/2/2015 1 BM
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Oak Titmouse 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Bushtit 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1/1/2015 4 DC
White-breasted Nuthatch 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Pygmy Nuthatch 1/10/2015 4 KPa
Brown Creeper 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Rock Wren 1/1/2015 4 MJM
Canyon Wren 1/1/2015 4 MJM, OA
House Wren 1/1/2015 2 JPa
Pacific Wren 2/12/2015 3 BS et al
Marsh Wren 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Bewick's Wren 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1/1/2015 2 MMR
American Dipper 1/20/2015 4 JPa
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1/22/2015 3 GZ
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Arctic Warbler 6
Wrentit 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Western Bluebird 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Mountain Bluebird 1/8/2015 6 SCR
Townsend's Solitaire 2/10/2015 5 BM
Swainson's Thrush 4/26/2015 2 KOn
Hermit Thrush 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
American Robin 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Varied Thrush 1/1/2015 3 m.ob.
Gray Catbird 6
Brown Thrasher 6
California Thrasher 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Sage Thrasher 9/23/2015 6 DPe
Northern Mockingbird 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
European Starling 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
White Wagtail 6
Red-throated Pipit 6
American Pipit 1/1/2015 2 BM, STr
Bohemian Waxwing 6
Cedar Waxwing 1/1/2015 1 PLy, STr
Phainopepla 1/3/2015 4 CE
Lapland Longspur 11/7/2015 6 PDu
Chestnut-collared Longspur 6
Snow Bunting 11/5/2015 6 SSh
Ovenbird 1/11/2015 6 MMR
Worm-eating Warbler 6
Louisiana Waterthrush 6
Northern Waterthrush 1/11/2015 5 MDd, MMR
Black-and-white Warbler 6/9/2015 5 KGi
Prothonotary Warbler 6
Tennessee Warbler 9/25/2015 6 PKe
Orange-crowned Warbler 1/1/2015 1 STr
Lucy's Warbler 6
Nashville Warbler 1/31/2015 4 SCR
Virginia's Warbler 11/1/2015 6 SEM
Connecticut Warbler 6
MacGillivray's Warbler 3/28/2015 4 AMR
Kentucky Warbler 6
Common Yellowthroat 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Hooded Warbler 6
American Redstart 5
Cape May Warbler 6
Northern Parula 6
Magnolia Warbler 9/18/2015 6 RWR
Blackburnian Warbler 6
Yellow Warbler 1/1/2015 1 STr
Chestnut-sided Warbler 5/26/2015 6 BM
Blackpoll Warbler 9/14/2015 5 PKe
Black-throated Blue Warbler 2/9/2015 6 MSi
Palm Warbler 5
Pine Warbler 10/7/2015 6 PKe
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Prairie Warbler 6
Black-throated Gray Warbler 1/11/2015 3 m.ob.
Townsend's Warbler 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Hermit Warbler 3/21/2015 4 BM, CK
Black-throated Green Warbler 6
Canada Warbler 6
Wilson's Warbler 3/8/2015 1 BM
Yellow-breasted Chat 4/27/2015 5 RWR
Green-tailed Towhee 5
Spotted Towhee 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Rufous-crowned Sparrow 1/1/2015 3 OA, MMR
California Towhee 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
American Tree Sparrow 6
Chipping Sparrow 1/7/2015 3 JPa
Clay-colored Sparrow 10/26/2015 5 JWa
Brewer's Sparrow 5
Black-chinned Sparrow 4/14/2015 4 KOn
Vesper Sparrow 9/23/2015 5 GHa
Lark Sparrow 1/2/2015 2 BHa, BM
Black-throated Sparrow 12/27/2015 6 STr
Bell's Sparrow 4/19/2015 3 WBr
Lark Bunting 6
Savannah Sparrow 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Grasshopper Sparrow 1/3/2015 4 STr
Nelson's Sparrow 5
Fox Sparrow 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Song Sparrow 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Lincoln's Sparrow 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Swamp Sparrow 1/16/2015 5 MHawk
White-throated Sparrow 1/1/2015 4 JPa
Harris's Sparrow 6
White-crowned Sparrow 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Golden-crowned Sparrow 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Dark-eyed Junco 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Summer Tanager 6/22/2015 5 WGB
Scarlet Tanager 6
Western Tanager 1/1/2015 3 AK
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 7/20/2015 5 MBe
Black-headed Grosbeak 1/6/2015 1 JTom
Blue Grosbeak 4
Lazuli Bunting 4/5/2015 2 JPa
Indigo Bunting 5
Painted Bunting 6
Dickcissel 6
Bobolink 6
Red-winged Blackbird 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Tricolored Blackbird 1/1/2015 3 MJM
Western Meadowlark 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Yellow-headed Blackbird 1/27/2015 5 CLa
Rusty Blackbird 6
Brewer's Blackbird 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Great-tailed Grackle 1/1/2015 5 m.ob.
Brown-headed Cowbird 1/1/2015 2 DN
Orchard Oriole 12/21/2015 6 MMR, NMa
Hooded Oriole 2/16/2015 3 AVi
Bullock's Oriole 1/31/2015 1 SCR
Baltimore Oriole 6
Scott's Oriole 6
House Finch 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Purple Finch 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Cassin's Finch 6
Red Crossbill 9/22/2015 5 AMR
Pine Siskin 1/1/2015 3 m.ob.
Lesser Goldfinch 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
Lawrence's Goldfinch 3/6/2015 3 PDu
American Goldfinch 1/1/2015 2 m.ob.
Evening Grosbeak 1/1/2015 5 m.ob.
House Sparrow 1/1/2015 1 m.ob.
*Observer Codes
AK=Alexander Koonce, AMcD=Amy McDonald, AMR = Alex Rinkert, AV=Ann Verdi, AVi=Alie Victorine
BHa=Beth Hamel, BM=Brooke Miller, BS=Brian Sullivan
CE=Craige Edgerton, CK = Clay Kempf, CLa=Caroline Lambert, CWJ=Cole Wan Jower
DBus=Diego Bustamante, DC=Deborah Chase, DPe=Donald Pendleton, DN=David Nickerson, DZ=David Zittin
EMo=Emily Moffitt
GHa=Garth Harwood, GKi=Gary Kittleson, GL=Garrett Lau, GZ=Gena Zolotar
JaL= Jasen Liu, JMD=Mike Danzenbaker, JDi=Jimmy Dhillon, JMy=Jean Myers, JPa=Janna Pauser, JStP=Jason St. Pierre, JTom=Jack Tomlin, JWa=Joyce Wang, JZ=Jeff Zolotar
KDe = Karen DeMello, KGi=Kevin Gin, KOn = Kurt Ongman, KPa=Kathy Parker, KSc=Ken Schneider
m.ob.=Multiple Observers, MBe=Melissa Beaver, MDd=Matthew Dodder, MGr=Matthew Grube, MHawk=Michael Hawk, MJM=Mike Mammoser, MMR=Mike Rogers, MSi=Marty Sidor, MVo=Mike Voydanoff
OA=Ozzie Altus
PD=Peggy Don, PDu=Pete Dunten, PKe=Pat Kenny, PLy=Pat Lynch
RuC=Ruth Cantwell, RFu=Rob Furrow, RPh=Ryan Phillips, RGJ=Richard Jeffers, RWR=Bob Reiling
SA=Steve Altus, SCR=Steve Rottenborn, SEM=Steve Miller, SMe=Sonny Mencher, SPe = Stephen Peterson, SSh=Sachindev Shenoy, STr=Steve Tracey
TF-H = Thomas Ford-Hutchinson
VHe=Victoria Heyse, VKa=Vivek Kanzode
WBr = Will Brooks, WGB=Bill Bousman
**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.