Santa Clara County Bird List 2026

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 2026 or view all the cumulative year lists.

Discussion for January 2026

We started off 2026 with 169 countable birds seen on January 1, and a total of 206 countable birds for the month of January. The average for January 1st is 158, and the average for the month of January is 202. There were 2 birds that were not ABA-countable in January (see below). Thank you to everyone that birded, and took the time to report birds either on SBB, eBird, or send emails directly to me.

Of the countable 206 birds that were recorded for January, there were 2 birds rated as rarity (6), and 8 birds rated as rarity (5). As a reminder, here is what each rarity code means:

**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.

Rarity Code 6’s for January 2026:

  1. Black Oystercatcher (6), 2026-01-01, continuing from 2025, at Shoreline Lake, seen by multiple observers

  2. Pelagic Cormorant (6), 2026-01-01, continuing from 2025, in Salt Pond A8 but seen from Alviso Slough Trail, seen by multiple observers

Rarity Code 5’s for January 2026:

  1. Black Rail (5), hidden date, location, and observer – ‘sensitive species’

  2. Pacific Golden-Plover (5), 2026-01-01, continuing from 2025, along the entrance road to Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge in Alviso, seen by multiple observers

  3. Red-naped Sapsucker (5), 2026-01-01, continuing from 2025, at Joseph D Grant County Park, seen by Brooke Miller

  4. Brewer’s Sparrow (5), 2026-01-01, continuing from 2025, in Ann Verdi’s backyard

  5. Vesper Sparrow (5), 2026-01-01, continuing from 2025, at the Calera Creek Trail gate at Ed Levin County Park, seen by Garrett Lau and Dave Weber

  6. Clay-colored Sparrow (5), 2026-01-07, at TJ Martin Park, found by Garrett Lau

  7. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (5), 2026-01-20, at Vasona Lake County Park, found by Dave Weber

  8. Townsend’s Solitaire (5), 2026-01-28, at Mt Umunhum, found by Dani Christensen.

The 2 ABA non-countable bird for January were:

  1. Mute Swan, 2026-01-02, continuing from 2025, in Salt Pond A18, by Garrett Lau

  2. Scaly-breasted Munia, 2026-01-04, seen by Heba A, at Almaden Lake Park

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 January 2026

Bird Name 2026 date RARITY CODE OBSERVER
Fulvous Whistling-Duck 6
Snow Goose 2026-01-01 4 MOb
Ross's Goose 2026-01-02 4 GL, BM
Greater White-fronted Goose 2026-01-01 3 MOb
Brant 5
Cackling Goose 2026-01-01 3 MOb
Canada Goose 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Tundra Swan 5
Wood Duck 2026-01-09 3 MOb
Garganey 6
Blue-winged Teal 2026-01-01 4 MOb
Cinnamon Teal 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Northern Shoveler 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Gadwall 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Eurasian Wigeon 2026-01-02 3 GL, RTr
American Wigeon 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Mallard 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Northern Pintail 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Green-winged Teal 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Canvasback 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Redhead 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Ring-necked Duck 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Tufted Duck 5
Greater Scaup 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Lesser Scaup 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Surf Scoter 2026-01-01 2 MOb
White-winged Scoter 5
Black Scoter 6
Long-tailed Duck 5
Bufflehead 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Common Goldeneye 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Barrow's Goldeneye 2026-01-01 4 KB
Hooded Merganser 2026-01-01 3 MOb
Common Merganser 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Red-breasted Merganser 2026-01-01 2 CD
Ruddy Duck 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Mountain Quail 6
California Quail 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Wild Turkey 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Ring-necked Pheasant 4
Rock Pigeon 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Band-tailed Pigeon 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Oriental Turtle-Dove 6
Eurasian Collared-Dove 2026-01-01 2 MOb
White-winged Dove 6
Mourning Dove 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Greater Roadrunner 2026-01-04 4 VS-Y
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 6
Lesser Nighthawk 6
Common Nighthawk 6
Common Poorwill 3
Black Swift 4
Chimney Swift 6
Vaux's Swift 3
White-throated Swift 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Black-chinned Hummingbird 3
Anna's Hummingbird 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Costa's Hummingbird 5
Calliope Hummingbird 4
Rufous Hummingbird 3
Allen's Hummingbird 2026-01-25 3 TLa
Broad-tailed Hummingbird 6
Ridgway's Rail 2026-01-01 3 MOb
Virginia Rail 2026-01-01 2 TY
Sora 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Common Gallinule 2026-01-01 2 MOb
American Coot 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Yellow Rail 6
Black Rail 2026-01-01 5 Sensitive Species
Sandhill Crane 6
Black-necked Stilt 2026-01-01 1 MOb
American Avocet 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Black Oystercatcher 2026-01-01 6 MOb
Black-bellied Plover 2026-01-01 1 GL
American Golden-Plover 5
Pacific Golden-Plover 2026-01-01 5 MOb
Killdeer 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Semipalmated Plover 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Mountain Plover 6
Snowy Plover 2026-01-01 4 MOb
Hudsonian Whimbrel 2026-01-01 3 KRu
Long-billed Curlew 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Bar-tailed Godwit 6
Hudsonian Godwit 6
Marbled Godwit 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Ruddy Turnstone 5
Black Turnstone 6
Red Knot 4
Ruff 5
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 6
Stilt Sandpiper 5
Curlew Sandpiper 6
Sanderling 4
Dunlin 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Baird's Sandpiper 4
Little Stint 6
Least Sandpiper 2026-01-01 1 MOb
White-rumped Sandpiper 6
Buff-breasted Sandpiper 6
Pectoral Sandpiper 4
Semipalmated Sandpiper 4
Western Sandpiper 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Short-billed Dowitcher 2026-01-05 2 KB
Long-billed Dowitcher 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Wilson's Snipe 2026-01-01 3 MOb
Wilson's Phalarope 2
Red-necked Phalarope 2
Red Phalarope 5
Spotted Sandpiper 2026-01-01 3 MOb
Solitary Sandpiper 5
Wandering Tattler 6
Greater Yellowlegs 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Willet 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Lesser Yellowlegs 2026-01-05 3 CD
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 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Black-headed Gull 6
Little Gull 6
Laughing Gull 6
Franklin's Gull 5
Heermann's Gull 6
Short-billed Gull 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Ring-billed Gull 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Western Gull 2026-01-01 1 MOb
California Gull 2026-01-01 1 MOb
American Herring Gull 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Vega Gull 6
Iceland Gull 2026-01-01 2 BM
Lesser Black-backed Gull 5
Slaty-backed Gull 6
Glaucous-winged Gull 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Glaucous Gull 4
Black Skimmer 2026-01-22 3 BSp
Least Tern 4
Gull-billed Tern 6
Caspian Tern 2
Black Tern 5
Common Tern 4
Arctic Tern 6
Forster's Tern 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Elegant Tern 3
Pied-billed Grebe 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Horned Grebe 2026-01-01 3 DRy, TKa
Red-necked Grebe 5
Eared Grebe 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Western Grebe 2026-01-01 2 DRy
Clark's Grebe 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Red-throated Loon 4
Arctic Loon 6
Pacific Loon 5
Common Loon 4
Yellow-billed Loon 6
Ashy Storm-Petrel 6
Northern Fulmar 6
Sooty Shearwater 6
Magnificent Frigatebird 6
Nazca Booby 6
Cocos Booby 6
Brandt's Cormorant 6
Pelagic Cormorant 2026-01-01 6 MOb
Double-crested Cormorant 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Glossy Ibis 6
White-faced Ibis 4
Least Bittern 6
American Bittern 4
Little Blue Heron 6
Snowy Egret 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Black-crowned Night Heron 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Green Heron 2026-01-01 3 MOb
Great Egret 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Western Cattle-Egret 5
Great Blue Heron 2026-01-01 1 MOb
American White Pelican 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Brown Pelican 2026-01-03 2 MOb
California Condor 6
Turkey Vulture 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Osprey 2026-01-01 3 MOb
White-tailed Kite 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Golden Eagle 2026-01-01 3 MOb
Northern Harrier 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Sharp-shinned Hawk 2026-01-01 3 ANe
Cooper's Hawk 2026-01-01 2 MOb
American Goshawk 6
Bald Eagle 2026-01-01 3 MOb
Red-shouldered Hawk 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Broad-winged Hawk 6
Swainson's Hawk 2026-01-02 4 HF
Zone-tailed Hawk 6
Red-tailed Hawk 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Rough-legged Hawk 5
Ferruginous Hawk 2026-01-02 4 MOb
American Barn Owl 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Flammulated Owl 6
Western Screech-Owl 2026-01-02 2 MOb
Great Horned Owl 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Northern Pygmy-Owl 2026-01-04 3 GL
Burrowing Owl 2026-01-01 3 MOb
Long-eared Owl 4
Short-eared Owl 2026-01-03 4 GL
Northern Saw-whet Owl 2026-01-02 3 CD
Belted Kingfisher 2026-01-01 3 MOb
Williamson's Sapsucker 6
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2026-01-20 5 DWe
Red-naped Sapsucker 2026-01-01 5 BM
Red-breasted Sapsucker 2026-01-01 3 GL
Lewis's Woodpecker 2026-01-02 4 MOb
Acorn Woodpecker 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Downy Woodpecker 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Nuttall's Woodpecker 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Hairy Woodpecker 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Pileated Woodpecker 2026-01-03 4 CMe
Northern Flicker 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Crested Caracara 6
American Kestrel 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Merlin 2026-01-01 3 MBar
Peregrine Falcon 2026-01-01 3 DRy
Prairie Falcon 2026-01-02 4 MOb
Mitred Parakeet 2026-01-04 3 GL
Olive-sided Flycatcher 3
Western Wood-Pewee 2
Willow Flycatcher 4
Least Flycatcher 6
Hammond's Flycatcher 4
Gray Flycatcher 5
Dusky Flycatcher 5
Western (Pacific-slope) Flycatcher 1
Black Phoebe 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Eastern Phoebe 6
Say's Phoebe 2026-01-01 3 MOb
Vermilion Flycatcher 6
Ash-throated Flycatcher 2
Tropical Kingbird 6
Cassin's Kingbird 4
Thick-billed Kingbird 6
Western Kingbird 2
Eastern Kingbird 6
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 6
White-eyed Vireo 6
Bell's Vireo 6
Hutton's Vireo 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Yellow-throated Vireo 6
Cassin's Vireo 2
Blue-headed Vireo 6
Plumbeous Vireo 6
Philadelphia Vireo 6
Western Warbling Vireo 2
Red-eyed Vireo 6
Loggerhead Shrike 2026-01-01 3 MOb
Northern Shrike 6
Pinyon Jay 6
Steller's Jay 2026-01-01 1 MOb
California Scrub-Jay 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Black-billed Magpie 6
Yellow-billed Magpie 2026-01-01 2 ANe, BM
Clark's Nutcracker 6
American Crow 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Common Raven 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Oak Titmouse 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Horned Lark 2026-01-09 3 GL, JMc
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2
Purple Martin 4
Tree Swallow 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Violet-green Swallow 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Bank Swallow 5
Barn Swallow 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Cliff Swallow 1
Dusky Warbler 6
Arctic Warbler 6
Bushtit 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Wrentit 2026-01-01 1 PBa
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2026-01-01 4 PBa
Red-breasted Nuthatch 2026-01-01 3 BM
White-breasted Nuthatch 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Pygmy Nuthatch 2026-01-01 4 MOb
Brown Creeper 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2026-01-07 2 SWe
Rock Wren 2026-01-02 3 MOb
Canyon Wren 2026-01-02 4 MOb
Northern House Wren 2026-01-01 2 GL
Pacific Wren 2026-01-01 3 PBa, DWel
Marsh Wren 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Bewick's Wren 2026-01-01 1 MOb
American Dipper 2026-01-21 4 JPa
European Starling 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Gray Catbird 6
Brown Thrasher 6
California Thrasher 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Sage Thrasher 6
Northern Mockingbird 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Western Bluebird 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Mountain Bluebird 6
Townsend's Solitaire 2026-01-28 5 DCh
Varied Thrush 2026-01-01 3 MOb
Swainson's Thrush 2
Hermit Thrush 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Wood Thrush 6
American Robin 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Dark-sided Flycatcher 6
Bohemian Waxwing 6
Cedar Waxwing 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Phainopepla 2026-01-01 4 MOb
House Sparrow 2026-01-01 1 MOb
White Wagtail 6
Red-throated Pipit 6
American Pipit 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Evening Grosbeak 5
Gray-crowned Rosy Finch 6
House Finch 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Purple Finch 2026-01-01 2 BM
Cassin's Finch 6
Red Crossbill 5
Pine Siskin 2026-01-03 3 MShe
Lesser Goldfinch 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Lawrence's Goldfinch 2026-01-02 3 MOb
American Goldfinch 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Lapland Longspur 6
Chestnut-collared Longspur 6
Snow Bunting 6
Grasshopper Sparrow 2026-01-08 3 SMc
Chipping Sparrow 2026-01-03 3 TKB, AN
Clay-colored Sparrow 2026-01-07 5 GL
Black-chinned Sparrow 4
Brewer's Sparrow 2026-01-01 5 AV
Black-throated Sparrow 6
Lark Sparrow 2026-01-01 2 GL
Lark Bunting 6
American Tree Sparrow 6
Fox Sparrow 2026-01-01 2 ANe
Dark-eyed Junco 2026-01-01 1 MOb
White-crowned Sparrow 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Golden-crowned Sparrow 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Harris's Sparrow 6
White-throated Sparrow 2026-01-01 4 MOb
Bell's Sparrow 2026-01-02 4 MOb
Vesper Sparrow 2026-01-01 5 GL, DWe
LeConte's Sparrow 6
Nelson's Sparrow 5
Savannah Sparrow 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Song Sparrow 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Lincoln's Sparrow 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Swamp Sparrow 2026-01-11 4 HF
California Towhee 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Rufous-crowned Sparrow 2026-01-02 3 RPe
Green-tailed Towhee 5
Spotted Towhee 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Yellow-breasted Chat 4
Yellow-headed Blackbird 5
Bobolink 6
Western Meadowlark 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Orchard Oriole 6
Hooded Oriole 2
Bullock's Oriole 1
Baltimore Oriole 6
Scott's Oriole 6
Red-winged Blackbird 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Tricolored Blackbird 2026-01-01 3 LSu
Brown-headed Cowbird 2026-01-01 2 BM, LSu
Rusty Blackbird 6
Brewer's Blackbird 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Great-tailed Grackle 2026-01-01 3 MOb
Ovenbird 6
Worm-eating Warbler 6
Louisiana Waterthrush 6
Northern Waterthrush 5
Black-and-white Warbler 5
Prothonotary Warbler 6
Tennessee Warbler 6
Orange-crowned Warbler 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Lucy's Warbler 6
Nashville Warbler 4
Virginia's Warbler 6
Connecticut Warbler 6
MacGillivray's Warbler 2026-01-01 4 KAl
Kentucky Warbler 6
Common Yellowthroat 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Hooded Warbler 6
American Redstart 5
Cape May Warbler 6
Northern Parula 5
Magnolia Warbler 6
Bay-breasted Warbler 6
Blackburnian Warbler 6
Northern Yellow Warbler 2026-01-28 1 RGJ
Chestnut-sided Warbler 6
Blackpoll Warbler 5
Black-throated Blue Warbler 6
Palm Warbler 5
Pine Warbler 6
Yellow-rumped Warbler 2026-01-01 1 MOb
Yellow-throated Warbler 6
Prairie Warbler 6
Black-throated Gray Warbler 3
Townsend's Warbler 2026-01-01 2 MOb
Hermit Warbler 2026-01-30 3 CD
Black-throated Green Warbler 6
Canada Warbler 6
Wilson's Warbler 1
Painted Redstart 6
Summer Tanager 5
Scarlet Tanager 6
Western Tanager 2026-01-03 2 GB
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 5
Black-headed Grosbeak 1
Blue Grosbeak 4
Lazuli Bunting 2
Indigo Bunting 5
Painted Bunting 6
Dickcissel 6
NOT ABA Countable:
Mute Swan 2026-01-02 GL
Egyptian Goose
Mandarin Duck
African Collared-Dove
Nanday Parakeet
Red-masked Parakeet
Northern Red Bishop
Scaly-breasted Munia 2026-01-04 HeA
Orange-cheeked Waxbill
European Goldfinch
Yellow-crowned Parrot
Red-whiskered Bulbul
White-Eye species (Zosterops sp)

Observer Codes*

Abbreviation Name
AN Andy N
ANe Amanda Newlove
Anon Anonymous
AV Ann Verdi
BM Brooke Miller
BSp Brad Speno
CD Cliff Drowley
CMe Carlos Mendoza
DCh Dani Christensen
DRy Devon Ryan
DWe Dave Weber
DWel Donald Wellmann
GB Galen Beall
GL Garrett Lau
HeA Heba A
HF Howard Friedman
JMc Josh McLaughlin
JPa Janna Pauser
KAl Katherine Alsup
KB Kim Blythe
KRu Karen Rush
LSu Linda Sullivan
MBar Melanie Barnett
MOb Multiple Observers
MShe Megan Shelby
PBa Phoebe Barnes
RGJ Richard Jeffers
RPe Russ Petit
RTr Ray Trent
SMc Soleil McConnell
SWe Susan Weinstein
TKB TK Birder
TKa Terry Karlin
TLa Tom Lankenau
TY Tristan Yoo
VS-Y Vicki Silvas-Young

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.