With striking large red eyes this bird would cause you quite the fright if you stumbled upon it in the middle of the night. They mostly hunt at dusk and night and rest during the day near the edges of the water. Found everywhere except Australia and Antarctica, these birds are the most widespread herons…
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A rare visitor to Bolsa Chica, let alone this high north on the Pacific Coastline. A small sized bird compared to its resident relatives, this bird created quite the excitement in the birding world when it came for an extended stay in 2018. Having distinct plumage colors, it was not hard to spot among the…
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This bird has an extraterrestrial-sounding call and extraordinary breeding plumage…when it’s up North on lakes in the summer time. It’s also the state bird of Minnesota. Their breeding calls are the iconic eerie sound you might hear on a scary movie based around a lake. April’s bird of the month is the Common Loon (Gavia…
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When people think of this group of birds, they think of birds with large sharp beaks, bright red heads, and loud hammering. Sometimes, even a certain cartoon character with a comical catchphrase comes to mind. This species, however, is a compact bird with a petite beak and red spot, and with less loud hammering and…
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What a looker! The male of this species has stunning blue and pumpkin colored breeding plumage, and even in non-breeding plumage their colors are still pretty colorful. Females aren’t as striking, with the exception of blue tints on their wings and tails, with mostly warm brown and pale cinnamon plumage colors. The 2019 Calendar Cover…
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Iconic, symbolic, powerful. These words are often associated with the bird of the month’s species. Most people don’t realize we occasional host this great bird at Bolsa Chica (usually a juvenile from the Catalina Islands). You might not recognize the juveniles from a quick glance, but their size should give them away (don’t confuse them…
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This dabbling duck is considered to have ‘pizzazz’ which makes me think of the roaring 20s and the jazz scene. Their distinct beaks also remind me of black-white spectator shoes from the same time period, but now I’m just letting my imagination get carried away. November’s bird of the month is the American Wigeon (Mareca…
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What has ‘horns,’ sends shivers down your spine when you hear it in the dark, and can be found raising the next generation of night predators at Bolsa Chica? It can only be: October’s bird of the month is the spectacularly spooky Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)!!!! Great horned owls don’t actually have horns, instead…
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This bird is the iconic feathered symbol of the beaches like pigeons (rock doves) are to cities. More commonly called ‘sea gull’ along with other similar species, this species tries to steal food off our snack table during volunteer restoration days and is also dubbed ‘octo-gull’ here at Bolsa Chica because of photos like the…
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This bird species is dear to my heart because this is the species that got me to Bolsa Chica for the first time…and as they say, the rest is history haha! I was helping conduct research on the feeding and nesting of these birds on North Tern island (the one you can see on the…
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